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2 Kings - Study 9

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2 Kings 22-23; Psalms 76, 85, 146, 147

Study 9 of 10
 

It may be that Josiah was influenced by the legacy of his great-grandfather, King Hezekiah (cf. 2 Kgs 18-20). Like him, Josiah “did what was right in the LORD’s sight and walked in all the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn to the right or to the left” (22.2; cf. 18.5-6); indeed, “Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his mind and with all his heart and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him” (23.25). 

 

Initially King Josiah displayed covenant loyalty similar to King Joash in that he was concerned for the physical maintenance of the LORD’s temple (22.3-7; cf. 2 Kgs 12.4-16). During the repairs, “Hilkiah the high priest told Shaphan the court secretary, ‘I have found the book of the law in the LORD’s temple,’ and he gave the book to Shaphan, who read it” (v. 8)! Josiah’s spiritual sensitivity, even as a young man, was displayed in his response to Shaphan’s reading of the law; “He tore his clothes” (22.11), and commanded his administration to, “Go and inquire of the LORD for me, the people, and all Judah about the instruction in this book that has been found. For great is the LORD’s wrath that is kindled against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this book in order to do everything written about us” (22.13; cf. Dt 28-30).

 

Josiah’s officials visited Huldah the prophetess, who told them that the LORD’s judgment would indeed come upon His people for the sins of the fathers (22.15-17). Yet, Huldah sent the delegation back to the king with a word of profound encouragement:

“Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants…and because you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I Myself have heard you…I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place” (22.19-20; cf. Ps 76.11-12)

 

But the king’s response had only begun; ch 23 is the catalogue of his reforms (cf. Pss 85; 146):

  1. He led Judah in covenant renewal (vv. 1-3)
  2. He cleansed the temple of idolatry and immorality (vv. 4-7)
  3. He defiled the high places of the land, where Israel’s priests had burned incense to pagan gods (vv. 8-10)
  4. He defiled the place where the people had gone to sacrifice to the pagan god Molech by making their son or daughter “pass through the fire” (v. 10)
  5. He tore down the pagan alters Manasseh had constructed in the LORD’s temple (v. 12)
  6. He defiled the high places upon which fertility idols had been built (vv. 13-14)
  7. He went north to Bethel and Samaria, and cleansed them of idolatry (vv. 15-20; cf. 1 Kgs 13.1-13)
  8. He returned to Jerusalem and initiated the most devout Passover celebration Judah had known since the days of the judges (vv. 21-23)!
  9. He cleansed Judah and Jerusalem of the “mediums, the spiritists, household idols, images, and all the detestable things that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this in order to carry out the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the LORD’s temple” (v. 24)
 

Despite the glory of King Josiah’s reign, the LORD did not relent from the condemnation He had issued upon Jerusalem and the temple (23.26-27; cf. Ps 147). While Josiah experienced none of it, the king did endure a measure of the LORD’s wrath when he rebelled against the word of God and was killed by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt (23.28-30; cf. 2 Chr 35.20-25). 

 

Nevertheless, there can be little refutation that, on the whole, King Josiah was the last bright light in Judah—his reign was studded with brilliant faithfulness. It is thus interesting that his accomplishments receive no attention in the New Testament. Never did Paul, John, James, Peter, or even Jesus refer to Josiah’s days of reformation and revival. This is not completely unreasonable though; Josiah was focused on preserving the nation of Judah and experiencing the LORD’s glory in Solomon’s temple, the New Testament is concerned with the coming of Jesus Christ, His death, resurrection, ascension, giving of the Spirit, and promise of return. One can thus understand why Josiah is referenced just once in the New Testament, in the genealogy of Jesus Christ—the storyline of Scripture points to Him (cf. Mt 1.10-11).

 
 
 

*For a complete list of references, please see scripturestoryline.com