Scripture
20After Josiah had finished restoring the Temple, King Neco of Egypt led his army up from Egypt to do battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River, and Josiah and his army marched out to fight him. 21But King Neco sent messengers to Josiah with this message:“What do you want with me, king of Judah? I have no quarrel with you today! I am on my way to fight another nation, and God has told me to hurry! Do not interfere with God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.”22But Josiah refused to listen to Neco, to whom God had indeed spoken, and he would not turn back. Instead, he disguised himself and led his army into battle on the plain of Megiddo. 2 Chronicles 35:20-22
Observation
How could this happen? How could King Josiah go from leading repentance, reformation, renewal and revival for God to foolish rebellion against God? There had never been a Passover celebration like the one Josiah led Israel in. All of the false worship had been reduced to ash under his leadership. He was walking out the very prophetic mandate of God: “And the people of the town told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted the very things that you have just done to the altar at Bethel!” (2 Ki 23:17). What an amazing reality to know that King Josiah was fighting the battles God had called him to. So what happened? How could King Josiah go from living out a prophetic mandate to dying in such a pathetic manner? He tried to choose his own battle. The pagan King Neco of Egypt told him as much. How sadly ironic that a pagan King was more submitted to God’s will than the king of God’s own people. Perhaps King Josiah had seen so much victory he bought into the prideful lie that he could not lose. The moment we are unteachable is the moment we think we are untouchable is the moment of our turning away from God. King Josiah saw victory when He let God choose his battles. King Josiah saw defeat when he arrogantly chose his own battlefield.
Application
“Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.” (2 Timothy 2:23). I see the people of God making the same mistake as King Josiah. We are fighting battles Jesus hasn’t called us to. We are living in a land of extremes politically, morally, spiritually, emotionally, mentally. We are, like Josiah, dressing up in religious disguise to make our stands where we should be on our knees. Instead of pursuing repentance, renewal, reform and revival of our souls we are arguing and infighting and wearing ourselves out. In C.S. Lewis’ “Screwtape Letters” the head demon Screwtape informs the lower demon Wormwood of this simple truth: “All extremes, except extreme devotion to the Enemy are to be encouraged.” Any extreme pursuit, no matter how noble it starts, without Jesus at the center becomes a losing battle. Any cause other than Christ can become an idol. Then, just like King Josiah, we find ourselves, having once been so zealous in pursuit of God now zealously pursuing our own agendas in the name of God and missing the point entirely. Blinded by our precious cause we lose sight of the Cross of Christ.
Prayer
“We want cattle who can finally become food; He wants servants that can finally become sons.” (The Screwtape Letters) I, as your son, want to humble myself before and repent for my selfish ambition and pride. I don’t want to bleed out on a battlefield You haven’t even called me to fight. I don’t dress myself up in religious garb to justify the arguments and arrogance that are nothing more than a distraction from what You’ve actually called me to do. I want to see a spiritual awakening in this generation and I know it starts with me. You choose my battles, You determine my steps.
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