Humbling yourself
2 Kings 22:19
Josiah is commended for being responsive and humbling himself. The Heb. kanaŹ¾ suggests public humiliation, with undertones of shame and dishonor. But only if one is humbled against his will! A person who humbles himself before God as Josiah did openly confesses himself a sinner, crushed and hopeless. This is our appropriate response when we realize how we fall short of meeting God’s standards, and how greatly we stand in need of forgiving grace.
Just outside ancient Carthage lies one of the best known Topheth districts, where young children, newborn to about four or five, were burned as votive gifts to pagan gods by parents begging for some benefits. The fact that such a district existed in Judah is a stunning indication of how firmly God’s people were locked in the grip of paganism and sin.
Richards, Lawrence O. The Bible Reader’s Companion. electronic ed. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1991. Print.
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