Meddling - A Lesson from Josiah

The Lord put it upon my heart to study about King Josiah of Judah. This may be a long read, but I urge you to listen the Word of the Lord, that He has put upon my heart to give to the Church. Time is running out.

It's too much to copy and paste here, but please go and read II Chronicles 34-35 and Jeremiah 46. Josiah, after decades of wicked kings and idolatry in Israel and Judah, became king at just eight years old. He was the grandson of Judah’s most wicked king, Manasseh. King Josiah walked in the ways of King David and sought the LORD. Scripture tells us that he restored righteous order to Judah and Israel. He destroyed not part, but all of the abominable idols, shrines, and pagan temples that were in the land, including their priests.

Josiah did all this before ever hearing or learning God’s Law or Word through the Book of Moses. Yet despite this, when the priest Hilkiah found the Book of the Law, King Josiah was much grieved. He realized just how far the people of Israel and Judah had fallen from the LORD. Scripture goes on to tell us how much Josiah did afterwards to restore the Kingdom of Judah back to God’s Law and to restore His holy temple in Jerusalem. King Josiah sought the LORD with righteousness.

The Lord told Josiah through the prophetess Huldah, that because he was intent on following God, he would die in peace and not see the judgment decreed for idolatrous and wicked Israel/Judah. Fast forward five years after Huldah’s prophecy (if my math is to be trusted)…. Here comes Pharaoh Necho of Egypt. Necho was not coming to fight against Judah or Israel, but against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (Carchemish). Both Egypt and Babylon were potential enemies of Judah, yet at this specific point in time, they were not at war with them yet.

But for whatever reason, King Josiah arrayed himself and his army for battle against Pharaoh Necho, though not as an ally of Babylon. It is like he saw an opportunity and ran with it. But why? Why, when no threat was even intimated towards Judah, would King Josiah “meddle” as Scripture puts it? Was he filled with pride, “I’m the King of Judah and kings go to war, let me show them the power and might of Judah!”? Was he filled with over-confidence, “If God is for me, who can be against me?” Was he filled with fear despite Huldah’s prophecy, “Will the Egyptians target Judah on their way to Babylon?” Or was Josiah meddling out of a desire to prove himself militarily, to make a name for himself, or even to potentially gain favor with King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon?

Regardless of the reason, what we do see is that “righteous King Josiah” did not seek the LORD about it as he should have. Josiah did not ask what God’s will was in all of this. He did not even consider it. Why? Why would someone who followed the Lord zealously, not even see the need in seeking Him with something as detrimental as war!? This is what I want to focus on and what the Lord has led me to.

In II Chronicles 35:21, Pharaoh Necho saw King Josiah and the army of Judah coming towards him. He sent a messenger to ask Josiah why? “Why are you fighting a battle that is not your own? I am not at war with you Judah, and you are no friend of Babylon, so why?” And then, the LORD spoke through Pharaoh to King Josiah. He said, “Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you!” Now why was God with Pharaoh?

Jeremiah 46 tells us the answer to that question. In verses 25 – 26, it says that the Lord will bring punishment upon Pharaoh Necho of Egypt, for all of its wickedness. At whose hands? King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. God did not choose Judah to carry out that punishment, He chose Babylon. God had a purpose and He had a plan....then here comes King Josiah “meddling” in the Lord’s affairs.

Josiah didn’t know God’s plans. He didn’t even bother seeking the LORD! Would God have told Josiah if asked? Yes! Every time a king inquired of the Lord what to do in regards to war, He answered! His answer wasn’t always liked or obeyed, but He did answer every time. But, Josiah did not even ask. So what happened?

Even though God warned Josiah, Josiah did not listen. No one but the LORD Himself, knows why….Josiah did not only not listen to God, he set his heart on being deceptive. Was he trying to deceive Pharaoh? The LORD? His own kingdom? Regardless, he took matters into his own hands, did it his way, and rebelled against the Lord. He went out disguised as a common soldier (Babylonian? Egyptian?).

His deception in disguising himself and going out to battle anyways, got him killed. His disobedience and distrust of the Lord Most High, Who he served in all righteousness, placed judgment upon his head. Was it an Egyptian arrow or a Babylonian arrow that killed him? It doesn’t matter, because it was the LORD’s arrow. The arrow of judgment.

Too often in the Bible, and even our own lives, do we see the Lord offering peace through obedience, then the person rebelling, and then that peace being removed through judgment. Here we are America, here we are. Here we are Church, here we are. There are lessons to be learned here!

When we set our hearts on following the Lord, He promises us a peace and a promise: for us, it is through the salvation of Christ. But no matter how righteous we live, the second we stop seeking the Lord and rebel against Him….our peace is stripped from us and we are in danger of judgment. Not necessarily an eternal judgment (though that is very much a danger to those who forsake the Lord and pursue sin), but it can be a more immediate judgment through consequences.

God is merciful however, and like with King Josiah, He warns us. He calls us out before we err! Listen to His warnings! But if we choose to ignore His warning and do not heed His voice, we have only ourselves to blame when judgment falls upon us. It was not Pharaoh’s fault Josiah was killed, nor was it Babylon’s fault. Josiah neglected to seek the Lord with his battles. He was filled with pride and rebelled, thought he could do it his way. His rebellion against the LORD was his destruction! The promise of a peaceful death was stripped away from him.

God is serious about our relationship with Him, Church! Too many in the Body of Christ today, are fighting battles that are not their own. The battle belongs to the Lord, let HIM lead! Are you meddling where you ought not to? If you are, there will be no victory and no peace. That doesn’t mean that all trouble and suffering means you aren’t following Him, we can expect it as followers of Christ. But, it sure does if you are in rebellion against His will!

Too many do not seek the Lord. Too many are leaning upon their own understanding, even though the Lord is calling out over and over with warnings to the Church. The Church has replaced the will of God with the will of man, and they seek Him not!

The LORD grieves for His Church. They have forgotten their first Love and chase instead, after the things of this world. Church, you are fighting a battle not your own and peace has been stripped from you! I speak of politics, I speak of plague and pestilences, I speak of spiritual battles that the Lord did not call you to fight! God’s ways are above our ways, and we will not and cannot stop what He has determined. To interfere with the Lord is to fight against the Lord!

Seek the LORD, Church! Seek Him! If the battle is not yours to fight, He will warn you. Listen to Him, listen to His warnings, listen to His voice! He has already pronounced judgment upon this nation, we cannot stop it. The cup of wickedness is overflowing.

It doesn’t matter how righteous you are, if you go against God and His will, you will lose. But, if you seek Him first in all things and listen to Him, He will care for you. Even in the midst of trouble and suffering, He will give you peace in your heart. He wants your obedience! He wants you to just trust Him!

It is so paramount that in these latter days, that we 1: seek the Lord, 2: repent and leave all unrighteousness, 3: listen to the Lord’s voice, through His Holy Spirit and His Word, and 4: that we obey Him. His answer may not always be what we want to hear, and we may not always understand it. His warning may seem cliché, but if we take heed….

If we truly repent, seek Him, and obey….We will dwell in His perfect peace. In Jeremiah 46:27-28, He reminds us that we are still His people. We are not to fear what’s coming, because He loves us. But what does He say at the end of verse 28? “I will rightly correct you, for I will not leave you wholly unpunished.”

The Lord disciplines those He loves, because He wants us to learn obedience. We are His children, Church, and when we disobey – through sin, idolatry, witchcraft/occult practices, meddling….He is going to punish us. All He asks is that we stop doing things our (or man’s) way, and instead seek Him with hearts that are repentant, humble, and obedient.

We are receivers of His promise, don’t rebel against Him and cause Him grief. Run the race with endurance! The devil is pulling out all the stops now to get Believers everywhere to rebel, to be deceived, to be arrogant and prideful, and to be dependent upon self and man rather than the LORD.

It is time for the Church to repent and follow Christ. It is time for the Church to seek the Father’s will. It is time to work the harvest field, to prepare our lamps with oil, to don on spotless wedding garments. When Jesus returns (or when you breathe your last breath in death), will He find you rebelling? Meddling? Living like the world? Using or participating in unholy occult practices? Worshipping idols?

Or will He find you ready for Him, watching for Him, waiting for His commands, working for His Kingdom, seeking His face, and obeying Him? Just like with King Josiah, the choice is yours and yours alone to make. Seek the Lord.

I challenge you all to go back and study for yourself II Chronicles 34-35 and Jeremiah 46. Seek the Lord and ask Him to show you, speak to you, and give you understanding. Ask Him if you are fighting battles that are not your own. Ask Him if you are meddling. He will answer, listen. It is time to repent and turn back to the LORD, for Jesus is our King!

He is coming soon.