Renewing our Covenant

Renewing Our Covenant: Learning from King Josiah’s Zeal for the Lord

In the days of King Josiah, Judah was a nation deep in sin. Generations before him had turned away from God, turning to idolatry and corrupt worship. Yet, when the Book of the Law was discovered in the temple during Josiah’s reign, his heart was broken over the state of his people. He did not ignore their condition—he responded with repentance, reform, and a renewed commitment to the Lord.

Josiah’s reaction is recorded in 2 Kings 22:11 (ESV): “When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.” This act symbolized deep sorrow and humility. He understood how far the nation had strayed. His response was not passive—he initiated sweeping reforms to restore the worship of the one true God. In 2 Kings 23:4-5, we read: “And the king commanded...to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. He burned them...He deposed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places.”

Josiah was not content with surface-level change. He removed idols, desecrated altars to false gods, and reestablished the Passover (2 Kings 23:21-23), demonstrating complete devotion to God’s Word. His actions led the people of Judah to renew their covenant with the Lord. As 2 Kings 23:3 (ESV) states: “And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments...with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book.”

So what idols have you built or reinforced over months, years, or even decades? —comfort, materialism, entertainment, pride, self-indulgence? Whatever it may be, the need for repentance is just as urgent! As Pastor Ryan asks in his sermon, “What sits on the throne of your heart?”

Beloved, I pray that you and I have the same seriousness Josiah showed. Let us not grow complacent in our worship or compromise with the world. Like Josiah, we must rediscover God's Word, let it convict us, repent to the Lord, and cast down anything that stands between us and full devotion to the Lord. As Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV) commands: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

May Josiah’s example lead us to real transformation, both individually and together as a body of believers as we worship the true and righteous King, Christ Jesus.

By Blair Tatum