Presumption

2 Kings 23; 2 Chronicles 35; John 7 

“The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah,…After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle…He would not listen to what Neco had said at God’s command, but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo.”

2 Chronicles 35:18, 20, 22

Following Josiah’s greatest victory, came his greatest defeat.

Why?

The restoration of temple worship and celebration of the Passover were reminders of God’s glory and power for the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. What Josiah lacked was intimacy with God so that he could process his decisions with the Lord. He could not believe that the Lord would speak to Neco and use this Pharaoh to judge Babylon. Josiah was blinded by pride, and presumptuously inserted himself into a battle that was not his to fight. At age thirty-nine, his decision cost Josiah his life.

What battles are we fighting today that the Lord did not ask us to fight?

“Lord Jesus, you defeated sin and death as our Passover Lamb. Keep me from presumption, for your glory.”