Then Hilkiah answered and said . . . "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD" . . . Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes . . . [and said] ". . . great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD." (2 Chronicles 34:15, 19, and 21)
When Nebuchadnezzar and Manasseh humbled themselves before the Lord, our great God poured out amazing grace upon these formerly godless and prideful kings. Of course, it is not necessary to first be rebellious in order to be humbled and to become a recipient of further grace from God. This truth is illustrated in Josiah's humbling himself before the Lord.
Josiah began to reign in Jerusalem at a very young age. "Josiah was eight years old when he became king" (2 Chronicles 34:1). When he was yet in the teen years, he began to pursue the Lord. "For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David" (2 Chronicles 34:3a). His quest for God led him to serve the Lord faithfully and courageously by destroying the implements of idolatry in the land. "In the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images. They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down" (2 Chronicles 34:3b-4).
Later, he ordered the temple to be repaired. "Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the temple, he sent . . . [various leaders] . . . to repair the house of the LORD his God" (2 Chronicles 34:8). There, they found copies of God's word, which had been neglected for many years. "Then Hilkiah answered and said . . . 'I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD'." Immediately, they took these precious writings to King Josiah. "Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes."
The Lord had instructed His leaders to rule by the truth of His word. "It shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book . . . And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes" (Deuteronomy 17:18-19). Josiah was humbled with intense grief, knowing this had been neglected and that severe judgment was in order. "Great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD."
O Lord God, my heart is torn when I think of the way Your word is neglected today. National leaders generally ignore it. Many church leaders compromise it. I have not given it appropriate attention. Let me be a Josiah in these wicked days, Amen.
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Bob Hoekstra ( - 2012)
Bob's involvement with the Calvary Chapels began in 1971, when he and his wife Dini visited Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa on a Sunday evening. They were deeply touched by the life-giving teaching of the word of God, the simple worship "in Spirit and in truth", and the profound expressions of the love of the Lord among the saints. Upon returning to Dallas, they regularly obtained Pastor Chuck Smith's teaching tapes and eventually became daily listeners of the Word for Today on the radio.Since 1993, Bob had been teaching at Calvary Chapel and other church fellowships across the country and overseas (including, Seminars, Pastors' Conferences, Church Services, Leadership Conferences, Retreats, and Schools of Evangelism/Ministry). He has taught numerous classes at Calvary Chapel Bible College (both at its former location in Twin Peaks, CA and its current location in Murrieta Hot Springs, CA) as well as at the extension campuses of Costa Mesa, Vista, San Diego, El Cajon, and others. Bob's teaching generally highlights such subjects as Counseling God's Way ,Family God's Way ,Growing in the Grace of God ,The Church: How Jesus Builds It ,Contending for the Faith ,Promise Believers ,The Sufficiency of Christ and His Word ,The Psychologizing of the Faith , and related themes.
Pastor Bob Hoekstra is the founder and Director of Living in Christ Ministries (livinginchrist.org). He has been in ministry since 1967, including fourteen years in Dallas, TX and eleven years as Pastor of Calvary Chapel of Irvine, CA. He and his wife, Dini, were married in 1966, and have three adult children and eleven grandchildren. Bob graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1973 with the Master of Theology degree.
Bob's involvement with the Calvary Chapels began in 1971. Since 1993, Bob has been teaching at Calvary Chapel and other church fellowships across the country and overseas. The Living in Christ Radio Program is heard on several stations across the country.