Josiah: Return to the Word

4 Chapter Study with Video Lessons, English and Spanish Scripture Writing and Copywork

Introduction:

Have you ever had a housecleaning day derailed because of something you found in a closet or a drawer? It could be as simple as a gadget you purchased and never had time to put together. Hours later, you are sitting on a kitchen floor that never got cleaned, surrounded by parts and directions in three different languages.

Sometimes we find things that have more meaning, like an old journal that leads us to hours of reliving memories (still on a dirty floor). Photo albums, letters, and yearbooks are all everyday things to pull out of the dust. We don’t expect to use them daily, but they are still precious enough to put away on a special shelf for the occasional walk down memory lane.

One thing that should never be put into the “I forgot I had that” category is the Bible. However, that’s exactly what happened sometime in the years before Josiah, the sixteenth king of Judah, took the throne. One day, while the temple was being cleaned at Josiah’s direction, an official named Shaphan brought him “a book” that was found in the process. As Shaphan began to read the book, the realization set in that he was reading the Word of God, and that Judah was in violation of that Word. The weight of their sin was suddenly so apparent that Josiah tore his clothes with grief.

How in the world did scripture get lost in the temple? How did the nation of Judah get to such a sinful state? This month, we are going to conduct an investigation into what happened to the Word of God. You may have heard me say that we don’t just lose a generation of children. What happens first is that we lose a generation of grandparents, so the parents are lost, and then the next generation of children is completely oblivious.

We are going to look back to Josiah’s ancestors to find that last person who had God’s Word and trace the generational fall that led to such a terrible moment. We will study Josiah’s response to the Word and how it affected future generations.

Along the way, we will examine the influential role of mothers. We will see what happens when spiritual leaders do not confront sin. We will learn the cost of fatalism and apathy in the face of coming judgment. Above all, we will experience God’s amazing sovereignty and grace.

Join me for this intriguing investigation as we return to the Word.

XOXO,
Heidi