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by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | Dec 1951

Josiah was a wonderful boy and a wonderful king. His reign was the last glimpse of sunshine in the reigns of the kings of Judah. The kings which followed, Jehoahaz, Jehojakan, Jehojachin and Zedekiah, were evil men, in whose days the people of Judah cast off all restraint It is said that "they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy" (2 Chronicles 36.16). Those were the days of" The Lamentations of Jeremiah." There was no balm in Gilead which could heal the wound of that people "there was no remedy." The disease was chronic and incurable.

Preceding the reign of Josiah were days of equal departure and wickedness. Manasseh's long reign had been one of unmeasured profanity and wickedness. Cruelty devoured even the children of the king, for he made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom. The devil and his hosts like swarms of vampires seemed to float over the land, and, under their shadows, augury, enchantments and sorcery flourished; persons with familiar spirits and wizards multiplied exceedingly. Idolatry invaded the very house of God in which Manasseh set up a graven image.

Amon, who followed Manasseh, was a king of like character. It is said of him, that "he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: and Amon sacrificed unto all the graven images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them." While Manasseh reigned fifty-five years, Amon reigned but two.

Then came the reign of Josiah. His reign was like a bright jewel in the midst of murky, miry clay. It was like coming out of a dark tunnel into brilliant sunshine. He was but eight years old when he became king, yet it is said that "he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left" (2 Chronicles 34.2). At sixteen he began to seek after the God of David, and at twenty he began his great work of cleansing the land of idolatry and re-establishing the service and worship of the house of God. What was the secret of this young man's diligence in the Lord's work? It was his fear of the LORD, and great reverence for His word. We read of the history of his good deeds being written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, that they were "according to that which is written in the law of the LORD" (2 Chronicles 35.26).

The tenderness of the king's heart to God and His word was never more in evidence than when they found "the book of the law of the LORD given by ("by the hand of," R.V. and A.V. marg.) Moses," and when Shaphan the scribe read it before the king he rent his clothes. So great had been the departure of Judah from the law, that Josiah was overwhelmed at the thought of the consequences of the people's sin and departure from God. "Go ye," he says, "inquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD to do according unto all that is written in this book."

They enquired of Huldah the prophetess. Her message to Josiah was, that the LORD would bring evil upon Jerusalem and Judah for their idolatries and sin, but she spoke in the most commendable terms of Josiah: "Thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest His words ... and hast humbled thyself before Me, and hast rent thy clothes and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord"(2 Chronicles 34.27): Such an attitude, of heart is ever acceptable to God and is the sure way that leads to acceptable service to Him.

How frequently we have read the first two verses of the last chapter of Isaiah "Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool what manner of house will ye build unto Me? and what place shall be My rest? For all these things hath Mine hand made, and so all these things came to he, saith the LORD: hut to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at My word" (Isaiah 66.1, 2).

Whilst God is the Maker of all created things, He never built Himself a house, except by the instrumentality of man. Stephen said that David "found favour in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built Him a house" (Acts 7.46, 47). Jacob erected a Pillar in Bethel which he called God's house (Genesis 2s.), Moses built God's house, the tabernacle in the wilderness (Acts 7. 44; Hebrews 3.5). David pitched a curtained tabernacle for the Ark in Zion (2 Samuel 6.17). Solomon built God a house (Acts 7.47). This was destroyed by Nebuchadhezzar, and was rebulit by the Remnant (Ezra 1. 2; 6.15). The house of God on mount Moriah in Jerusalem the Lord called, "My Father's house" (John 2.16). God's present house or temple is shown from 1 Corinthians 3.8-17 to be that in which men may build and which they may also destroy. It is composed of living stones, who are such persons as have tasted that the Lord is gracious, who are to be built up a spiritual house (1 Peter 2.2-5), and its conditional character is plainly indicated in Hebrews 3.6.

God's desire is to dwell with men, and He is looking to men to follow the plain instruction He has given in His word relative to men being together in churches of God to form the house of God. When Stephen quoted the words of Isaiah 66. before the Sanhedrim at the close of his remarkable address, as recorded in Acts 7., he showed his firm belief that God no longer dwelt in the temple in Jerusalem, when he said, "Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in houses (or temples) made with hands" (verse 48). The house of God then was the Church of God in Jerusalem. God had left the temple, as the Lord said in Matthew 23.88. Each saint in Jerusalem was indwelt by the Spirit of God; this is true of all persons saved by grace in this dispensation, whether they arc in a church of God or not; but there was another indwelling vital to the truth of God's house, for the church of God in Corinth is called "the temple of God," because the Spirit of God dwelt therein (1 Corinthians 3.16, 17). So also was the church of God in Ephesus; of such it is said, "In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit" (Ephesians 2.22).

Early brethren of over a hundred years ago may be pardoned for their initial errors in their haste to found a communion of saints, of all who we sharers in the common life in Christ, which is nowise different in principle from such modern movements of "all one in Christ," but no such attitude can be taken towards the leaders of exclusive and open brethren to-day, when further light has been given on the truths of the Church which is Christ's Body, the churches of God, and the house of God. To call the Body of Christ the church of God is sirnply to deceive oneself and to throw dust in the eyes of others. Systematized error abounds and many of God's dear children are being held in the meshes of brethrenism with its false teaching on church truth.

Is God to have a house? Then the Isaiah scripture shows that He is looking to such as are of a poor and contrite spirit, and that tremble at God's word. To play fast and loose with God's word will result in many of God's saints being held in the errors of brethrenism.

J. Miller | Dec 1951
Jottings