Title: Break Up Your Fallow Ground, And Do Not Sow Among Thorns
The Book of Jeremiah describes about the sinfulness of Judah and gives a warning of the tragic future that they will encounter if they do not repent from their sins.
In Jer 4:3-4, God said to His people “Break up the fallow ground and do not sow among thorns.” As God is not talking about how to do a farming, what God is asking His people to do was about faith transformation. Let’s look at the reformation of King Josiah and learn what we need to do to bring about the faith reformation that God is pleased with into our life and into our faith community.
Who is King Josiah? He was the 16th king in Southern Judah. He became a king at his age of 8 and he managed to bring about the reformation of a nation that no preceding kings did at his age of 16. We can easily imagine how difficult it was. However, as God provided His wisdom upon Josiah, he was much more excellent than any other experienced politicians. If God provides His wisdom and strength, we can break up the fallow ground and bring about the reformation that God is looking for.
- God-centered life (2 Kgs 21:16-24)
Josiah’s grandfather, Manasseh reigned for 55 years, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. Josiah’s father Amon reigned for 2 years and did evil in the sight of the Lord. So, for at least 57 years, the entire nation worshipped idols, and the temple was shut and closed.
For something that lasted for 60 years, it is already settled and became a core system or structure of that society. Yet, Josiah at his young age, destroyed the current system and brought about reformation (2 Kgs 23:7; 1 Kgs 14:24)
Idol worshipping normally involved sexual arousal because they believed that if a god is pleased, he will do whatever they asked for. So, for the people who were younger than 60 years old at that time, the temple they knew is the temple that has prostitutes. This was a new norm to them. How could Josiah think about breaking up and bringing reformation? It is because more than culture, more than the system agreed by society, he followed the Word of God (Deu 23:17; 1 Tim 1:10).
God was so pleased with Josiah’s reformation that he said there was no king like Josiah before him or after him (2 Kgs 23:25). During the 16th century, there was a reformation led by John Calvin, Martin Ruther, Zwingli, and many others. They announced 3 principles for the reformation: “Sola Scripture, Sola Gratia, Sola Fides” means only scriptures, only grace, only faith. Likewise, if we want to bring about reformation, we should know what pleases God and do it only according to scripture, through grace and by faith.
- Church-centered life
During the 18th year of his reigning, when he was 26 years old, he ordered to repair the temple. During the repairing work, they found the book of the Law (2 Kgs 22:3-8). By that time, Josiah already brought about the first reformation to destroy the idols and stopped idol worshipping nation-wide (2 Chr 34:3-7).
However, Josiah didn’t stop there. 6 years later, he ordered to repair the temple. It is not like the temple was damaged all of a sudden by a war at this time, the temple had been damaged during the time of his preceding kings, while they were worshipping idols in the temple.
He perhaps saw that the temple needed repairing works and remembered it all the way. And when it come to the right time, he ordered to repair it. It shows us that King Josiah cared and kept the church in his mind.
During the second reformation, Josiah brought out even thorough reformation. He even broke the altars or houses or stands for the idols.
The founding pastor taught us that if we really want to achieve reformation, it must be an active willing reformation. There was nobody asking or guiding Josiah that he should continue this reformation and the temple. But he felt it is needed, thus he moved.
3. Bible-centered life (2 Kgs 22:10-11)
During repairing of the temple, the book of the Law was found. Then, the king asked the Hilkiah the priest to read the book.
What we should know is that it is not that Josiah asked the priest to read for the people as a program, but Josiah was also there listening. Then, according to the scripture, he restored all the feasts. As a result, they finally were able to observe the Passover in the 18th year. Because of this, God had blessed the entire nation so much (2 Kgs 23:3).
To read and do what the Bible tells us to do is the way to renew the covenant with God. For 60 years, they were thorns in the nation of Judah. Josiah broke the fallow ground and got rid of all these thorns through reformation. Then, the nation became God’s covenanted nation.
In the same way, God is asking us to break the fallow ground and get rid of all these thorns in our hearts and our lives and our church. The way to break the fallow ground is the reformation that is according to the Word of God.
Amen.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 