2 Kings 23 … Consider the Weight of His Word

Originally posted: 3/24/2020

Weight: “the ability of someone or something to influence decisions or actions; respect, influence, trust or importance.”

The Word of the Lord had been lost, leaving the people of God to themselves and wildly open to the seduction of evil.

“In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. ⁸ And I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.” ⁹ But they did not listen, and Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel,” (2 Kings 21:7-9).

But then, by God’s sovereign grace, the book of the law is found.

Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it. ⁹ Shaphan the scribe came to the king and brought back word to the king… “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king, (2 Kings 22:8-10).

And upon hearing the Words of His Law, the Weight of His Word is unleashed on a heart ready to receive and respond.

Consider the Weight of His Word

• The Weight of His Word Influences Our Will
  • The king stood by the pillar 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 all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant, (23:3).

• The Weight of His Word Influences Our Ways
  • Then the king commanded… to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them… ⁵ He did away with the idolatrous priests… ⁶ He brought out the Asherah from the house of the Lord… ⁷ He also broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes which were in the house of the Lord…. ⁸ …and he broke down the high places … ¹⁰ He also defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for Molech. ¹¹ He did away with the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of the Lord… and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. ¹² The altars which were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, the king broke down; and he smashed them there and threw their dust into the brook Kidron. ¹³ The high places which were before Jerusalem, which were on the right of the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built… the king defiled. ¹⁴ He broke in pieces the sacred pillars… ¹⁵ Furthermore, the altar that was at Bethel and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down… ¹⁹ Josiah also removed all the houses of the high places which were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made provoking the Lord; and he did to them just as he had done in Bethel. ²⁰ All the priests of the high places who were there he slaughtered on the altars and burned human bones on them; then he returned to Jerusalem, (23:3-20).

• The Weight of His Word Influences Our Worship
  • Then the king commanded all the people saying, “Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God as it is written in this book of the covenant.” ²² Surely such a Passover had not been celebrated from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah. ²³ But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the Lord in Jerusalem, (23:21-23).

• The Weight of His Word Influences Our World
  • Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spiritists and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord, (23:24).

• The Weight of His Word Influences Our Weight
  • Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him, (23:25).

How do we respond to the Weight of His Word?

Josiah, who received and responded to the Weight of His Word as he turned to the LORD with all his heart, soul and might, brought tremendous influence and weight upon the nation during his lifetime, and was used mightily by the LORD to usher in sweeping reforms.

Self-examination time: are we truly giving His Word the place to hold Weight in our daily lives?

Weight: “the ability of someone or something to influence decisions or actions; respect, influence, trust or importance.”

Is His Word given the place of importance to influence our decisions and actions? And are we responding to His Word in daily surrender, respect and trust?

• Is the Weight of His Word Influencing my Will?
  • With all my heart I have sought You;
    Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
  • ¹¹ Your word I have treasured in my heart,
    That I may not sin against You, (Psalm 119:10-11).
  • And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. ²⁵ For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels,” (Luke 9:23-26).

• Is the Weight of His Word Influencing my Ways?
  • How can a young man keep his way pure?
    By keeping it according to Your word, (Psalm 119:9).
  • Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father, (Colossians 3:15-17).

• Is the Weight of His Word Influencing my Worship?
  • “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! ⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶ These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
  • Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect, (Romans 12:1-2).

• Is the Weight of His Word Influencing my World?
  • Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever, (Daniel 12:3).
  • “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; ¹⁵ nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven,” (Matthew 5:14-16).

• Is the Weight of His Word Influencing my Weight?
  • The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
    And he who is wise wins souls, (Proverbs 11:30).
  • He has told you, O man, what is good;
    And what does the Lord require of you
    But to do justice, to love kindness,
    And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).
  • but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; (1 Peter 3:15).

Oh, that we would commit to daily seek Him in His Word, that He would Weigh on our Will, Ways, Worship, and World. And as the Weight of His Word transforms us, let us pray He would conform us to His image to become His ambassadors who seek to share the Weight of His Word with a world so desperately in need.

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son… (Romans 8:29).

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God, (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Let’s Grow Together!