Why Josiah?

In the Old Testament of the Bible, there are two books called Kings (1 & 2 Kings to be exact). These books are filled with...you guessed it, kings! If you read these two books closely you will soon find out that many of the kings were not very good ones. About half way through 1 Kings, the country known as Israel divides into two kingdoms. One retains the name Israel and the other is called Judah. Judah has a mixed history when it comes to its kings. Some were good and some were bad. One of the best kings Judah had was named Hezekiah. He was king during the time of another Bible person with a book named after them, Isaiah. Hezekiah was a Godly man and did all he could to lead his people in the ways of the Lord. We considered Hezekiah as a name for our firstborn son, but neither Sara nor I felt like Hezekiah was quite right. After Hezekiah died, the worst king in Judah's history came along. His name was Manasseh. After Manasseh came his son, Amon, who followed in the footsteps of his father and was another horrible king. After Amon was killed, his son came to power. His name was Josiah. He was the great-grandson of Hezekiah. He was only 8 years old when he began to rule, but like his great-grandfather he was a great man who sought to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He was guided by another Bible person and book title holder, Jeremiah.

Family and friends, there is no greater prayer for Sara and I than to have our child grow up and seek to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Josiah will be raised hearing the story of his namesake. We will teach him, pray for and with him, and model for him what it means and looks like to walk rightly before the Lord. We will do this with constant guidance and time with the Lord. We only get one shot at life and only one lifetime to pour ourselves into any children the Lord blesses us to care for. Josiah did not have a Godly father or grandfather and yet God is faithful to honor the heritage of Hezekiah. My prayer is that our legacy does not skip generations, but continues on down to nurture those who come after us into the faith of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Bible is a book rich with heritage and history, but it is chiefly a book telling of the glory of God. This glory is displayed through the loving sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ, on a jagged, horrible cross almost 2,000 years ago. While I know that for many of us sitting down to read the Bible can seem overwhelming, maybe we could all try to read it a little bit more. Could I ask you to start with the story of Josiah's namesake? His story is found in 2 Kings chapter 22 thru chapter 23 verse 30.

As I said earlier, Josiah will know this story from the Bible. Will you?

Shalom,

Chris & Sara

"Before him (Josiah) there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him."

2 Kings 23:25