Readings for the day: 2 Kings 22-23, 2 Chronicles 34-35
”Whoever said life was fair?” If I only had a nickel for every time I heard that phrase growing up! As the oldest of three boys, I often complained that I had to do more work than my brothers. I had to be more responsible than my brothers. More was expected of me than my brothers. In reality, I don’t actually think this was true but that’s how it appeared to me when I was young. Then I had my own kids. Four of them. As they grew up, we started assigning them chores around the house. They too would complain from time to time. Guess what words came out of my mouth? “Whoever said life was fair?” :-)
One of the more difficult things about reading and reflecting on Scripture from a Western perspective is this principle of “fairness.” We live in a democracy which - at least in theory - is built on the assumption that everyone has equal. Everyone has equal opportunity. Everyone gets the same chances in life. We all know this is a myth but that doesn’t stop us from believing it and it becomes a “lens” through which we read Scripture. Fundamentally, we believe deep down in our hearts that God’s law, God’s grace, God’s justice, God’s mercy must apply equally to all people at all times. In essence, everyone gets a chance or God is unfair.
But then we read about King Josiah. A man so faithful to God that he’s described as the greatest king since David. His heart was pure. He did not turn aside to the right or to the left. He walked in the ways of the Lord. He tore down the altars his father had built. He purged Israel of their idolatry. He reinstituted the Passover to such a degree that nothing like it had happened since the days of Samuel the prophet. Josiah rebuilt the Temple. He fulfilled the prophecy given to Jeroboam, destroying the shrines he had built that had ensnared the northern kingdom of Israel, leading to her destruction. One would think Josiah’s faithfulness would stem the coming disaster. One would think God would judge him on his merits alone. One would think his faithfulness would be rewarded with long life and happiness and peace. Such was not the case.
Judah had reached the point of no return. God’s judgment was on its way. There was no turning back. The sins of the fathers and grandfathers going back generations would now be visited on their descendents. Josiah’s faithfulness didn’t matter. It wasn’t enough to turn back the tide. So Josiah goes to war and rather than rewarding his faithfulness with a great victory - as God had done in ages past - Josiah is mortally wounded and dies. His reign of faithfulness comes to a tragic end. The people wail. Their grief is real. The great prophet Jeremiah himself appears in our text, lifting up a lament. And to our eyes it appears God moved the goalposts. God is unfair. After all, did not Josiah do all God had asked? Did not Josiah stay true to God’s commands? Did not Josiah walk in God’s ways? Why did revival not come? Why didn’t God give him a chance? Why didn’t God restore Israel like he had done before?
Sin has consequences. Not just for our lives but for the lives of our children and children’s children as well. There is a cumulative effect to sin. It builds over time. With each passing generation, injustices are heaped upon injustice. Death doesn’t reset the deck. The passing of a generation doesn’t restart the clock. The debt is passed on. The weight of sin only gets more heavy and eventually becomes a burden too great to bear. God is just. God is righteous. He will not let sin go unchecked. He will not let evil go unpunished. So by the time we get to Josiah, the die has been cast. God’s wrath is already engaged. His judgment is on its way in the form of the Babylonian Empire. The line of David will be cut off. The city of David destroyed. The Temple raised to the ground. God’s people will go into exile where they will suffer. This is God’s will and though it might not seem fair to our Western eyes, it is good.
At this point you may be thinking, “What hope do I have?” When will I feel the weight of God’s righteous wrath and judgment? Should I be living in fear of the day when God’s punishment will come and I will lose all that I have? Hear the good news of the gospel. Jesus Christ bore the full weight of human sin! All the sin that had piled up generation after generation - not just from our past but also from our future - was laid on his shoulders. On the cross, the Father poured out the full measure of His righteous wrath and judgment on the Son. Jesus truly paid it all. His blood satisfied the just demands of God’s Law. Jesus was cut off. Jesus’ body was destroyed. His soul went into exile in hell. But the Righteous One would not stay in the grave! On the third day, He rose again! And through His death and resurrection we have been set free. This was God’s plan from eternity. To balance the scales of justice. To right every wrong. To level the playing field by sending His Only Beloved Son to die in our place. Rejoice, friends, God has done for you what you could not do for yourself! He has paid the penalty for your sin and granted you salvation!