King Josiah read to his people all the Book of the Covenant, the word of God left by Moses, which had been found during the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem. This was a new experience for all, as the worship of God and the reading of His word had been abandoned by their elders and the previous kings.
1 Now the king sent them to gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to him. 2 The king went up to the house of the Lord with all the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 23:1-2 (NKJV)
When the word of God enters through our eyes and ears, it can be activated by the Holy Spirit to come alive in our hearts. Our thoughts and beliefs are laid open by it for analysis and discovery, and it brings us to a point of decision on how we will be moving forward. Are we willing to change and grow for the better, seeking to overcome our fears and shortcomings?
Much like the temple in Josiah’s time, our hearts can be cleansed and restored by the introduction of God’s word. Most of us who are willing to do this have undergone a profound change. We have had to discard a large number of false ideas and assumptions that we have carried around within us for years. But we are far from perfect, a work in progress with a long way to go.
The word of God is the key tool the Lord uses to penetrate to the core of our being to weed out the unholy and unclean thoughts and habits that originate there. His word is referred to in the Bible as a spiritual sword, striking down falsehoods and vain imaginations, and allowing the Lord to work deep within our souls and spirits to bring us healing and restoration. As the apostle Paul writes:
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17 (NKJV)
And from the author of Hebrews (which may or may not be Paul):
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)
King Josiah read the word of the Lord to all his people, but it was up to each individual to decide how they wanted to respond to it. There are several different ways that they, or we, could receive it.
Did they tune Josiah out as he read, allowing other matters to crowd out the word and to occupy their thoughts instead?
Were they resentful at being forced to listen against their will, as many of us were in our youth? If so, we know what a challenging and unfruitful situation that can be. But for many, even that unsought word can still bear a fruitful harvest later in life.
Did they receive God’s word in their heart for the moment, but soon forget all about it after they returned home and turned their attention to other things? Maybe when they had to later choose between following God or pursuing other, less wholesome activities, the latter won out?
On a more positive note, did God’s word grab their attention, take root in their hearts, and ignite a spiritual fire that would be their first step on a satisfying life journey? Would they nurture it and help it to grow into a true faith that would bear fruit for themselves and for the Lord’s kingdom?
Probably all of these different responses took place among the crowd as Josiah read to them.
Jesus addressed these concepts when He told the Parable of the Sower, found in Matthew 13. Using the analogy of a farmer spreading seed over a field with diverse types of soil, Jesus was describing the various responses of people to the hearing of God’s word.
The seed on hard ground represents hearers who were distracted from even considering receiving the word into their hearts. Jesus placed the blame for this on the distractive efforts and abilities of the evil one.
The seed that fell on thin soil represented those who received the word half-heartedly. As soon as difficulties arose because of the word, the receiver rejected it and went back to their old sinful ways and thinking.
Thorny ground represents the potential fruitful responses to the word which were then cut off by other influences, such as a focus on the worries and cares of daily life or the pursuit of material wealth. These priorities helped to choke off the spiritual nourishment required for spiritual growth. God wants to assist us with all of these concerns, but He wants us to place Him first in our lives, and to call on Him in prayer to address these needs.
Finally, in the spiritually successful case of the good soil, the word took root in the hearer’s heart, and was allowed to grow into a fruitful plant, to be tended daily by the Spirit of Christ through the word, fellowship, and prayer. The individual who chooses this path will go on to produce abundant spiritual fruit in the lives of those around them, as the Holy Spirit leads and facilitates.
Like the people in Josiah’s audience, we, too, have a choice in how we will respond to the hearing of God’s word. We get to pick which type of soil we want to be. With God’s help, the sword of the spirit will cut away the weeds in our lives to produce a great harvest throughout God’s kingdom while giving us a satisfying life of hope, serenity, peace, and joy.
Reflection
How do I respond to the word of God?
Lord, teach me to receive Your word with joy in my heart, and to hold on tight to it in my being. Use it to cut away the unhealthy thoughts, practices, habits, and addictions that threaten to keep me in bondage. May Your Holy Spirit empower and enrich my soul to produce much fruit for the kingdom as I abide in You, the Vine of life. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Have a beautiful day in the light of the Lord’s love today.
Daily Meditations from the Genealogy of Jesus 