Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign as king of Judah, and he reigned 31 years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of king David, and he didn't turn aside to the right or to the left. (2 Kings 22:1–2, 2 Chron 34:1–2).
In the 8th year of his reign, he began to seek the God of David (2 Chron 34:3a).
Josiah was 16 years old (8 + 8) when he began to seek the Lord without having access to God's word. Can be compared to a person in our time seeking the Lord without having access to a Bible, see also The Parable of the Persistent Widow.
In the 12th year he began to cleanse Judah from the high places. They cut down the altar of Baal before his face and cut down the altars of incense that stood above them. He broke the Asherim and the graven and metallic images, and he made dust of them and sprinkled them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars and purified Judah. Even in the cities of Israel he broke down the altars, beat the Asherim into powder, and cut down all the altars of incense throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. (2 Chron 34:3b–7).
Josiah defiled these altars and rendered them useless by burning the bones of the priests upon them. There was a prophesy about this 300 years earlier that it would be done in Bethel in Israel (1 Kings 13:1–2 (see below)), now belonging to Assyria.
In the 18th year of Josiah's reign, he ordered the high priest Hilkiah to count the money that had been brought into the temple. It was to be given into the hand of the workers who had charge of the temple, to give it to the workers to repair the temple. (2 Kings 22:3–7, 2 Chron 34:8–13).
Josiah believed in the Lord and ordered the temple to be repaired, but he didn't have so much knowledge of the Mosaic Laws or God's will at this time.
The high priest Hilkiah found the Book of the Law in the temple. It was read before
the king. When Josiah heard the words in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. He commanded the priest Hilkiah and some others to inquire of the Lord for him, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of the book that had been found, for it hadn't been followed. (2 Kings 22:8–13, 2 Chron 34:14–21).
The Book of the Law is essentially the Torah (Pentateuch or the five books of Moses), that is the books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. That Hilkiah found it indicates that it had been lost. Josiah had a desire to walk with the Lord but hadn't have access to the Torah prior to this point. This can be compared to a Christian who doesn't have access to a Bible.
Tearing the clothes was a way of showing grief and sorrow. When Josiah heard the words in the book, he realized that they had rejected the Lord and the consequences of doing so. He knew about the altars to the pagan gods that were in God's temple. He therefore decided to consult God about this.
Hilkiah and the others went to Huldah the prophetess. She told them that the Lord would bring disaster upon that place and upon its inhabitants, because they had forsaken the Lord and sacrificed to other gods. But because Josiah's heart was contrite, and he humbled himself before the Lord, had torn his clothes and wept before the Lord, Josiah would gather to his grave in peace, and he won't see all the calamity that the Lord would bring upon that place.
(2 Kings 22:14–20, 2 Chron 34:22–28).
Regardless of the fact that Josiah was a godly king and would bring incredible reforms into the land, God would still bring the judgement he had promised. This rejection of the Lord and the worship of pagan gods had been going on for hundred of years. God would be true to his word. However, Josiah would not have to experience God's wrath, see God has wrath in God's Attributes.
God looks for those who are humble and contrite in spirit and tremble at his word (Isaiah 66:2b). Josiah was such a man. However, it's not in our sinful nature to react in such a way, see The Book of John. When confronted with sin, our human nature wants to make excuses, blame someone else, or to think it's no big deal. Josiah did none of that. He was broken hearted from pride.
Josiah went up to the temple, and all the men of Judah with him. He read in their hearing all the words of the book that had been found. He made a covenant before the Lord to keep his commandments with all his heart, to do what is written in this book. They brought out of the temple all the vessels made for Baal and for Asherah. Josiah burned them outside Jerusalem. He deposed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to sacrifice at the high places; also those who burned incense to Baal. He took the Asherah out of the temple and burned it and broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the temple. No one was allowed to burn his son or his daughter as a sacrifice to Molech. He burned the altars that Manasseh had made. He defiled the high places east of Jerusalem and cut down the Asherim. He tore down and burned the altar in Bethel and burned the
Asherah. Josiah took the bones out of the graves and burned them on the altar in Bethel and defiled it, according to the word of the Lord that the man of God had proclaimed (see below). Josiah also removed all the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had built to provoke the Lord to anger. He did with them according to all that he had done at Bethel. And he sacrificed all the priests of the high places who were there on the altars and burned human bones on them. (2 Kings 23:1–20, 2 Chron 34:29–33).
Josiah cleansed the temple of pagan influences. The temple is a picture of the Christian believers in the New Covenant. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The believers of Christ are the body of Christ, that is, the temple of God
(1 Cor 3:16–17, 6:19, 2 Cor 6:16, Eph 2:19–22), see Jesus the Light of the World.
Josiah took care of the priests who were leading the people in the wrong direction.
In a similar way, we as Christians can be wrongly influenced by other people. We can be led down the wrong path. We therefore need to study the Bible.
Josiah rendered pagan places of worship unusable by defiling them. He even defiled the altar at Bethel in Israel, which at that time belonged to Assyria. He did so in response to a prophesy 300 years earlier (1 Kings 13:1–2), see
Rehoboam and Jeroboam, and the Division of Israel.
Josiah commanded all the people to celebrate the Lord's Passover, as it was written in the book they had found. No such Passover had been kept since the days of the Judges (see The Book of Judges). But in the 18th year of Josiah, this Passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem. Josiah had the mediums, the necromancers, the household gods, the idols, and all the abominations seen in the land of Judah to be abolished (2 Kings 23:21–24, 2 Chron 35:1–19).
Passover is a reminder of the death of Jesus Christ, see The Crucifixion of Jesus.
It's a picture of Jesus' sacrifice. Through his blood we have escaped eternal death and instead have eternal life with God, see Salvation.
Before Josiah there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might (strength), according to the
Mosaic Laws, nor arose any like him after him. But the Lord didn't turn from the burning of his great wrath, against whom his anger was kindled, against
Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. The Lord said that he would remove Judah from his sight, as he had removed
Israel, and would throw away Jerusalem and the temple. (2 Kings 23:25–27).
Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. But Neco sent envoys to Josiah saying that he didn't come to meet him, and that God had commanded him to make haste.
Josiah should stop opposing God who was with Neco, or God would destroy him. But Josiah didn't turn away from him, but disguised himself to fight with him.
Josiah didn't listen to Neco's words from the mouth of God, but came to fight on the plain of Megiddo (see below). And the archers shot Josiah. His servants brought him to Jerusalem where he died.
(2 Kings 23:28–30a, 2 Chron 35:20–27).
At that time, Babylon began to rise as a world power. Assyria had been a world power. The king of Assyria therefore decided to align himself with Pharaoh in Egypt
in order to stand against Babylon. Neco therefore went over the territory of Judah
to help the Assyrian against Babylon. Josiah didn't want him to cross his land and therefore attacked him. Josiah was then killed at only 39 years old. The alliance between Egypt and Assyria didn't help. Babylon would become the next world power and eventually the nation that would destroy Judah.
Megiddo is referred to the area of Armageddon, where the final battle will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation, see Prophecies of Jesus' Second Coming.
Josiah was unwilling to listen and it doesn't appear that he consulted the Lord about this. Josiah probably didn't like Assyria who had conquered the northern kingdom (Israel), and therefore tried to prevent Neco from helping them.
Despite the fact that Josiah was the most godly king of Judah and Israel ever
(2 Kings 23:25), he let his emotions guide him and not the word of the Lord,
and made this costly mistake that ended his life. This is a lesson for us all.
The people took Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, and anointed him and made him king
in his father’s place (2 Kings 23:30b, 2 Chron 36:1).
After Josiah there were only ungodly kings of Judah, see The Curse of Jeconiah.
See also Kings of Judah and Israel.
