A Look At King Josiah

A LOOK AT KING JOSIAH

A man who meddled with God

Josiah began ruling over Judah when he was just eight years old. He came from a wicked line of men, but sought the Lord himself. Josiah was instrumental in bring the nation of Judah back from idolatry and to the Lord. He was also successful in re-instituting godly practices in Judah. What we will find out about him is that he meddled later on, and as a result of one SINGULAR case of meddling, tragedy followed. We can NEVER be sure what the consequences of our actions could be!

I JOSIAH’S REIGN – 2 Chronicles 34:1-35:19

A Josiah lived for 39 years

1 31 of those years he was the king of Judah

a 2 Chron. 34:2 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.

2 Scripture focuses in on his life at specific times

a 8 years – Became King

b 16 years – Begins to seek God

c 20 years

1) Josiah began to destroy the idolatry in Jerusalem

2 Chron. 34:3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, carved idols and cast images.

2) Speaks of a love for God even at a young age

3) This event was prophesied over 350 years before it happened – by name!

1 Kings 13:2 He cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD: "O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: ’A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’ "

2 Kings 23:15-17 Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin--even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also. 16Then Josiah looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance with the word of the LORD proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things.

17The king asked, "What is that tombstone I see?"

The men of the city said, "It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it."

4) While Josiah is removing idolatry – God is at work

a) Through the prophet Zephaniah

Zeph. 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

b) Through the prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:2 The word of the LORD came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,

Jeremiah 1:10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

TO REMOVE THE WRONG IS ONLY HALF THE BATTLE – IT IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO RESTORE THE TRUTH

3 26 Years

1) Josiah sees to the renovation of the temple – What a Guy!

a) 2 Chron 34:8-13

b) Faithful work

c) An unexpected surprise

2 Chron. 34:14-15 While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD that had been given through Moses. 15Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan.

(1) The Law of Moses

(1) Was kept in Ark

(1) When the Ark was removed from the temple the Law was lost

(1) Now it is found!

2) Josiah responds to the Law of Moses

2 Chron. 34:19 When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes.

a) By tearing his clothes

b) By making a covenant

2 Chron. 34:31 The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD--to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.

c) By setting the example

2 Chron. 34:33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers.