Restoration Revived

And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of Jehovah, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of Jehovah. And the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book: and all the people stood to the covenant.

2 Kings 23:1-3

King Josiah of Judah was an encouragement to all who serve the Lord. His heart and actions are those which push us to love the Lord our God, both in word and deed. 2 Kings 22:8-13 details the circumstances that led to the restoration of Old Testament Judaism in the land of Judah. To understand Josiah, we must understand that he was a restorer, not a reformer. 

Restoration Requires Repentance

When Shaphan the scribe brought word to Josiah about the ongoing restoration work on the temple, he also included the fact that they had found the book of the Law of the Lord. Shaphan read the book to Him. Josiah responded. He did not respond with his ideas of how the Jewish religion could be reformed to be better in his own eyes. He did not look for ways for religion to be more appealing to the masses based on consumer reports. He did not incorporate elements from the religions of the world to make the worldly Israelites more interested in Jehovah. No, he tore his clothes.  The first act of seeking restoration is to recognize we are guilty and in need of restoration to God's approved way. The problem with reform is that all reforms came out of denominational churches. However, when a reformer looks at problems in Christendom, he seeks to just modify the practices of unapproved churches to meet what the Bible says and also what they perceive to be right. Josiah was different. Josiah recognized the need for restoration and not reform. 

Restoration Requires Returning to God’s Word

For Israel to be right in the eyes of God, Josiah knew that he needed to heed the word of God, so he sent Shaphan and others to enquire of the Lord. Josiah, upon hearing the response of the Lord, knew what needed to be done. First, he gathered together the people of Judah, and the Law was read. After the reading of the Law, the king made a covenant with God before the people. His covenant was one of restoration. His commitment was to keep all of God's Word with all his heart and soul and confirm the words of the covenant written in the Book. The people agreed with Josiah. 

New churches usually start because someone is unhappy with where they are at or someone believes they know more than God. Restoration to the church of the New Testament requires a recognition that God's truth is only found in the Word of Truth. Faithful preachers have said before, "If it's new, it isn't true, and if it's true, it isn't new." Josiah knew that the only source of being right with God was restoring his heart and the nation to obedience to the law of the Lord. God established a pattern that He intended all men everywhere to follow. We all are judged by the Word of Christ (cf. Jn 12:48). 

Restoration Requires Messengers in Every Generation

Josiah did not lack good morals. The book of the Law of the Lord was brought to him by a project on the temple. He was trying to do the best he could. Morality, however, does not equate to faithfulness to God. Many people are disenfranchised by the churches in which they have grown up. They look at the doctrine and practices and cannot find authority for those things. To be right with God, one must look for the New Testament church. The Gospel of Christ is the only source for the restoration of a soul to God the Creator. To be the church of the New Testament, we must seek to restore the things commanded by God. Josiah sought to restore Old Testament Judaism, not reform Judaism. May we be restorers of New Testament Christianity always. For this is the mark of a people who love their Lord with all their hearts and souls (cf. John 14:15). 

Grace and Peace, 

R.D. Beavers