約西亞聆聽了上帝的律法後，不僅在外表上撕裂衣裳以示憂傷和自卑，他的內心也被刺透，因為上帝的話就像兩刃的劍一樣尖銳（來4：12）。一旦他與上帝同心，有了正確的心態，他就能夠對百姓產生更大的影響力。約西亞有好牧人的心腸，他渴望保護他的羊群不受傷害，而罪往往帶來最大的傷害，約西亞召集眾百姓來聽約書上的話；他個人先公開表白對上帝的信心，願意遵守約書上的命令。然後百姓也效法約西亞的榜樣，再次確認與上帝所立的約。

        約西亞自己對上帝強烈的委身，以及眾百姓的支持，使他更加積極的潔淨猶大的罪污，免得百姓再被引誘去犯罪。同樣的，一個完全委身與主耶穌的人也會自然的渴望除去他／她生命中任何不榮耀上帝的事。

        約西亞首先潔淨被污穢的聖殿，除掉其中的偶像、外邦神的祭壇、和孌童的屋子──它們竟公然的設立在聖殿裡！從這裡我們可以清楚的瞭解猶大已經腐化到什麼地步。耶穌也曾熱心的潔淨聖殿的污穢（太21：12~13）。上帝聖殿的光景就好像百姓屬靈光景的指標。當百姓事奉、尊敬上帝，他們就會愛惜敬拜的場所，因為正確的團體敬拜是維持與上帝之正確關係的要素。

        約西亞下一步是潔淨整座耶路撒冷城。他毀壞所羅門王為他的外邦嬪妃所建的邱壇（23：3；王上11：4~8），也污穢了將人獻為祭的場所（藉著焚骨於其上），摧毀偶像、柱像，將它們的碎片、灰燼倒在耶城外的汲淪溪谷。

        約西亞的改革作得比他的曾祖希西家更徹底、更普及。他不只潔淨耶路撒冷、猶大全地，甚至延伸到被亞述征服的北國以色列。他潔淨撒瑪利亞城，又到伯特利，應驗了三百年前有關他的預言。他摧毀為敬拜金牛犢所建的祭壇、將那些異教祭司的骸骨燒於壇上。

        現在猶大重新歸屬上帝，聖殿被潔淨、重新分別為聖給上帝，約西亞也遵守律法書上的命令，呼召百姓守逾越節（申16:1~8）。自希西家以後，猶大已很久未守逾越節了（代下三十章）。在每年正月的第十四日，以色列百姓都應到敬拜中心獻上無瑕疵的羊羔，紀念上帝奇妙的將他們從埃及救贖出來。慶祝逾越節能增進圍繞在羊羔周圍之敬拜者的團結和向心力，也使人認識寶血的功效：「我一見這血就越過你們去」（出12：13）。耶穌是我們逾越節的羊羔（林前5：7），祂的血為救贖我們而流，使我們不致滅亡，反得永生。

        約西亞之死是照上帝的預言平安而死（22：19~20），不只他的心靈有與上帝同在的平安，也因他有柔順、敬服上帝的心，而未在有生之年目睹上帝命定降在猶大的可怕審判，也沒有遭遇猶大在他兒子治理之下的墮落。

        主上帝，幫助我們成為您復興的器皿。願我們都參與您改造我們國家的計畫。願我們個人的生活，以及整個國家，都被改變得更好。也求您祝福那些為您的計畫作開路先鋒的領導者。奉主耶穌聖名，阿們！

English

        Josiah not only outwardly reacted by tearing his clothes (which signified sorrow and humility) when he heard the Law, but inwardly his heart was pierced, for the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). Once his own heart was in the right place with God, he could have a greater influence and witness to the people. He had the heart of a good shepherd, desiring to see his sheep safe from any harm, and sin brings the greatest harm. After calling upon the people to gather and hear the words of the Book of the Covenant, he personally made a public confession of his faith in God and his adherence to the covenant demands. The people followed Josiah's example and affirmed the covenant.

        Josiah's own commitment to God and the support of the people led him to purge the land all the more fervently from any form of evil, that the people might not be tempted to sin. Similarly, someone who totally commits himself to the Lord Jesus will naturally desire to remove anything from his or her life that does not glorify God.

        Josiah was motivated to first cleanse the defiled Temple by removing from it the idols, pagan altars, and booths for male prostitution that were actually in the Temple! From this we get a clear picture of how vile and corrupted Judah had become. Jesus also was zealous to remove corruption from the House of God (Matthew 21:12-13). The condition of God's House was like a gauge to the spiritual condition of the people. When they served and honoured God, they took care of their place of worship, since proper corporate worship to the Lord is essential for maintaining a proper relationship with God.

        Josiah then began cleansing the whole city of Jerusalem. He destroyed the shrines Solomon had erected for the gods of his pagan wives (23:13; 1 Kings 11:4-8). He also defiled (by burning bones upon it) and destroyed the place of human sacrifice (23:10). He destroyed every other object of idolatry, including the Zodiac (23:5). He threw the broken pieces, dust, and ashes into the Kidron valley outside the walled city (23:12).

        Josiah's widespread reformation was even more thorough than the reforms made by his great grandfather Hezekiah. He not only purged Jerusalem and all of Judah, but even left his Southern Kingdom and went north to Israel which had been conquered by Assyria. He cleansed the cities of Samaria and went to Bethel where he fulfilled the three-hundred-year-old prophecy concerning himself; he destroyed the pagan altar for calf worship and defiled the altar. He burned the bones of the heathen priests upon it, but not the bones of the man of God through whom God had spoken (1 Kings 13:1-2, 31).

        Now that Judah was recommitted to God and the Temple had been cleansed and reconsecrated to Him, Josiah obeyed the command in the newly found book of the Law, calling for the observance of the Passover (Deuteronomy 16:1-8). This had not been celebrated since the days of his great-grandfather, Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 30). On the fourteenth day of the first month of every year (Exodus 12:6), the people were to go to the central sanctuary and offer up the unblemished lamb to commemorate God's miraculous redemption in their exodus from Egypt. The celebration encouraged the unity of the worshippers who gathered around the lamb. It also pointed to the sufficiency of the blood: "when I see the blood, I will pass over you" (Exodus 12:13). Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) whose blood was shed for our redemption that we might not see death, but eternal life.

        In Josiah's death, God fulfilled His purpose and gracious promise that Josiah would die in peace (22:19-20). This was not only because of Josiah's own spiritual peace with God, but because he, with his tender heart, would not live to see the terrible judgment God had ordained for Judah, nor the downfall of the nation under the rule of his sons.

        Lord Cod, help us to be Your instruments of reformation. May we get involved in helping to bring about godly reform in our nation. May individual lives be changed for the better, as well as the whole nation. Bless those in leadership with a revelation of Your purpose.