The Influence of One Devoted Parent, Part 2

When we take time to study our family tree, we can often trace our Christian heritage back to someone who infused godly virtues into the branches. In other cases, where the first person to sprout new life into the tree, introducing a whole new generation to the gospel of grace. Well, today on INSIGHT for Living, Chuck Swindell continues his brand new study in Lamentations. In this message will discover how the writer Jeremiah was heavily influenced by a godly king named Josiah Josiah's integrity would alter the course of history. Jack titled today's message the influence of one devoted parent.

Our father, we live in a time of unrest.

Every occasion when we turn on the television or driving in the car and are listening to our radios were made aware of the unrest. The uncertainties of our times as if the virus were not enough.

We now have protests all across our land. Because of any event that occurred that was dreadful in every way. Thank you for your protection, for your care over all of us. Watch over us during these days. And may justice roll down.

May Truth Habits Day. And Bay Righteousness return. To a land that rarely witnesses it, even in high places. Thank you for your faithfulness as we have some today. Thank you for your goodness. Caring for us. Day after day. Thank you for keeping many of us healthy. We pray for those who were ill. Those who have succumbed to this virus. As it grows and spreads. We pray that you will bring it to an end and you will see us through this time when we are trusting you. Thank you. For those who come today for worship, may they be edified and encouraged to spacially those who are engaged in the process of still having an influence over children and grandchildren.

May we realize the value of one devoted life? Thank you for those who have ministered and mentored us in our past. For your faithfulness in bringing people along side who made life for us meaningful. And rich. Who've renewed for us a whole world that opened up by your Grace.

Thank you, Father, for those who represent us in places beyond, encourage them as they serve you faithfully. Use our gifts, which we shall give for their ongoing ministry and sustain us as a church through these trying times. That we are enduring together. Keep us aware that you remain our sovereign God through it all.

Now, minister, to us in the quiet moments that follow before we open your word to be instructed, exhorted and encouraged through Christ Jesus, we pray in and everyone, said a man.

You're listening to INSIGHT for Living to search the Scriptures with Chuck Swindal. Be sure to download his searching the Scripture studies by going to insight world dot org slash studies.

And now the message called the influence of one devoted parent.

Let's look here at this righteous reign of Josiah. Thirty one years. He walks with God. Doesn't turn to the left or right. Doesn't cool in his devotion to the living God. Surely it must come from his father.

Actually, it didn't.

His grandfather, Monalisa. If you go back to Chapter 33, we read, this is the grandfather of Josiah Monastir. NASA was 12 years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem 55 years. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight. Following the detestable practices of the pagan nations, the Lord had driven from the land of the Israelites. That's the life of his grandfather. Fifty five years ruling over the land of Judah. Mombassa, Dias and his son, Amon takes his place. He reigned in Jerusalem only two years. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, just as his father, Monalisa. Had done. He worshiped and sacrifice to all the idols his father had made. But unlike his father, he did not humble himself before the Lord. Amon, send even more. He was worse than his father.

So then Aman's own officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace. It was as if the people had said, that's enough. So they assassinate him somewhere in that palace Josiah is living.

It's a little eight year old boy. And out of a scene of assassination and murder emerges. This beautiful blooming rose. As if coming from a cesspool of wickedness. His name is Josiah.

How could he have been so different?

If he has a grandfather for fifty five years known for Ruut Goodness and I only hit the high spots, and if he has a father who is known for equal wickedness even more than his father, Monalisa. Josiah has known only that. Among his immediate ancestors, a wicked father, a wicked grandfather. And yet we read verse two of chapter 34. He did what was pleasing in the Lord site and followed David as his example.

Why didn't you follow Amon? Why didn't Manassas shape his life? My grandfather shaped my life.

I must say, looking back even more than my own father. As good as my father was, my grandfather was incredible. Had time for me. Took time for me. We had something going between us that was marvelous between a grandfather and a grandson, Josiah doesn't have that. Neither father nor grandfather. Well, maybe a cool let let's see. If you read on verse three, you're in the right chapter. During the eighth year of Josiah's reign. So he would now be 16.

Started when he was eight. So now at age 16.

While he was still young, Josiah began to seek the god of his ancestor dated.

Why?

Well, you read this, you have to wonder. Especially when you have nothing in the text that has preceded it. But in any way sets up a life for righteousness.

For purity.

How could you say and not be caught up in all the evil? Even when he turns 16, he is seeking the God of his ancestor. David, how many 16 year olds do you know doing that?

You may have one.

Rare, you must admit. But most at age 16 or still living out those teenage years and they're not too serious about anything. I certainly wasn't and quite likely you weren't, Josiah. Is. Why?

Now we're not through. Look at verse. Still, verse three. Then in the 12th year. He began to purify Juda. He's now 20. He's a very young adult. Began to purify Judah and Jerusalem. In fact, he takes charge. He does a very.

Courageous thing, he destroys all the pagan shrines, the ash and repose, the carved idols, the cast images, throws out all the prostitutes, gets rid of all the witchcraft, takes care of all the altars of bail, demolishes them the incense altars.

You read on and on and on as you oppose the carved idol to cast images you read all the way through the pagan priest, he burned the bones of the pagan priests on their own altars and and the purified Judah and Jerusalem.

He's only 20. He has no model that he can remember living when he was alive. NASA or M on. But he's doing this righteous work. Did the same thing in the towns of Manhatta, Ephraim and Simeon, even as far as not to lie. If you trace that geographically, you'll see how far reaching it was and verse eight says in the 18th year of his reign. He's now 26. He's still hot. For God, we would say he's still serious about his walk with the Lord.

Why?

As I read through this, there is a mystery surrounding this remarkable contrast that emerges. Unlike a father who lived in rain two years and the grandfather fifty five years, not before the grandfather was has a CIA. But that's way back. Your CI would have only heard about him on occasion. He has no living example in his mind, but he accomplishes one good thing after another. So I search and I search through second chronicles. I find no hint. So I go to the historical parallel passage. Second Chronicles and Second Kings often cover the same subject. I turn back in my. Bible to Second Kings 22. I invite you to do that. I began reading the almost the same words. Regarding Josiah, stay with me. We're looking for the answer to Josiah's righteous life size eight years old when he became king and he reigned in Jerusalem 31 years. His mother was GDI to the daughter of Idi Aya from Bosz Kath. He did what was pleasing in the Lord's side and followed the example of his ancestor, David. He did not turn away from doing what was right. And in this case, the writer jumps to his 18th year when Josiah's 26 years old.

Stop. Did you notice something? Between the announcement of Josiah's.

Rain beginning at age eight.

And then his. Following the example of David, his ancestor. There is an insertion and entry found nowhere else in scripture.

His mother. Was jid ida.

Now, I got all excited thinking I would find a passage of Scripture that would that would develop the life of a Jew died. It isn't there. So don't race home looking for it. Take it from me. This is the only reference.

The only one.

We literally, except for the comment regarding her being the daughter of a DIH.

From Boscastle, we know nothing more.

I want to build my case and hopefully convince you of the power of one devoted life. I don't believe Joe died, who was caught up in the lifestyle of her husband, Amon. I believe she detested the life of my NASA. I believe she walked with God. And I believe she realized her only hope. Being a woman and would not ever rain in the days of the Judean Kings. Her hope was that her son. From his birth. Till he is crowned, she didn't know when that would happen. It happened soon. He's only a. All the way through. Turn 16 all the way through, he turns 20. By now, she's, of course, released him to his reign as king and all the responsibilities that go with that.

GDI to.

Pours her life. Into her son. If she has hope, she has hope in this boy. All other influences in his life. We, as we've seen, are evil, wicked to the core. But this woman. Mentioned in the text on purpose, his mother, Jedidiah. Steps into his world, of course. And. Changes the whole direction of what it could have been. Not the first mother to do that in scripture. We pause for a break here. Moses was put in the bulrushes, remember, and and pushed over across the currents of the water until the daughter of Pharaoh found him. Remember the story? Course you do. Right there in the bulrushes. But what you may be missing is a woman named Jack Abed. A name known by very few Christians. Moses father was Amram. His mother was Jack Abed. Jack Abed head Moses until he was weaned. And I have the feeling she kept him just as long as she possibly could and poured her life into young Moses as he grew. In those formative years. Samuel had a Hannah Samuel will one day be handed over to Eli, whose two sons are wicked. Forgive me, but it says in the text they lay with the women at the Gate of the Tabernacle. They were wicked guys, and she turns her son, Samuel, over to Eli to be raised in that environment. Believe me, before she turns him over to Eli, Hannah pours her life into her son, Samuel. You can remember another name, Timothy, whose mother, Eunice, and grandmother Lois. Built into his life so significantly that the apostle Paul in Second Timothy right there in the first chapter mentions his mother and her mother. As having an influence over Timothy's life. In fact, John Calvin writes beautiful words, I love these. Timothy was reared in his family in such a way that he could suck in godliness along with his mother's milk. I loved that concept, which she nursed him. She also nursed him in righteousness. Yunus poured herself into young Timothy. He became an apostolic delegate.

You got the point. I know you do.

Never underestimate the powerful influence of a devoted parent.

Think of it.

Could be the mother in this case it is. Could be the father. In some cases, it is.

Yes, two are better than one, but one is better than none.

And it is easy in the midst of all the pressure of a divided home. For one member of the. Parenting is passive, uninvolved. And often completely absent. It's easy to think that is. That's my lot. I have to live with it and to become resentful of that rather than realize. This is your moment. This is your opportunity. And if there isn't a mom or a dad, it may fall on the shoulders of the grandfather or the grandmother or both. To build into this young life. Let me speak directly. I told you the scriptures address such things as Kovik, 19 pointers happened during covered 19. We've all been home. Have we ever. I mean, is so much that now there are jokes about being at home. The mother who is teaching her children and does it so much and she's so weary of it. She's asking somebody for a different class.

I mean, it it isn't easy, but this is your opportunity. What an interesting thing.

That without planning it, without seeing it come. Without anticipating it. Here we are.

At home. Together. Are you together? Are you making the most of it as a.

Father, mother, grandfather, grandmother.

What a marvelous opportunity to be the judge Dida. In that young life. And this is a great moment to add. You may be the product of a one devoted parent. Or I would even add a one devoted minister, our mentor. Or coach. Or friend to older friend who? Who saw you new potential no one in your family saw? What a marvelous. Benefit was yours. And you look back on it at.

I know.

You must give thanks often, as I certainly do. Alexander White caught me off guard. He rode in his fine work Bible characters of the Old Testament.

This piece on Josiah. If a boy has a good mother. And a good minister. He is all but independent of his father. I think I would I would broaden White's word minister to mentor.

Not just a minister that seems to limit it to a pastor, though that may have been the most influential individual in your life. I certainly had a few growing up. Still remember their names. Still remember how they opened their Bibles. Still remember how they preached their sermons as very impressionable in those early years. And I watch with interest. My father was virtually absent. He worked all the time was during World War Two. But my father loved his work. He had extra time. He got an extra job. So we were sort of raised in a matriarchal family and a mother who didn't really enjoy small children and didn't expect me when I came along. Well, that's a fun setting, isn't it? Don't feel sorry for me. Don't spend one second feeling sorry for me. I had a magnificent grandfather. I had several marvelous mentors going going through high school. In the investment they made in my life, I'm still benefiting from and even in the years later, mentors that helped change my whole direction and my whole career changed because of a faithful, devoted mentor. Listen to White. Is he right?

If a boy is a good mother and a good minister or mentor, he is all but independent of his father. And with Joe died for his mother and with Jeremiah. As his minister or mentor. Both men, NASA, his grandfather and am on his father. Taken together, did not succeed in corrupting and destroying young Josiah. It's just great, isn't it? The tender heart of the young prince took all the good out of the terribly untoward circumstances and escaped all that evil.

We're right in the middle of a three day presentation from Chuck Swindle, and we urge you to join us again tomorrow when this remarkable story about Josiah's mother will continue to unfold. He's talking about the influence of one devoted parent. To learn more about this ministry. Be sure to visit us online at Incyte World dot org. This is INSIGHT for Living. And we're featuring a brand new series from Chuck. That was preached just a few weeks ago. And you'll discover that throughout this study and lamentations. Chuck is helping us see the obvious convergence of ancient history and the cultural battles of 2020. The application in the series is fresh and time sensitive in light of our times. Perhaps you're looking to engage in conversations that have nothing to do with the Corona virus. Maybe a touch of levity would be welcome. Chuck wrote a classic book on Joy that arose from his study of Paul's letter to the Philippians.

It's called LAF Again Experience Outrageous Joy, and you'll find all the information on how to receive a copy of LAF again by going to Insight dot org slash store. And that I'd like to conclude with an encouraging word from one of our listeners who is very grateful to those who give generously to support in sight for living. You're truly making a difference. This listener writes, In 1987, I was an over the road truck driver in that year. I became a believer in Jesus. For over 20 years, every weekday I listen to you preach. Even before I met Jesus, you helped me when I had no fellowship nor a church home. So I give thanks to God through Jesus for your ministry. Well, that's encouraging to hear how God uses this program to reach people in surprising places who rely on the generosity of others who give to give a donation today. Call us if you're listening in the United States, dial one 877 to 88 88 or go online to INSIGHT dot org. That's INSIGHT dot o. RG. Join us again tomorrow, woodchucks Wendell continues to describe the influence of one devoted parent right here on INSIGHT for Living.

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