2 Kings 22
Josiah was 8 years old when his father Amon was assassinated and he was king for 31 years.
The Bible reports that Josiah was a good king who followed God as his ancestor David and his great grandfather Hezekiah had done.
When he was 26 years old, in the 18th year of his reign he ordered renovations to the temple of God ordering the priests to hire workmen and not keep accounts of their work as they were honest men.
While the temple was being renovated the priests and workmen found the scroll of the book of the law of God. The high priest gave it to the king's secretary who read the whole law to the king.
Josiah heard the law of God and was dismayed that the law had been so forgotten and ignored and wilfully disobeyed that he tore his robes and wept.
He asked the high priests and his officials to enquire of God about what was written and to enquire if God really was going to bring the disasters that he promised on the land.
The message came back from God through the prophetess Huldah -
God is going to bring disaster on Jerusalem and Judah according to everything written in the book the king has heard and read, the people have forsaken God and aroused his anger by making idols, and worshipping other gods. God is so angry with Israel that his anger will not fade this time .
However - Josiah has some good news God has seen how Josiah's heart was responsive and he humbled himself to enquire of God when he heard the curses God has foreseen that the land will be laid waste and a by-word or curse in the mouths of the surrounding nations.
Because Josiah wept and tore his robes God would grant that Josiah himself would live in peace and be gathered and buried with his ancestors before any of this would take place
2 Kings 23
Josiah then proceeded to remove all the high places and alters to other gods from his land and the land of the remnant of Israel to the north.
He organised readings of the law in Jerusalem for all the people to hear.
Any items in the temple that had been used in worship of other gods was removed and destroyed, he removed all the priests of the high places, even the ones appointed by his ancestors to burn incense to the starry host, he burned asherah poles and scattered the dust in grave yards.
He destroyed the rooms of the shrine prostitutes in the temple of God and the women who wove cloth for Asherah.
He went further than before, Josiah deliberately desecrated the high places, he removed all the alters and rooms the kings of Judah before him had erected to the starry host and other gods.
At Bethel in the days after Israel and Judah split, Jeroboam of Israel built an alter to stop his people going to Judah and Jerusalem.
When Josiah desecrated this alter he saw a tombstone and was told it was the tomb of a prophet who prophesied that bones would be burned on that alter to desecrate it and his tomb was not touched out of respect.
Josiah did a lot to rid the land of unlawful practises according to the law of God. He even restarted the passover celebrations which was the first time since the days of the judges that the passover was correctly celebrated.
However these reforms were too late - one good man, even a king, is unlikely to turn around a nation bent on following other gods and seeking their own destruction.
Josiah met his end when the Pharaoh of Egypt, Necho went up to help the king of Assyria and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle at a place called Megiddo (in Greek Armageddon, one of the places where many battles have been fought over the centuries).
Josiah fell in battle against Necho and his body was taken back to Jerusalem and buried with his ancestors.
His son Jehoahaz became the next king at the age of 23 and was king for 3 months before being deposed as king and deported in chains by Necho of Egypt. Jehoahaz chose to follow the examples of his grandfather rather than his father.
Judah is now so poor that Necho can only demand tribute of 1 talent of gold (about 34 kg) and 100 talents of silver (about 3.4 tonnes
Necho appointed Eliakim as king changing his name to Jehoiakim.
Jehoiakim ruled for 11 years and was not a good king according to the bible.
Josiah was 8 years old when his father Amon was assassinated and he was king for 31 years.
The Bible reports that Josiah was a good king who followed God as his ancestor David and his great grandfather Hezekiah had done.
When he was 26 years old, in the 18th year of his reign he ordered renovations to the temple of God ordering the priests to hire workmen and not keep accounts of their work as they were honest men.
While the temple was being renovated the priests and workmen found the scroll of the book of the law of God. The high priest gave it to the king's secretary who read the whole law to the king.
Josiah heard the law of God and was dismayed that the law had been so forgotten and ignored and wilfully disobeyed that he tore his robes and wept.
He asked the high priests and his officials to enquire of God about what was written and to enquire if God really was going to bring the disasters that he promised on the land.
The message came back from God through the prophetess Huldah -
God is going to bring disaster on Jerusalem and Judah according to everything written in the book the king has heard and read, the people have forsaken God and aroused his anger by making idols, and worshipping other gods. God is so angry with Israel that his anger will not fade this time .
However - Josiah has some good news God has seen how Josiah's heart was responsive and he humbled himself to enquire of God when he heard the curses God has foreseen that the land will be laid waste and a by-word or curse in the mouths of the surrounding nations.
Because Josiah wept and tore his robes God would grant that Josiah himself would live in peace and be gathered and buried with his ancestors before any of this would take place
2 Kings 23
Josiah then proceeded to remove all the high places and alters to other gods from his land and the land of the remnant of Israel to the north.
He organised readings of the law in Jerusalem for all the people to hear.
Any items in the temple that had been used in worship of other gods was removed and destroyed, he removed all the priests of the high places, even the ones appointed by his ancestors to burn incense to the starry host, he burned asherah poles and scattered the dust in grave yards.
He destroyed the rooms of the shrine prostitutes in the temple of God and the women who wove cloth for Asherah.
He went further than before, Josiah deliberately desecrated the high places, he removed all the alters and rooms the kings of Judah before him had erected to the starry host and other gods.
At Bethel in the days after Israel and Judah split, Jeroboam of Israel built an alter to stop his people going to Judah and Jerusalem.
When Josiah desecrated this alter he saw a tombstone and was told it was the tomb of a prophet who prophesied that bones would be burned on that alter to desecrate it and his tomb was not touched out of respect.
Josiah did a lot to rid the land of unlawful practises according to the law of God. He even restarted the passover celebrations which was the first time since the days of the judges that the passover was correctly celebrated.
However these reforms were too late - one good man, even a king, is unlikely to turn around a nation bent on following other gods and seeking their own destruction.
Josiah met his end when the Pharaoh of Egypt, Necho went up to help the king of Assyria and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle at a place called Megiddo (in Greek Armageddon, one of the places where many battles have been fought over the centuries).
Josiah fell in battle against Necho and his body was taken back to Jerusalem and buried with his ancestors.
His son Jehoahaz became the next king at the age of 23 and was king for 3 months before being deposed as king and deported in chains by Necho of Egypt. Jehoahaz chose to follow the examples of his grandfather rather than his father.
Judah is now so poor that Necho can only demand tribute of 1 talent of gold (about 34 kg) and 100 talents of silver (about 3.4 tonnes
Necho appointed Eliakim as king changing his name to Jehoiakim.
Jehoiakim ruled for 11 years and was not a good king according to the bible.
No comments:
Post a Comment