Josiah was a righteous king. He restored the worship of David and set the people back towards God. He worked to get rid of false worship and Gods. His workers found the book of the law that Moses had written, and they returned back to all that God had spoken.
But, he was prideful.
When Necho came up to war against Carchemish, Josiah went out to meet him in battle. Necho sends word to Josiah that he has no fight with him. This occured near the Euphrates. Big things seem to happen around water.
Necho says, “What have I to do with you king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.”
These are crazy words. God speaks through and to Phaoroh? How can this be? And, He tells Necho to hurry it up and make war? This was totally a test for Josiah. When leaders over nations get prideful, they can destroy all that the LORD is doing. God made this one a bit obvious, but Josiah missed it. Why? Pride.
Pride blinds us. We think we know better. So, God sends the least likely person and uses him to bring it down. The warning is there. Lest He destroy you. Phaoroh didnt say, “lest I destroy you.” Sometimes the grace needed is oh so subtle. Sometimes, we just miss it, and we are destroyed.
In v22, we get the key: “nevertheless”. Oh, we know something bad is going to happen now. Josiah ignores the warning from the LORD and disguises himself.
It says that he “did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God.” Take note, God speaks through donkeys, people, storms, burning bushes and even the most evil men on the planet. God is not limited in how He communicates with you. The moment that you think you know better or hear better, that’s the moment that you come crashing down.
I had just such an experience. Once, I was unemployed for 18 mos. The final six months found me not looking for a job. God told me not to. He was testing my obedience to Him. It was brutal. Then, I worked with Xcentric for 18 mos and was about to enter a really hard season. My heart had grown hard to working there, and I got fired. “God” told me not to look for a job because He would bring me one. Well, it wasnt the LORD who said that. It was an angel of light – Satan. I thought that I heard God better than anyone, so I didnt listen to all the people that He sent my way. I mean all kinds of people came to me and told me to go find the job. The end result was that my marriage broke up for a long while. I was unemployed for a year, and I met the angel of death. He told me to change or die. So, I repented. It was in the first forty-day fast that I ever did. Oh man, did I need to be humbled. Later, the LORD told me that He set me up for that so that He could remove that pride from me. It was painful, but I didnt die.
Josiah, on the otherhand, sneaks out into battle at Meggido, and he gets shot by archers. It is the devil who shoots firey darts.
Ephesians 6:16
16in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Faith is trusting the LORD. Trust requires relationship. The closer we draw unto Him, the more we come to hear Him and all that He has for us. If we move out in our own strength, we become suseptible to whatever the enemy has to throw our way. For Josiah, it was death.
Pride occurs before the fall.
It is important that we listen closely to the voice of the LORD. He knows where you are and who you are. He knows how well you can hear. You dont need to be a prophet to hear His voice. He will surely send people your way to speak into your life. He will send circumstance to help you. And, for some, you will indeed get a burning bush or two.
Heed the voice of the LORD and live.