Did God Err In Detailing Josiah’s Story?
King Josiah’s family history was most definitely not “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, or of a “good report”, and yet God included it in His Word. Did God contradict Himself?
Did God Err In Detailing Josiah’s Story?
God through Philippians 4:8 counsels us to think on “whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, [and] whatsoever things are of good report…” As we will see, King Josiah’s family history, was most definitely not “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, or of a “good report”, and yet God included it in His Word. By detailing Josiah’s background, did God contradict His own counsel in Philippians 4:8? Does following the admonition in Philippians 4:8 mean that we are only to read positive stories that only have endings where people live happily ever after, without problems or trials, or could Philippians 4:8 mean something different than that? Does only wanting to hear happier ever after stories prevent us from understanding the full richness of Philippians 4:8?
“By detailing Josiah’s background, did God contradict His own counsel in Philippians 4:8?”
Does God REALLY want us to think about Josiah’s grandfather’s wicked deeds?
In apparent contradiction of Philippians 4:8, God elaborated upon Josiah’s dysfunctional family background in great detail. Manasseh, Josiah’s grandfather, burned his own children in the fire, most likely ignoring their probable screaming and crying to be released from the raging fire as their tender flesh melted rapidly. 2 Chronicles 33:6; Ezekiel 16:21. Manasseh’s malicious, unfathomable acts towards his own children most definitely were not “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, or of a “good report”, yet they were included in the same Book that gives the counsel of Philippians 4:8. Sadly, in addition to an already tragic story, the Bible says, ”…Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another…” 2 Kings 21:16. Does God really want us to think on “these things”?
“Manasseh’s malicious, unfathomable acts towards his own children most definitely were not ‘just’, ‘pure’, ‘lovely’, or of a ‘good report’, yet they were included in the same Book that gives the counsel of Philippians 4:8.”
Should those who are desiring to go to heaven think about Josiah’s father’s sinful life?
The majority of Manasseh’s life was the polar opposite of anything “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, or of a “good report”, but then God shares with us the story of Manesseh’s totally wicked son, Amon. Why does God even want us to know anything about Amon? At least at the end of Manasseh’s reign as king, he gave his heart to the Lord, but the testimony of Amon’s life most definitely was negative.
“Where are those positive, happier ever after, Philippians 4:8 stories in God’s Word?”
Amon “…humbled not himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.” “He forsook the Lord God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 33:23; 2 Kings 21:22. Since Amon followed in the sinful ways of his father, Manasseh, he most likely burned his own children in the fire as well. At the age of 24, after a 2 year reign as king, “the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.” 2 Kings 21:23. Is Amon’s wicked life something I really need to think about as I desire to go to heaven? Where are those positive, happier ever after, Philippians 4:8 stories in God’s Word? Shouldn’t I be dwelling only on them? What does all of this negativity in the Bible have to do with knowing Jesus?
“What does all of this negativity in the Bible have to do with knowing Jesus?”
Shouldn’t the Bible be rewritten so that all the details of Josiah’s story will be pure?
As we’ve seen, Amon, Josiah’s dad most definitely was not a good father figure. Even though the Bible says Josiah “did that which was right in the sight of the Lord” at a young age, that did nothing to change his father’s evil ways. 2 Kings 22:1, 2. A careful examination of Josiah’s life shows us that his dad most likely was 16 when Josiah was born, so Josiah knew what it was like to be raised by a teenage parent. Also, At age 8 Josiah had to deal with his father being tragically slain. Can you begin to imagine the impact of his own father being murdered had on Josiah at age 8? How in the world did he deal with that pain? Sadly, Josiah didn’t grow up in a home where the scriptures were read daily in family worship. His upbringing was so dysfunctional that he didn’t even know the scriptures existed until he was 26 years old. 2 Kings 22:3, 8; 2 Chronicles 35:19.
“Can’t the unlovely parts of Josiah’s story be just left out of God’s Word so that we can focus on what really matters: knowing Jesus?”
Why did God let us know about the ugly details of Josiah’s life? Did we really need to know that his father was slain tragically? Did we really need to know that Josiah was raised by a teenage parent? Did we really need to know that he grew up without reading the scriptures? Shouldn’t the Bible be rewritten so that all the details of Josiah’s story would truly be “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, and of a “good report” to meet the standard of Philippians 4:8? Isn’t all that we need to know about Josiah was that he “did that which was right in the sight of the Lord” when he was young? Can’t the unlovely parts of Josiah’s story be just left out of God’s Word so that we can focus on what really matters: knowing Jesus?
“Did we really need to know that his father was slain tragically?”
The disconnect from the REAL Jesus of the Bible:
Sometimes, I think there is a major disconnect from the picture of Jesus found in the Word of God and the picture we might have of Jesus. The Jesus of the Bible helps people with unlovely, dysfunctional backgrounds like Josiah’s just as much as He helps with those who have come from more idealistic ones. By detailing Josiah’s background, it shows that Christ is not dismissive of the pain sin has caused us in our unique life stories, and yet He is still willing to help us.
“By detailing Josiah’s background, it shows that Christ is not dismissive of the pain sin has caused us in our unique life stories, and yet He is still willing to help us.”
Does Christ know how to help a child who experienced one of their parents being murdered at a young age? Look at Josiah’s story. Does Christ intimately understand the effect of sin passed down through the generations? Look at Josiah’s story. Does Christ understand the evil of domestic violence? Look at Josiah’s story. Does Christ understand what it feels like to be raised by a teenage parent? Look at Josiah’s story. Does Christ know how to help those who didn’t grow up with families that were centered in the Word of God? Look at Josiah’s story. Is there any hope for those who didn’t study the scriptures until later in life? Look at Josiah’s story.
“Does Christ intimately understand the effect of sin passed down through the generations? Look at Josiah’s story.”
Details–even ugly ones–matter with Jesus.
As I prayerfully meditate on Josiah’s story, I am very thankful that the Jesus of the Bible isn’t a surface counselor. Unlike those counselors who are only equipped to help people who have happier ever after backgrounds, Christ doesn’t give us counsel without first understanding all the intimate details of our lives. Details matter with Jesus.
“Unlike those counselors who are only equipped to help people who have happier ever after backgrounds, Christ doesn’t give us counsel without first understanding all the intimate details of our lives.”
For example, long before Christ worked on Josiah’s heart to do “right in the sight of the Lord”, He even knew about Josiah’s great great grandfather, Ahaz, who, like his grandfather Manasseh and most likely his father Amon, “burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen”. 2 Kings 22:1, 2; 2 Chronicles 28:1-3. Christ, The Wonderful Counselor who knows the exact number of hairs on our heads, isn’t only interested in the “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, and “good report” parts of our life stories. Luke 12:6, 7. He isn’t indifferent to the ugly details of our unique lives as well, but He carefully considers them.
What is “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, and of a “good report” in ALL of our life stories:
Our life stories might not be “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, or of a “good report”, but what is “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, and of a “good report” in any of our stories is that Jesus doesn’t change. Malachi 3:6; John 1:1, 14. Your story might not be my story, but as we look at Josiah’s story, we can have full confidence that Jesus can be “a very present help” to us in ALL of our unique life stories. Psalm 46:1-3.
The same Jesus who helped Daniel in the lions’ den is the same Jesus who helped Josiah do “right in the sight of the Lord” at age 8 with all of his dysfunctional baggage. Daniel 6:20-22; 2 Kings 21:1-26; 2 Kings 22:1, 2. The same Jesus that helped Joseph maintain his integrity in Potiphar’s house is the same Jesus who gave Josiah true healing when he learned about the scriptures at age 26. Genesis 39:7-9; 2 Kings 22:3, 8; 2 Chronicles 35:19; 2 Kings 23:23-25. The circumstances of men and women’s life stories in the Bible vary greatly, but in all of them, Christ remains the same. Jesus Christ is “…the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8. Can Christ really help you in spite of ALL the ugly details of your life? Does Christ ever change?
“…What is ‘just’, ‘pure’, ‘lovely’, and of a ‘good report’ in any of our stories is that Jesus doesn’t change.”
How intimately Jesus, The Wonderful Counselor, understands the human experience, broken by sin:
Christ has forever linked Himself with those who have come from unjust, impure, and unlovely backgrounds that are not of a good report because at the very beginning of the Gospels, Christ’s story is bound up with Josiah’s story. The first chapter of Matthew lets us know that in order to more fully know Christ, one has to know Josiah’s story, showing us that Josiah’s story isn’t full of insignificant details. The prominence given Josiah’s story in Matthew 1 lets us know that far from being aloof from the dysfunction of sin, The Wonderful Counselor not only understands our experience, but He has linked Himself with the web of humanity and still is not ashamed to call those who had experiences like Josiah brethren. Hebrews 2:11.
“Christ has forever linked Himself with those who have come from unjust, impure, and unlovely backgrounds that are not of a good report because at the very beginning of the Gospels, Christ’s story is bound up with Josiah’s story.”
To better relate with those like Josiah, Jesus condescended to take our fallen human nature, which was weakened by the effects of sin throughout thousands of years. Romans 8:1-4; Romans 1:3; Matthew 1:1-17. Mathew 1:1, 10, 11 chronicles that Jesus came from the line of David and specifically mentions that Jesus has the same lineage as Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah. In Christ, we have a Divine Savior who intimately relates to troubled backgrounds even like Josiah’s. Jesus’ divinity gives us the power to follow in His footsteps and overcome all sin. John 1:1, 12, 14; 1 John 1:7.
My story:
On January 27th, 2003, when I was almost 18 years old, my dad put a gun to his head and killed himself. This wasn’t “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, or of a “good report”, but for almost 14 years, it has been part of my story. I can’t go back in time and Photoshop the details to make suicide lovely, nor do I believe that my Christian duty is to deny the reality that a tragedy occurred in my life.
“I can’t go back in time and Photoshop the details to make suicide lovely, nor do I believe that my Christian duty is to deny the reality that a tragedy occurred in my life.”
I also know that my dad cared much for me, and I’m reminded of that when I think about how many Sundays he spent going out to places with my brother and myself among other things. I connect with dysfunctional stories in the Bible because those details help me understand the infinite wisdom The Wonderful Counselor has in dealing not only with Josiah, but me.
“I believe that as this world becomes more broken, what is needed more and more are stories with details of how Christ is able to help mankind in spite of dysfunction.”
I believe that as this world becomes more broken, what is needed more and more are stories with details of how Christ is able to help mankind in spite of dysfunction. My burden is for the Bible to be exalted as the best counseling book it is not only for those who come from happier ever after backgrounds, but for people like me who have experienced trauma, tragedy, and pain from the dysfunction of sin. I want to die with that being my life story as I prayerfully share with others the details of this heaven sent book called the Bible.
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Franklin Morris II
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