A Revival, Revival, Set for One When Reformation Just Isn't Isn't Enough — 2 Kings 23:21–28

Second Kings 23 sets before Judah what may be the greatest revival in the whole Bible, yet it also shows a revival set for one. God had not grown tired of reviving His people. God still wins lost souls and returns His children to Himself, but revival cannot be manufactured by cleaning up the outside.

Josiah came to the throne at eight years old with Ammon for a father and Manasseh for a grandfather. Josiah refused to follow the examples nearest to him and chose David as his spiritual father instead. Josiah sought the Lord, started tearing down idolatrous practices, and began restoring the ruined temple before he even had the Book of the Law.

The Book of the Law appeared in the middle of that building project, hidden away during the wicked days when kings wanted God’s Word out of sight. Hilkiah treated the discovery like an interesting piece of paper to hand off. Shaphan treated it as something worth mentioning after the financial report. Josiah heard the same words and rent his clothes because he believed God meant every word He said.

Josiah’s tender heart made the Law urgent. Josiah did not hear judgment and say, “Well, things are going pretty good.” Josiah humbled himself, wept, and immediately sought the Lord because God’s wrath against Judah was real.

God gave Josiah a personal promise of peace, but God did not cancel Judah’s coming judgment. Josiah could have settled for a stamp of approval and kept doing small reforms. Josiah instead went full hog, threw out every idol, destroyed every wicked place, removed false worship, and kept the greatest Passover Judah had seen since the days of the judges.

Jeremiah pulls back the curtain on all that outward change. God calls Judah treacherous and says her return was only feigned. Josiah had revival in his heart, while the people had reforms in their habits. Josiah did it, Josiah removed it, Josiah made them serve, because the people never owned the work for themselves.

The contrast between revival and reformation comes down to the heart’s answer before God’s Word ever gives the command. Revival is a change of heart. Reformation is a change of ways. Revival will always lead to reformation, but reformation will never lead to revival.

The table of revival has room for more than one. God looks for a heart ready to say yes before He asks anything at all. The heart that says yes to whatever God says can sit at the table instead of walking away with its hat in its hand.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Revival begins with a tender heart Josiah’s response to the Book of the Law was not casual interest, delayed obedience, or public agreement without personal surrender. Josiah tore his clothes because God’s Word exposed the weight of sin and the reality of judgment. The tender heart is not one that merely feels bad, but one that immediately bows before what God has said. [42:06]
• 2. Reformation cannot replace true revival The contrast between changed actions and a changed heart is the whole burden of Judah’s failure. Judah removed idols because Josiah made it happen, yet Judah returned to those same idols once Josiah was gone. Reformation can produce clean-looking habits for a season, but only revival gives a person a new direction from the inside out. [47:08]
• 3. God’s Word requires a real response The Book of the Law passed through religious hands without producing urgency, grief, or obedience. Josiah heard the same Book and recognized that God meant what He said. God’s Word becomes life and death when the heart quits treating it like an idle curiosity. [40:14]
• 4. Revival says yes before the command Josiah was already seeking God with the light he had, so greater light led to greater obedience. The heart ready for revival does not negotiate over the next command, whether it concerns forgiveness, faithfulness, sin, ministry, or surrender. God does not need a believer to know every detail beforehand; God looks for a heart that says, “Whatever You say, yes.” [49:25]
• 5. The table of revival has room The image of a table set for revival shows that God does not reserve nearness for a few leaders or especially gifted Christians. God invites every hungry heart to come, but no heart can come while holding onto a private no. The open chair belongs to the person willing to seek God with all the heart, soul, and might.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:11] - The Greatest Revival in Scripture
• [04:36] - Lincoln and a Revival Set for One
• [07:54] - Josiah’s Impossible Beginning
• [11:06] - The Book of the Law Found
• [16:29] - Josiah Rents His Clothes
• [20:26] - Huldah Declares God’s Judgment
• [25:30] - Josiah Chooses Revival Over Reformation
• [27:12] - Josiah Cleans House
• [29:37] - The Passover of Passovers
• [32:28] - Judah’s Feigned Heart
• [39:28] - Revival Versus Reformation
• [45:15] - A Heart Ready to Say Yes
• [49:25] - Revival Always Produces Change
• [52:20] - Room at the Table of Revival

Bible Reading

2 Kings 23:21–28
“And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant. Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah; But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem. Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. And like unto him was there no king before him, that 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; neither after him arose there any like him. Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal. And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there. Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?” [01:35]

2 Kings 22:8–11
“And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD. And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.” [11:34]

Jeremiah 3:6–10
“The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.” [35:27]

2 Chronicles 34:33
“And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.” [38:13]

Observation questions

1. In 2 Kings 22:8–11, how do Hilkiah, Shaphan, and Josiah each respond differently to the same Book of the Law? [40:18]
2. What specific actions did Josiah take after hearing God’s Word, according to 2 Kings 23:21–24?
3. What words in Jeremiah 3:6–10 reveal God’s view of Judah’s outward return to Him? What does “feignedly” mean in this passage? [36:39]
4. According to 2 Chronicles 34:33, who was driving the nation’s obedience to the Lord, and what phrase in the verse shows that? [38:13]

Interpretation questions

1. Josiah had already begun seeking God and removing idols before the Book of the Law was found. What does his response when he receives greater light show about a heart that truly wants to follow God? [42:23]
2. God praised Josiah for turning to Him with all his heart, soul, and might, yet Judah’s judgment still remained. How does Jeremiah 3 help explain why Josiah’s obedience did not mean the whole nation had truly returned to God? [39:35]
3. Judah stood with Josiah’s covenant outwardly, but God said their return was feigned. What are some ways a person can agree with God’s Word publicly without personally surrendering to it? [41:23]
4. Why is it important to understand that revival is a change of heart and reformation is a change of ways? How does the order between those two things matter? [49:25]

Application questions

1. When God’s Word confronts a sin, attitude, habit, or relationship in your life, what is usually your first response: excuse it, delay dealing with it, try to manage it quietly, or humble yourself before God like Josiah did? [41:51]
2. Is there an area where your outward behavior may look better than your heart actually is? For example, are you doing right things while still holding resentment, pride, secret sin, apathy, or a private “no” toward God? [47:35]
3. Josiah did not have to know every command in advance before deciding to follow God. Is there something you already know God wants you to do that you have been putting off—such as forgiving someone, serving, giving, witnessing, being faithful, or making something right? [50:07]
4. What would it look like this week to seek God with all your heart rather than merely trying harder to improve your habits? Could that include specific time in Scripture, honest prayer, repentance, or asking someone to help keep you accountable? [48:35]
5. What “private no” might be keeping you from being ready to say yes to whatever God says? What makes that area difficult to surrender? [55:14]
6. Revival always produces changed actions, but changed actions alone cannot create revival. What is one outward change that needs to flow from a deeper work God is doing in your heart? [49:33]
7. There is room at the table of revival for every person who seeks God sincerely. What would it mean for you personally to take your seat at that table instead of watching others pursue God from a distance? [54:51]