The Bible Moves Us To Obey God

Truly, something amazing happens when people are humbled and then start reading the Bible. Even if they have read it before, this time is now different. Because their eyes, ears, and heart are now engaged to follow Jesus, there is understanding to be had. Even a life of wickedness is now ready to be given up, because of their desire to follow the Lord God instead. This is so amazing when this happens in people’s lives. Even their prayer life and desires to walk out their faith increases substantially because of what they are now learning in God’s Word. This happened to me and has happened to countless other people throughout the globe. I can personally say that my life is totally different and God has now blessed me with many spiritual gifts. To this, I give God all the glory. And I mention all of this because there was a certain man named Josiah, who was king over Jerusalem but also had his eyes set on God. He even hated the sight of any idols, so he went and ¹“brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.” (2 Chronicles 34:4) Surely, there were people that still used these carved images and alters of Baalim, but it didn’t matter. All this needed to go. He then went and called people ¹“to repair the house of the Lord his God.” (2 Chronicles 34:8) Now, because he was humble before God and wanted to do what He says, this really helped when he discovered, “a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses.” (2 Chronicles 34:14)

When Josiah ¹“heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying, Go, enquire of the Lord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this book.” (2 Chronicles 34:19-21) Then God spoke through Huldah, a prophetess, and said, “thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah: Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched. And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard; Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord. Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same.” (2 Chronicles 34:24-28)

It was after this was told to the king that he ¹“stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book. And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.” (2 Chronicles 34:31-33) Wow, just think about what took place. First, he heard the words of the law and rent his clothes, knowing how far the people of Israel had strayed from obeying God’s commandments. Then, he heard what God said and made a covenant to serve Him with all his heart and soul. This is amazing, and what is most intriguing about it all is that he then became an amazing evangelist for God. After he decided to live for God, he also presented what he learned to the people. And did they listen? Yes, they did. The people also served the Lord because of what He told them. They were cut to the heart and knew that if they didn’t, God’s wrath would surely be upon them. My friends, this same motivation to share the truths of God has come inside of me. This has happened to me also, because of my love for the Lord and desire to obey what the Bible says. It is alive and can be for anyone that is humble before God.

Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that people will begin to seek You in all that they do. Then, will their desire to read the Bible and to pray be increased. God, it is in these moments that You are able to open our eyes, ears, and hearts to know the truth. Even our soul is then more desirous to obey what You have said and no longer sin behind closed doors. It is because we are cut to the heart by what You have said, that it is now meaningful to us to the point of doing Your will and not our own. Thank You for Your instructions in life. Surely, the Bible is wisdom to our eyes and heart as we hear it and read it. Even when we study it out in our hearts and minds is when knowledge is gained like never before. I know this to be true, for You have changed me in every way of my life. I no longer wish to keep anything sinful in my life or my surroundings. This is when a cleansing is needed. I am so grateful that You were able to cleanse me of all my sins, because of Your blood that was shed. Because of this, I knew exactly what needed to go in the house and in my life. I may not have this knowledge on my own, but with Your presence, what is good and evil is made known so clearly. Even to the point of despising what is wicked and cling to what is righteous. Yes, God, what You offer me is what my heart longs for, not what the world says is good, which is really filthy on the inside. I no longer wish to be gratified because of what the flesh desires sinfully, but what You can do for me in Your holiness. It is purity that my flesh really needs, and when You cleanse people of all their sins, they will also see this to be true. I love your commands, for Your ways lead to eternal life. Keep me on Your path all my days. Amen.

Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.

2 Chronicles 34

¹2 Chronicles 34 (KJV)
1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
4 And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
5 And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
6 And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.
7 And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.
9 And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.
10 And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the Lord, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the Lord, to repair and amend the house:
11 Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
12 And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.
13 Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.
14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses.
15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.
17 And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen.
18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
19 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.
20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying,
21 Go, enquire of the Lord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this book.
22 And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect.
23 And she answered them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me,
24 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:
25 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.
26 And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard;
27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord.
28 Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.
29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30 And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord.
31 And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.
32 And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
33 And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.