Heroes Lead the Way
Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep His commands, statutes, and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.
2 Kings 23:1-3 (NIV)
The number one thing that stands out to me in this story is that King Josiah didn’t delegate what was important. He set an example himself by leading the way to renewing the covenant with God. Because he went first, the people followed. Here’s three significant moves I think we can learn from King Josiah:
First, he gathered all those in his circle of influence. He was the only one that could gather all those people together for this life-changing moment. Let me ask you a question, who are the people in your circle of influence? Who are the people that will only follow you? That starts with our spouses, our kids, and our friends for most of us. Have you shared your testimony with those most important to you?
Second, King Josiah read the word in front of those he gathered. Have you ever been so moved by a word revealed to you that you are willing to share it? What scripture would you share if you got radical enough to renew a covenant to the Lord like Josiah? What word from the Lord have you received that’s challenged you to go deeper with God?
Third, he humbled himself and committed a covenant in front of everyone. He gave his heart and soul to the Lord and vowed to keep the Lord’s commands. Talk about a strong leadership move! When he did this, he brought a high level of accountability to his life. Most people these days are unwilling to do this for fear of being exposed or fear of failure. But, what if something like this would cause us to rise to the occasion? What if this caused us to consider the example we are setting for our children more often?
Notice the huge impact these three things can have on others! Everyone else followed Josiah’s example because he led the way. Not only was he significantly impacted, but also those he loved. Let’s lead the same way Josiah did and see how the Lord impacts us and those we love.