King Josiah King Josiah by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld This media file is in the public domain in the US.This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1923.
As a different way to teach this week's lesson, please feel free to use the following and make adjustments as needed to fit your individual primary classes' needs. Just don't sell this to a publishing company or say you wrote it because I will go postal on you and chop off fingers. Yes? No. But yes sort of. Or no. Yes, again, sort of.
The Value of Scripture: A Reader’s Theatre of King Josiah’s Story
By Sofia Lykes
Characters:
Narrator 1 Josiah’s Mother Achbor (S)
Narrator 2 Hilkiah (S) Huldah the prophetess
Narrator 3 Shaphan (S) Moses
King Josiah Ahikam (S)
Props:
Simple costumes
Book
Temple Background/Posterboard
Narrator 1: A long, long, long, long, long, long, long….
Narrator 2: We get the point. This story of ours takes place in ancient times!
Narrator 1: Yes, well I just want to make sure it’s nice and clear this story didn’t happen yesterday. It was a long, long, long…
Narrator 2: Long time ago!! Sheesh.
King Josiah: It started when I was 8 years old. Who here is 8 years old?
Josiah’s Mother: He was such a wonderful little boy and at 8 it was time to be king.
Narrator 1: Woah, King of Israel at 8 years old! That’s so much cooler than going to school.
Josiah’s Mother: Not quite! Stay in school and go to college!
King Josiah: It was a lot of work with little time to play. But I did the best I could and “that which was right in the sight of the Lord.”
Josiah’s Mother: My little king. (Sigh) I’m so proud!
Narrator 2: In the meantime, the high priest of the temple was digging around and found something interesting.
Hilkiah: Woah! Crazy! Insane!
Narrator 3: What? Is something on fire?
Hilkiah: Nothing is on fire but I do have a warm feeling that something important is about to happen. I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. (Hand book to Shaphan)
Shaphan: I the scribe shall read this. (Pause) Wow! Crazy! Insane!
Narrator 2: Is something on fire? What is Shapan running to King Josiah?
Shaphan: “Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book.” I must read it to you dear noble and righteous King!
Narrator 1: How do you think the King would feel after his scribe found scriptures?
Narrator 2: I bet he’d be pretty happy.
Narrator 3: Yeah, I bet he’d be jumping for joy.
Narrator 1: First off, betting is wrong. Gambling is a serious sin and you should never play slot machines. Seeing as we live in Nevada where casinos are standard and smoking and breaking the word of wisdom is common, we must be better than what surrounds us.
Narrator 2: You’re so wise.
Narrator 3: I had an uncle who used to play at the casinos all the time and then lost his job and family. Totally sad. Good point my friend.
King Josiah: Ahhhhhh!!!!! (Pretend to rip clothes)
Narrator 2: Woah, what’s going on?
Narrator 1: I know he doesn’t gamble, what’s the problem here?
King Josiah: “Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.”
Narrator 3: Is he talking to me?
Narrator 2: No he’s talking to Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah.
Ahikam: Hi, you haven’t met me yet.
Achbor: Or me.
Shaphan: But you have met me, remember I’m the scribe.
Hilkiah: We must go see the prophetess Huldah.
Achbor: Woah. A prophetess? Can a woman be a prophet?
Shapan: Good thing I’m a scribe. Revelation 19:10 says, “ For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Huldah: I know, totally deep right? “Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read: Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.”
Narrator 1: Woah.
Ahikam: Wait! There’s more! Listen to the prophetess!
Huldah: “But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place.”
Narrator 3: So they traveled back to the King and told him everything Huldah the prophetess had said.
King Josiah: We must gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
Josiah’s Mother: Quickly!
Narrator 1: Well, what happened next was pretty simple but teaches great truth.
Narrator 2: King Josiah read to the people the scripture and book of law found in the temple. Then he covenanted with the Lord….
Achbor: Hold on. I forgot, what’s a covenant?
Narrator 2: Great question. It’s a sacred promise that you should never break.
Narrator 3: My mama always told me, never mess with the big man upstairs. If you promise and covenant with Him, that’s it. Keep that covenant.
Josiah’s Mother: That’s right. Mama’s know best. (Snap fingers in the shape of a Z)
Narrator 2: “And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.”
Hilkiah: Well, the king has given me a little to do list now. Let’s see. 1. I need go get vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven 2. I need to burn them.
Narrator 3: So cool, I love fire.
Narrator 1: OK, we don’t need details. It’s good enough to say that idolatry was done. And all because King Josiah and his people listened to the scriptures.
King Josiah: The scriptures will always bring joy because true joy is knowledge. Knowledge of Christ, that He and only He is our Saviour.
Narrator 2: We interrupt this reader’s theatre to bring you a scripture from Moses.
Moses: Thank you. As for scriptures, I’d just like to throw in a couple thoughts. “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Scriptures are IMPORTANT!!!
King Josiah: Amen Moses. Amen my brother.
ALL: “Reading and following the counsel of the scriptures brings joy!!!”
As a handout for home, I'll make a set of index cards for them to match with families. The material for index cards comes from the Erinchment Ideas and Suggested Home reading from the lesson:Remind the children that in order to obey the commandments, they have to be able to remember them. To help them remember, play a memory game. Write the names of the following people from the Old Testament on separate 3″ x 5″ cards. On other cards write the phrases that describe each person. Have the children take turns matching the card with the name of the person on it with the card that says what he or she did. When the children have matched all the cards, discuss the spiritual qualities they remember about each person. After matching read with families 2 Kings 23:1–3, 25 and Isaiah 40:8 at home as a review of this lesson.Person-Action
Adam-Left the Garden of Eden
Enoch-His righteous city was translated
Noah-Built an ark
Abraham-Willing to sacrifice his son
Rebekah-Left her family to marry Isaac
Joseph-Forgave his brothers
Moses-Saved his people from bondage
Ruth-Accepted the gospel from her mother-in-law
David-With the strength of the Lord, killed a giant
Elijah-Fed by ravens during a drought
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