Too Late To Stop The End

King Josiah heard the Word of the LORD and responded with humility, grief, and a resolve to turn his nation back to the LORD. After removing all of the idolatry in all of its forms from Judah and Jerusalem, and even each home that would listen, he gathered the men of Israel to celebrate the Passover. There were many aspects of the Law of Moses which the sons of Israel had grown accustomed to not practicing. During the days of King Manasseh, the Temple was used for pagan worship and Passover became an afterthought. 

But in his eighteenth year, Passover was observed to the LORD in Jerusalem. Josiah was careful to remove all of the leaven from the land. The spiritists, mediums, teraphims and idols, and all the abominations were removed, in accordance with the Law of Moses. This was not just a surface level cleaning, this went deep into the lives of each citizen. They removed those things from their homes and private areas. All idolatry was removed. Then they gathered to worship the LORD their God which had brought them up from the land of Egypt.

No King turned to the LORD like Josiah had done. He turned to God with all of his heart, souls, mind, and strength. Despite that, the Word of the LORD concerning the wrath and calamity that would be poured out on Judah could not be stopped. The sins of Israel and Judah were come due. Judah and Jerusalem and even the Temple would be removed for their sins, just as Israel had been removed. 

The fierce wrath of God burned because of the idolatry of His people. Ever wandering towards sin, they had rejected all of His Word and did what they should not have done. So the countdown to destruction ticking until the appointed time.  King Josiah and Judah enjoyed a few years of the blessings of God as they followed the LORD wholeheartedly, but they knew this season would be short lived. And it was. 

Sin always has consequences. There are calamities promised for disobedience. We should confess our sins and repent quickly, but even that cannot always remove the real consequences of our poor decisions. Yes, God does forgive and He can restore, but we always reap what is sown. Some things are unavoidable in this life. It would be better to not sin at all, but that is nearly impossible as we struggle with the sinful nature. If we seek the LORD with our whole hearts, then God does indeed bless.