29 Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. 31 The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep His commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book. 32 Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. 33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors. ~ 2 Chronicles 34:29-33
The people of Israel weren’t living according to the Law of the LORD their God. In fact, they had fallen so far away from God that King Josiah had to renew the covenant with the LORD that his fathers had broken. King Josiah didn’t stop there. He didn’t just correct himself. He didn’t cleanse himself. No. King Josiah brought all of his people and had them renew the covenant with the LORD as well.
It wasn’t enough for King Josiah to be following God. It wasn’t enough for even just the Levites and priests to be renewed and restored to the covenant of the LORD. King Josiah understood that all of the land was under him, from the greatest to the least. All the people were under him, and if they were under him, their blood would be required at his hand. So, often, we’re put in a place of leadership that we take for granted. It doesn’t have to be over many people. It doesn’t even have to look like a place of leadership. It simply means that there are people who look to you to guide them in their lives. It could be as large as a body of souls that come to hear you preach and teach every Sunday. And it could be as small as one single soul looking up to you.
Each of us has at least one person looking to us for help, guidance, and advice. What we do to help that one or many will affect our eternity. Just as God warned Ezekiel that remaining silent when he saw someone in sin would place their blood on his head, so is it for us. We each have a purpose—a universal purpose to win souls. That’s not just the preacher’s job; that’s each and every Christian’s job. We’re to spread God’s Word. We’re to be the light in the darkness. Christ is to live through each of us.
Dear LORD, please forgive me for any time that I’ve fallen down on shepherding the people you have given to me. Please help me to stand firmly and confidently as King Josiah did. Help me not to overlook even the smallest influence I might have in someone’s life. Please help me to always be a light pointing others back to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
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