Queen of Second Grade

“Could you be queen right now?” I asked my seven-year-old daughter.

“What do you mean?” she answered.

“I mean, could you be a queen right now?”

“I am a queen right now, Queen Charlotte Penelope, Queen of second grade, among other things,” she said, twirling around with her head held high.

“Indeed, you are, but think bigger. Could you rule over a whole nation right now at 7 years old?”

“Oh, absolutely not!” she said confidently. “I’m just a kid.”

“Well, you just finished reading about Josiah, who was just a kid when he became king. He was 8 years old when he began to rule over the Southern Kingdom of Israel. He was King of Second Grade and King of Judah.”

“Oh, ok, well, I guess I could rule then.”

“Hold on, not so fast, I don’t know,” I said, doubting her sudden ambition to be Queen of something other than second-grade shenanigans. “Why don’t we read again what kind of stuff Josiah was up to as an 8-year-old king, and then we can see if you are fit to be queen.”

In 2 Chronicles 34, it says, “Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David” (2 Chronicles 34:2-3).

“That is a huge deal!” I shouted.

“What is?”

“Seeking after God! Josiah did not necessarily have the best role models. His grandfather, Manasseh, was known as one of the most wicked kings to ever rule Judah, and well, his own father, Amon, was so wicked that he was assassinated by his own people, hence the reason Josiah became king at such a young age. Josiah had every excuse not to follow the right path, not to seek the will and the way of God, but he decided to follow the example of his great ancestor, King David. Josiah listened to the priests and prophets who advised him, and as he grew older, he began to make moves to honor and glorify God.”

2 Chronicles 34:3-7 says that “In his twelfth year, Josiah began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images. They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed.”

“Josiah destroyed all of the idols and pagan altars that his father and grandfather had put into place during their reigns. And another cool thing about Josiah is that he found a book of the law in the temple. This particular book was known to be Deuteronomy. Once he became aware of the law and Gods commandments the scripture says that, “Josiah went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD. And the king stood in his place, 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 his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.”

“Do you know why Josiah made a great king at the age of 8?”

“I think I do. Is it because he followed God?”

“You got it, babe! Not only did King Josiah follow God, but he encouraged others to do the same. King Josiah’s story teaches us that we can be king or queen at any age as long as we humble ourselves before God and respond to His Word. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” In that verse, fear means respect, and when you respect God, look to Him for everything and are obedient to those He has put in your life to guide you, even as a child, you can successfully rule your life with wisdom and righteousness.”

“In that case, I can definitely be queen, Queen of Queen Charlotte…and still second grade!”

“I can stand behind that! Queen Charlotte, ruling her life at seven years old, with wisdom and righteousness, reading God’s Word, sharing the Gospel, and being obedient to Mama. All Hail the Queen!”

You are never too young to be set aside for God's work. You are never too young to live in righteousness and wisdom. You truly become king, or queen, when you make God King of your life.