Apparently Josiah, without the scroll knew enough of God to live virtuously. How did he learn this?
Let's look at other examples of times when people who did not have the Word of God somehow sought and discovered the heart and mind of God.
Job
“The Lord said to Satan, ’Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.’” (Job 1:8)
The Patriarchs
Genesis 26:4-5 “I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”
What commandments, statutes and laws? Is it that as a result of Abraham's relationship with God, he learned what was right in His eyes. I am reminded that the Lord promised that “For thus says the Lord, ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29:13)
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.heir voice is not heard.There is no speech, nor are there words; Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world." (Psalms 19:1-4a)
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”(Romans 1:18-20)
God has made Himself discoverable to any who will seek Him.
“There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.” (Romans 2:9-11)
“For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” (Romans 2:14-16)
“So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?” (Romans 2:26)
It becomes abundantly clear that If we want to discover God, we need only look up and around, and see His handiwork. And while the promise in Jeremiah 29 was immediately made to the Jewish Diaspora of the day, God is well known for showing great favor to those who seek to know Him, regardless of their ascendancy.
