Josiah - A King Who Turned to the Lord | Pastor Tim Notz | 10/04/2026

Oct 04, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: An Eight-Year-Old King and the Courage to Lead

A child’s hands grip a throne meant for giants. Josiah became king at eight, surrounded by the wreckage of his grandfather Manasseh’s idolatry and his father Ammon’s violence. Yet he refused to let generational brokenness define his reign. His story proves God equips the unlikely—the young, the overlooked, the survivors of toxic legacies—to lead radical change. Courage isn’t the absence of fear but the choice to act despite it. What giants is God calling you to confront in your sphere of influence? [05:34]

“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.”
(2 Chronicles 34:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: Where has fear of inadequacy kept you from leading boldly? What one step can you take this week to trust God’s strength over your perceived limitations?

Day 2: Burning the Bones of Our Past Idols

Josiah didn’t just remove idols—he burned the bones of dead priests on their own altars. This wasn’t cleanup; it was holy arson. He understood that half-measures leave doorways for compromise. Many carry relics of old habits, relationships, or mindsets that “aren’t that bad.” But partial obedience is disobedience. True freedom comes when we stop negotiating with what God has condemned. What smoldering embers still tempt you to revisit old altars? [36:44]

“He brought out the Asherah from the house of the Lord… burned it at the brook Kidron, beat it to dust, and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people. And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes.”
(2 Kings 23:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: What “harmless” thing in your life might actually be a foothold for compromise? How can you move beyond managing sin to eliminating it?

Day 3: Dusty Scrolls and Torn Hearts: When God’s Word Awakens Us

The law wasn’t found in a place of honor but buried under temple debris. When Josiah heard its words, he tore his robes—not in performative guilt, but holy anguish over how far they’d strayed. Scripture still has power to wreck our complacency. But we must approach it not as a self-help manual, but as a surgeon’s scalpel. When was the last time God’s Word left you spiritually breathless? [25:24]

“When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. And the king commanded… ‘Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found.’”
(2 Kings 22:11-13, ESV)

Reflection: Do you read the Bible to confirm what you already believe, or to let it disrupt your assumptions? What passage recently challenged you to change?

Day 4: Backstage Prayers and the Curtain Call of God’s Power

Josiah’s reforms began long before the public altars fell. The real work happened in hidden years—prayers whispered by a teenage king, mentors modeling faithfulness, small obediences preparing for greater battles. Spiritual breakthroughs are forged in unseen places. Like stagehands moving props in the dark, our prayers set the scene for God’s grand reveal. What hidden work is God doing in your private obedience? [21:50]

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.”
(Jeremiah 29:13-14, ESV)

Reflection: What “behind-the-scenes” spiritual discipline have you neglected? How might recommitting to it position you for future breakthroughs?

Day 5: Smashing Asherah Poles in Your Living Room

Josiah didn’t stop at reforming the temple—he purged homes, fields, and public squares. Holiness isn’t a Sunday costume but an everyday wardrobe. Our modern Asherah poles hide in streaming queues, gossip circles, and compromise we justify as “cultural engagement.” Revival starts when we stop blaming external darkness and confront the idols in our own tents. What sacred cow needs slaughtering in your private world? [37:25]

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
(Romans 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: What normalized habit in your daily life would look like idolatry through Josiah’s eyes? What practical step will you take to dethrone it?

Sermon Summary

Second Kings sets Josiah before Judah as a king unlike any before or after him, because he turned to the Lord with all his heart, soul, and strength. Josiah’s story stands out because his past could have been an excuse. Manasseh, his grandfather, filled Judah with Baal worship, Asherah poles, fortune tellers, child sacrifice, and all kinds of evil. Ammon, his father, followed the same path. Yet Josiah refused to let a wicked family line and a broken culture tell him who he had to become.

Josiah became king at eight years old, but at sixteen he began seeking the God of David. God had somebody speaking into that young life, and Josiah began to pursue the Lord for himself. Second Chronicles shows Josiah at twenty tearing down the very idols his father and grandfather had built. Josiah drew a line in the sand. He did not sit back, play the victim, or settle into the chaos around him. He started changing what God had put in front of him.

God’s Word also proves faithful through Josiah. First Kings named Josiah three hundred years before his birth and declared that priests’ bones would be burned on a pagan altar. Josiah later fulfilled that very word. God knows the generation into which every person is born, and God can raise up people for such a time as this. Josiah’s life calls homes, families, young people, and churches to stop floating through life and to live with purity, wholeness, and fire in the belly.

Josiah’s repair of the temple led to the finding of the Book of the Law. The Word of God had been buried under junk, dust, and neglect while Judah wandered into idolatry. Josiah tore his clothes when he heard it read because God’s truth exposed how far the nation had fallen. Joel’s call remains the same: “Rend your heart and not your garments.” God does not ask for religious activity without heart change. God calls for repentance that humbles itself under His Word.

Josiah then renewed the covenant, cleansed the land, destroyed the idols, and restored the Passover. The Passover pointed forward to Jesus, the true spotless Lamb, whose blood was shed once for all. Hebrews declares that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Jesus does not merely cover sin. His blood washes sin away. Christ calls every heart to quit playing church, repent, change direction, and follow Him as Savior and Lord.

Key Takeaways

1. Your past does not get final say Josiah was born into a mess that could have shaped his whole life. His grandfather and father left behind idolatry, violence, and spiritual darkness, but Josiah sought the Lord anyway. God’s grace gives a person power to stop repeating what has been handed down. [07:28]
2. Young hearts can truly seek God Josiah began seeking God while he was still young, and that seeking changed a nation. Children and teenagers need more than a borrowed faith or a church habit. God can put a real hunger in young hearts that causes them to worship, stand for truth, and walk in the Holy Spirit. [12:51]
3. Prayer moves what cannot be seen Prayer can feel like nothing is happening, but God is moving things behind the curtain. The Spirit puts things in place before the curtain opens and God’s power is revealed. Persistent prayer refuses to call delay the same thing as defeat. [21:17]
4. God’s Word exposes hidden compromise The Book of the Law had been sitting in the temple while Judah lived under lies and idols. Josiah’s grief showed that truth should do more than inform the mind. God’s Word reveals what needs to change, especially when the culture has made sin look normal. [25:03]
5. Christ’s blood brings real forgiveness Josiah restored Passover because covenant with God required blood. Jesus fulfilled what Passover had been pointing toward from the beginning, entering once for all by His own blood. Forgiveness comes not by cleaning up a life through effort, but by trusting the blood of Jesus.

## [43:56]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:18] - Josiah Turned Fully to the Lord
[01:37] - Refusing the Victim Mentality
[03:20] - Judah’s Wicked Kings and Idolatry
[05:18] - Josiah Becomes King at Eight
[09:41] - A Prophecy Named Josiah
[10:45] - Josiah Seeks God While Young
[14:44] - Tearing Down Judah’s Idols
[20:15] - Prayer Changes Things Behind the Curtain
[22:39] - The Book of the Law Is Found
[25:03] - Rending the Heart Before God
[29:30] - Renewing the Covenant
[34:03] - Cleaning House and Destroying Idols
[40:18] - Restoring the Passover
[43:36] - Jesus, the True Passover Lamb
[44:34] - A Call to Repent and Follow Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

2 Kings 23:25
“And 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.” [00:13]

Joel 2:13
“and rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.” [27:58]

Hebrews 9:22
“Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” [43:56]

Observation questions

According to 2 Kings 23:25, what three areas of Josiah’s life showed that he turned fully to the Lord? [00:20]
What kinds of evil practices had become normal in Judah under Manasseh and Ammon, and what does that reveal about the culture Josiah inherited? [04:10]
What happened when the Book of the Law was found during the temple repairs, and how did Josiah respond when it was read to him? [23:40]
After renewing the covenant, what actions did Josiah take to remove idolatry and restore Passover among the people? [34:12]

Interpretation questions

Why is Josiah’s decision to seek the Lord significant when his father, grandfather, and surrounding culture had led Judah toward evil? What does his life show about the power of God’s grace over a person’s past? [07:18]
Joel calls for hearts to be torn, not merely outward displays of sorrow. What is the difference between being upset about sin’s consequences and truly repenting before God? [27:54]
Why did finding and hearing God’s Word lead Josiah beyond grief and into real changes throughout Judah? What does this suggest about the way Scripture is meant to shape a believer’s decisions? [29:59]
How does the restored Passover point to Jesus, and why does Hebrews 9:22 make clear that forgiveness cannot be earned by simply trying harder or appearing religious? [43:36]

Application questions

Josiah did not let his family history determine his future. Are there patterns from your past—such as anger, fear, addiction, unhealthy relationships, or unbelief—that you have been tempted to accept as “just who I am”? What would it look like to draw a line in the sand and pursue God’s help to walk in a new direction? [08:39]
God used someone to speak into Josiah’s young life before he began seeking the Lord for himself. Who are the young people God has placed in your life, and what is one practical way you can help them hear God’s Word and develop their own faith? [12:51]
Prayer moves things even when the results are not yet visible. What person or situation have you grown discouraged about praying for? How can the group encourage you to keep praying with faith this week? [21:30]
The Book of the Law had been buried under neglect while idols filled the land. Has God’s Word been pushed aside in any area of your daily life? What simple, realistic step could help you give Scripture a regular place again? [24:28]
Josiah removed what was drawing Judah away from God. Is there anything in your home, habits, media, relationships, or private life that repeatedly pulls your heart away from the Lord? What boundary or change would help you deal with it honestly and wisely? [37:09]
Jesus’ blood does not merely cover sin; it brings real forgiveness and cleansing. Are you trusting in your own efforts to clean yourself up, or are you resting in Christ’s forgiveness while choosing to follow Him? What does repentance need to look like in your life right now? [44:16]

Sermon Clips

42s

#RepentAndFollowJesus

“But today could be an amazing day for you. This could be a day where you decide in your own heart. I'm gonna ask the Lord for forgiveness. I'm gonna I'm gonna repent today. Repent simply means to change directions. That's what it really means. Change directions. I'm no longer gonna live a sinful life. I'm gonna begin to live for Jesus. He's going to become the Lord of my life. I'm gonna follow him. I'm gonna listen to him. It's not just about going to church today. We're talking about a relationship that you should have with the king of kings and lord of lords.”

51s

#SubmitToGodsWord

“Josiah had allowed the words of this book to change him. He humbled himself and he submitted himself to the word of God. And this is what God calls us to still to this day, to humble ourselves and to submit ourselves to the word of God. Not to a pastor, not to a teacher, a bible teacher, we submit ourselves to the word of God. We read it and we say, yes, sir. We read it and we say, I will do that. I will change. I will become like Jesus. Whatever it takes, God, count me in.”

38s

#PowerOfPrayer

“Things begin to move and things begin to shake and things are put into position. Things are getting ready to come out any moment. And when God's ready, the curtain opens and his power is revealed. And people's lives are changed. Yeah, even their minds begin to change. They thought one way and now they think another way. Don't give up on your prayers. I've still got things I'm believing for too, but don't give up. Don't give up. There's power, great great power in your prayer.”

59s

#ChangeTheAtmosphere

“And I believe that God is calling us, us to be like Josiah. Look, I don't know if the next president is in this room. The chances are low, but there are people around you that you can affect like Josiah affected his nation. And we are not called to sit by and just kinda just kinda be passive and just kinda float through life. But we are called to live a life that is above reproach, called to live a life of purity, of wholeness, and with fire in our belly. To change the atmosphere in the room, to change the atmosphere of this of this culture and of this nation. And I believe that we are called to do that.”

38s

#PrayerChangesThings

“And it feels like here here's the here's the the... It's not a deception, it's a misconception. We feel like when we're praying that we're really not making a difference. Oh, but trust me, behind the scenes, behind the the curtains of our lives, things are happening. I don't know if you've ever done theater. I... When I was in high school, I I did some theater, and it... It's... Everything happens behind the curtains, behind the stage. Everything happens back there and there's things moving around and walls moving around and and a whole bunch of people back there and that's what's happening in the spirit realm when you begin to pray.”

41s

#OnFireForGod

“And all he asked, all he's asking is that we would follow him. All he asked is that we would rend our own hearts, that we would tear our own hearts and say, God, I'm a sinner. I need you. That's what he's looking for. But he's looking for it from the truth. And I happen to believe again, I happen to believe you're gonna see young people, young people on fire for God, young people who truly believe what the word of God says. Their hearts are gonna be torn. Their hearts are gonna be open to God. They're gonna be moving in great power.”

53s

#NewCreation

“It's amazing, not just in the old testament, but in the new testament too. God hates sin. He never pets it like it's okay. It's just a little thing. You didn't kill anybody. You know, it's just a little thing that you're doing. No, all sin is wrong. And all of us have fallen short of the glory of God. We've all sinned. We've all blown it. And it it it cannot be tolerated. The Bible actually says to kill our flesh, not physically, but we kill it so that it can't rise up again. The old self is dead, the new has come alive. Old man must die.”

36s

#GodsGrace

“There is an angry side to God, but when we turn our heart toward him, he is gracious and he is compassionate. And you need to hear that today. God is a God of love. God is a God of grace. He is compassionate toward those who are hurting, compassionate to those who call on his name. He is right there for us every time. He's he's the father out on the out on the porch waiting for the prodigal son to come home. He's waiting, he's waiting, he's waiting, he's waiting. Then when he begins to see you start running to or coming toward him, he runs after you.”

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