RESTORATION PRINCIPLES - THEIR BIBLICAL BASIS (2)
RESTORATION PRINCIPLES - THEIR BIBLICAL BASIS (2)
by Yeow Chin Kiong
At the heart of religious restoration is a commitment to return completely to a previous order of things when conditions,- belief, worship and moral conduct,- were correct by God’s standards. Restoration is needed when that previous order has been corrupted significantly. The call to restore is clear in Jeremiah 6:16,- as clear as the prophecy that some will refuse to do it: “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” The consequence of thus rejecting God’s call to, “Return now every one from his evil way and make your ways and doings good” (Jeremiah 18:11) is terrible and devastating!
Two examples of restoration in the Old Testament are that pursued by King Hezekiah and his great grandson King Josiah in Judah of 7th century BC. The scriptures have many good things to say about both these kings of the Davidic line. However, the fact that Josiah had to restore again what his ancestor had previously restored says much about how easily men stray from the good and right path. And, four kings of Judah after Josiah’s restoration of the Law of Moses, Judah went into Babylonian exile for her gross sins. On earth, there is no end to the need to restore!
The record of the restoration of Hezekiah is contained in 2 Kings 18:1 to 20:21; 2 Chronicles 29:1 to 32:33 and Isaiah 36:1 to 39:8 and that of Josiah in 2 Kings 22:1 to 23:30 and 2 Chronicles 34:1 to 35:26.
The period covering the time of David’s throne on earth was the time of the Law of Moses. Hence, Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:6; ‘the Law of the Lord’ in 2 Chronicles 31:3-4) and Josiah (2 Kings 22:8-11; 23:25; 2 Chronicles 34:14-15) were both restoring the practice of the Law of Moses. As far as we can tell from scripture, ALL of the commandments of Moses’ Law were restored in practice by the two kings.
With the truth today under Jesus’ authority and not Moses’ (John 1:17), the Christian duty is to restore the church, the worship and the doctrines taught by Jesus in the New Testament (Matthew 17:5; 28:18-20; Hebrews 1:1-2). Today, we are to restore all the New Testament (and to apply the Old Testament, properly handled, 2 Timothy 2:15) and the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).
Hezekiah and Josian were not sinless, perfect mem but they knew God’s word and, from that, His will. For that they were commended by our Father. Of Hezekiah it was declared, “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after Him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went …..” (2 Kings 18:5-7). Of Josiah it is recorded, “ Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise after him.” (2 Kings 23:25).
Hezekiah was renown for his trust in God and Josiah his repentant spirit but both for their faithfulness to God clealy evident in their untiring effort to restore the Law of Moses and true worship of God in their time. Christians should emulate them in intention and deed!