A Humble, Tender-Hearted Man
Who is the man? Well, the one I have in mind at this time is that good king Josiah. Even by confining our thoughts to what is said of him in the 34th chapter of Second Chronicles. I believe we can get a lesson from him that will be worthwhile to us, especially if we would try to apply it.
Of Josiah, it is said that "while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David, his father." "He did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and walked in the ways of David, his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left."
Though we may say of Josiah that he was good, we cannot say so much for Judah and Jerusalem. Iniquity and idolatry filled the land. Read Jeremiah 1-12. And what did Josiah—the humble, tender-hearted man do about all this? It will be of interest to see how such a man will act—what he will say and what he will do under conditions like this.
Here is what he did. "He began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the Asherim, and the graven images and the molten images. And they brake down the altars of the Baalim in his presence; and the sun-images that were on high above them he hewed down; and the Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem." Who did this? Josiah, a humble, tender-hearten man.
When he had purged the land, he began working to "repair the house of Jehovah his God." "And the men did the work faithfully." During this time "Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of Jehovah given by Moses." When Josiah had heard the words of the law, "he rent his clothes;" and said, "Great is the wrath of Jehovah that is poured upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of Jehovah, to do according unto all that is written in this book."
And Jehovah said: "I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the churches that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah. Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore is my wrath poured out upon this place, and it shall not be quenched" But to Josiah he said: "Because thy heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God ... I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof." What a fine obituary this was.
Friends, do you not admire Josiah for his courage and tenacity? I believe that after having studied this character, I can see more of what it means to be a man of God. I believe I have a clearer conception of what a humble, tender-hearted man is. And as "destructive heresies" and "lascivious doings" flood our country. I believe I know more of what I should say and what I should do about such things to be a humble, tenderhearted man of God.