Josiah’s world was similar to our own: people worshipped anything except God. Yet Josiah demonstrates that one can still reform in this environment. He shows us the need to carry out reformation in our lives when the word of God exposes our shortcomings.
Amon was 16 when Josiah was born. There was never any doubt his name would be Josiah. His name and his work were prophesied 340 years before, I Kings 13:2. It is interesting that Jeremiah was born around the same time and likewise he and his mission was known beforehand by God.
Josiah was a young boy of six when his father Amon came to the throne. He was eight when the palace servants murdered his father. Imagine the affect that would have on this young boy. The palace servants were put to death. All of this was undoubtedly the work of God. These very impressionable years, from eight years and on, would be without the corrupting influence of his father and the palace servants, who would have encouraged Josiah to continue the idolatry of his father.
The education and guidance he received at this stage from his mother and also Shaphan and Hilkiah developed one of the most zealous and single-minded servants of God that ever lived.
It says of Josiah that he walked in all the ways of David his father, II Kings 22:2. Firstly, David not Amon was counted as his father and secondly, he walked in all the ways of David, ‘a man after God’s own heart’. Josiah is the only king of whom it is recorded
“he turned not aside to the right hand or the left.” Dent 17:18-20.
At the age of 14, or younger, he married, for his first son Jehoikim was born when Josiah was 14 and Jehoahaz when he was 16.
At 16 he started to act independently of those guiding him. He realised the nation needed reforming. But he also knew he had to start with himself, so he
“began to seek after the God of David his father” II Chronicles 34:3.
Josiah didn’t have the law at this stage, so to learn of Yahweh he would have relied on the record of the preceding kings and on prophecies like Isaiah’s. ‘Seeking after Yahweh’ is the divine comment of his life from age 16 to 20. Because he did this he was ready at the early age of 20 for the great work he had to do.
For young people today, these years are very important. What we do in this time, generally determines what sort of dedication we will have for the rest of our life in the truth. This is a time to really learn of Yahweh and devote oneself to study, thus laying a wonderful foundation in the truth.So at 20, or the twelfth year of his reign, Josiah moves to cleanse the nation of idols. With great enthusiasm Josiah was personally involved in this work and he himself cast down many of the idols and ground them to powder. This was to ensure the idols would never be used again. So he purged Judah and Jerusalem. He also went into Israel, who had been taken captive many years before and likewise destroyed the idols there.
The nation appeared enthusiastically to go along with Josiah’s reforms. But then came a sudden, unexpected voice of criticism from Jeremiah. He denounced the ecclesia for its hypocrisy; they still worshipped idols in their hearts and had
“not turned with their whole heart, only feigned”, Jeremiah 3:10.
He also denounced the ecclesia for its immorality, Jeremiah 5:7,8; the people no longer ‘blushed’ at wickedness, Jeremiah 6:15. These words only made Josiah more determined in his work.
At 26, Josiah determined to repair the temple. The keepers of the door collected the money for the building materials. It wasn’t just a clean up but a major rebuilding work. They had to buy stone to rebuild the walls and beams of timber to repair the roof. So the temple was a scene of activity with tradesmen all over the site cleaning and repairing. In the midst of this Hilkiah the High Priest found the law, the only copy in Jerusalem. Once again we have the hand of God, helping Josiah because Josiah was prepared to act in God’s service. This would prove to be a major boost to Josiah’s work. Excitedly Hilkiah took the law to Shaphan, the Secretary of State. These two men poured over the law and saw how it condemned things done in the streets of Jerusalem. They also read of God’s judgments that would come as a result of wickedness.
They knew how much the king would want to hear the words of the law and so they took it to him and read it before him. They read of curse after curse that would come upon the idolatrous people. When Josiah could stand it no longer, with a cry of grief and fear he ripped his royal garments and started to weep.
A deputation was sent to Huldah the prophetess. Josiah must know what would happen to himself and Judah and Jerusalem. Huldah told them that all the curses of the law would come on the nation because they had forsaken Yahweh and provoked him to anger.
But Josiah would not see the evil that would come on this place. It is interesting to note what Yahweh noticed about Josiah’s life. You would expect Huldah to comment particularly on the work of destroying idolatry. Instead, what God emphasised was his heart; it was ‘tender’ or soft, pliable as soft clay, so he could be moulded. He was also humble in that he rent his clothes and wept, II Chronicles 34:24-28.
Avery subdued deputation left Huldah to bring the bad tidings to the king. Huldah’s words were very clear.
“Josiah, your reforms will not work, God’s judgments will still come .”
What an incredibly positive man Josiah was. He was not discouraged. He thought that if he could develop the same tenderness and humility in a sufficient number perhaps the nation could be saved. His enthusiasm for reform was even greater! What an example!
Immediately Josiah called a national conference. He called all the representatives of the nation to hear the words of the newly found law. Josiah realised that the nation could only be changed by the power of the word. When these people were gathered together, Josiah made them to stand while he read all the word’s of the book of the covenant, II Chronicles 34:31.
Unfortunately the same spontaneous desire to serve Yahweh wasn’t seen in the people. Josiah caused those that were present to agree to the words of the law.
It is recorded after this that Judah departed not from following Yahweh. The temple was in service; it appeared the reform was working; all appeared to be going well.
One day as the people came up to worship they found Jeremiah at the temple gate, Jeremiah 7:2. He informed the people they had not thoroughly amended their ways and that they still oppressed their brethren in the ecclesia. While the worshippers came to the temple there were others worshipping the queen of heaven in the streets of Jerusalem. The priests involved the whole nation in this false worship. The children would gather sticks, the fathers would light the fire and the mothers bake cakes to the queen of heaven. Jeremiah also pointed out that Molech was still worshipped and prophesied that the Valley of Hinnom would not be filled with the bodies of babies burnt to death, but rather with the carcasses of the people.
No doubt Josiah came to hear of Jeremiah’s words. So in II Kings 23 he determines to completely rid the nation of idolatry, especially that of Molech. So every form of idol was destroyed from Geba — the extreme north, to Beersheba — the extreme south. Josiah couldn’t get rid of them quickly enough— he ran (II Kings 23:12 mg.) in his enthusiasm. Josiah like Christ shewed us the ruthlessness needed to fight sin. He put the bones of the false priests on their altars to defile them so they couldn’t be used again by others. Once again this shows that in dealing with problems in the truth we must do all we can to ensure it will not be a problem again.
He went to Bethel to destroy the high places. Here his attention was drawn to the sepulchre of the prophet who prophesied 340 years before of his work. No doubt this greatly encouraging him.
It was only after the leaven of idolatry was cleansed from Israel that Josiah felt he could hold the Passover. He determined it would be the greatest Passover ever, to rekindle the peoples’ fervour for the truth. He encouraged the priests and instructed the Levites on their duties. He gave 30,000 lambs to the 30,000 family groups who converged on Jerusalem. As each head of the family took their lamb to the temple court they saw a sight not seen for 50 years. Priests and Levites dressed in their sacerdotal robes, assembled in proper orders. The singers sang all day long on the day the lambs were kill.
Once the lambs were slain they were taken back to the various families and in thousands of homes families assembled to keep the Passover. Children heard the story and the significance of the Passover for the first time. The following seven days were spent educating the people. It was so wonderful that there was no Passover like it from the days of Samuel.
Josiah’s reforms came to a climax. He had destroyed idolatry, brought the people back to God and now a glorious Passover. Yet Josiah didn’t rest on his laurels, he continued destroying even the household gods of Judah. Unfortunately he could not destroy the people’s love of idolatry.
During the last 13 years of his reign he was involved in the work of the temple, encouraging the people. Once again there was the appearance that all was well. But Zephaniah strode into Jerusalem to tell them that Yahweh’s judgment would come quickly and consume them all.
In II Chronicles 35 these words were fulfilled when Josiah went to stop Pharaoh Nero marching through Judah. Pharaoh was on his way to assist Assyria in their fight against Babylon.
Josiah disguised himself and led his troops into the battle. The Egyptian archers directed a cloud of arrows at Judah. One hit the king, he slumped in his chariot and said, “Take me away, I’m badly wounded.” Swiftly the servant wheeled the chariot out of the battle line and tenderly lifted the king out of the smaller chariot into a larger one to take him to Jerusalem. Josiah was beyond help: he died shortly after.
The people back in Jerusalem awaited news of the battle. When they saw the mournful, subdued look of the soldiers they suspected the worst — the king is dead.
The whole nation mourned as if they had all lost their only son. No one mourned more than Jeremiah. He knew the great loss to the nation and that nothing would stop God’s judgments now. The mourning is likened to the mourning of the Jews when Christ reveals himself to them, Zechariah 12:9-14.
Josiah was not only a zealous destroyer of idolatry, he also showed love to the poor and needy (Jeremiah 22:15,16), so there was a blend of justice and mercy, just like God himself.
Josiah’s reforms were not a total failure. Undoubtedly the faithful remnant were stirred up. Some of Israel’s greatest men like Daniel and his three friends, Ezekiel and others came to prominence just after this time. No doubt this was due in measure to the reforms of this great king.
We can make Josiah’s reforms a real success today if they cause us to reform our own lives. If we do this we will be part of the greatest reformation this world will ever see. The temple will be rebuilt and all the world will come to the greatest religious feast ever held. And there will then be a time of not just 13 years of peace, but 1,000.
The Solution