“What have
I to do with you, king of Judah? I (king Necho) have
not come against you this day,
but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make
haste. Refrain from meddling with
God, who is with me, lest He
destroy you.” (v.21)
Josiah was
a great leader, but he died seemingly unnecessarily because he got involved in
a needless battle, a battle that was not his. Why he did not heed the word of
warning from king Necho of Egypt, the Scriptures do not tell us. Maybe he was
looking for a reason to fight against Babylonians at Carchemish, maybe he just wanted to go to
war, or maybe he was not going to let some Egyptian tell him, a Jew, what God’s
will was (pride). Nevertheless, Josiah, a great man, who did what was right in
the eyes of the LORD, and followed in the footsteps of his father David, became
entangled in a fight that was not his, and he paid for it with his life.
Oh that we
might learn from him and not meddle in needless affairs, debates, gossip, or political
opinions of others. Instead, that we would fight against the feeling we have to
have an opinion on everything, weigh in on every discussion, or get involved in
every debate. It can only led to strife, disappointment, and maybe even like
Josiah, an unnecessary mortal wound. The scriptures tell us in James, "The wisdom from above is first pure (no motive), then peaceable and gentle, easy to accept (no strife), full of mercy and good fruit (a blessing)", that's how we know it's from heaven.
A word of
advice, have a light touch with the world and its crusades, do not be drawn
into its endless or senseless debates. But, be in touch with God and be open to His leading
in your life through His Holy Word. You don't have to fight every battle,
The Truth
“Pride goes before destruction, And
a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
