2 Chronicles 34:29-33: a reflection

29Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30The king went up to the LORD’s house with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests, the Levites, and all the people, both great and small—and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the LORD’s house. 31The king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. 32He caused all who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand. The inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were found in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. All his days they didn’t depart from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

King Josiah, having found the long-lost book of the covenant, gathers all the people, great and small, and reads it in their hearing. Then he stands in his place and makes a covenant before the LORD, to follow him and keep his commandments with all his heart and all his soul. And he leads the people to join him, so that they commit themselves to the covenant of God. Josiah does not merely hear God's word; he responds with a wholehearted, public commitment to obey it, and leads his people to do the same.

Notice the wholeheartedness and the leadership in Josiah's response to God's word. He does not treat the rediscovered word as mere information; he responds with his whole heart and soul, committing himself publicly to follow God and keep his commandments. And he does not keep this to himself, but leads the whole people into the same commitment. His response to God's word was wholehearted, public, and leading, drawing others to commit with him.

That response is a model for our own encounter with God's word. It is possible to hear God's word and treat it as mere information, taking it in without any real commitment of the heart. But Josiah shows another way: to respond with the whole heart, committing ourselves to follow and obey; and, where we can, to lead others to do the same. When God's word comes to you, do not merely hear it; respond, as Josiah did, with a wholehearted commitment to follow and obey it. And where you have influence, use it as Josiah did, to lead others toward God, not keeping your commitment private but drawing others to commit with you. Let your response to God's word be wholehearted, not half-hearted; and let it draw others, so far as you are able, into the same commitment to follow the Lord.

Lord, when Josiah found the lost book of the covenant, he read it to all the people, then stood and made a covenant before you to follow you and keep your commandments with all his heart and soul, and led the people to join him. Let his response be a model for my own encounter with your word. It is possible to hear your word and treat it as mere information, taking it in without any real commitment of the heart. But Josiah shows me another way: to respond with the whole heart, committing myself to follow and obey; and, where I can, to lead others to do the same. When your word comes to me, keep me from merely hearing it; help me respond, as Josiah did, with a wholehearted commitment to follow and obey it. And where I have influence, help me use it as Josiah did, to lead others toward you, not keeping my commitment private but drawing others to commit with me. Let my response to your word be wholehearted, not half-hearted; and let it draw others, so far as I am able, into the same commitment to follow you, Lord.