2 Kings 22:19a – 22b
….because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake…..thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place.
The Lord Considers the Individual
This is the Lord speaking to a 16-year-old King Josiah. Josiah had just read the Word of God after it was found in the midst of a temple that was filled with all sorts of abominations and priests that were not serving the Lord. He read that horrible things were going to happen as a result of God’s people and previous kings serving false gods, offering their children as sacrifices and allowing anyone to be a priest regardless of their devotion to the one true God. Josiah feared the inevitable consequences of living apart from a surrendered life to the Lord. The Lord spoke to Josiah and explained that these consequences were sure to happen but because Josiah’s heart was tender and he humbled himself at the Word of God, he, himself would not live to experience this. The Lord does look at an individual’s response to conviction and His voice. We might have made mistakes or lived in ways that oppose the Lord, but when we have a tender heart and humility before Him when confronted, we can be assured that our God is not only just, but merciful. Remember to fear the One who judges while drawing near to the God who forgives. He doesn’t just deal with His people as a group but considers the individual as well.
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