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Josiah: The Boy King Who Rediscovered God's Law
Josiah: The Boy King Who Rediscovered God's Law
Amidst the spiritual decline that plagued the kingdom of Judah for generations, a flicker of hope emerged with the ascension of a remarkable young king named Josiah. Born into a lineage tainted by idolatry and ungodliness, Josiah stepped onto the throne at the tender age of eight years old. His grandfather, Manasseh, had led Judah into abominable practices, even setting up altars to Baal and Asherah poles within the very temple of the Lord. His father, Amon, continued in this wicked path. Yet, against this dark backdrop, Josiah shone as a beacon of righteousness, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the Lord that set him apart as one of Judah's most extraordinary monarchs. His story, primarily chronicled in 2 Kings 22, 2 Kings 23, and 2 Chronicles 34, is a powerful testament to the transformative power of God's Word and the profound impact of a heart fully devoted to Him.
A Heart Turned to God from Youth
Unlike many of his predecessors, Josiah did not wait for maturity or a crisis to seek the Lord. The Scriptures declare his early devotion unequivocally: "And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left." (2 Kings 22:2). This commendation places him in the esteemed company of King David, a rare honour for any king of Judah. Even more remarkable is the statement in 2 Chronicles 34:3, which states that "in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father." This means that by the age of sixteen, Josiah was already actively pursuing God, not merely avoiding evil, but proactively engaging in spiritual seeking. This early commitment laid the foundation for the radical reforms that would define his reign.
As Josiah matured, his pursuit of God led him to action. In the twelfth year of his reign (age twenty), he began a systematic cleansing of Judah and Jerusalem from idolatry. This was no superficial effort. He meticulously destroyed altars to Baal, cut down Asherah poles, and broke in pieces the carved images and molten images, grinding them to powder and scattering them upon the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. He even defiled the high places where priests had offered incense, fulfilling a prophecy spoken centuries earlier by an unnamed man of God concerning the altar at Bethel (1 Kings 13:1-2). This widespread eradication of idolatry was a bold and necessary step, demonstrating Josiah's unwavering zeal for the honour of the one true God.
The Discovery of the Law and Josiah's Humility
The pivotal moment in Josiah's reign, and indeed for the spiritual history of Judah, occurred in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he was twenty-six years old. Having embarked on a project to repair and restore the house of the Lord, he sent Shaphan the scribe to Hilkiah the high priest with instructions concerning the temple treasury. It was during this restoration work that Hilkiah made an astonishing discovery: "I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD." (2 Kings 22:8). This "book of the law" is widely believed to be the book of Deuteronomy, or at least a significant portion of the Pentateuch, which had been lost or hidden during the long years of idolatry and neglect. The very existence of God's written Word had faded from public consciousness, a tragic reflection of Judah's spiritual blindness.
When Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, the scribe read it before the king. The effect on Josiah was immediate and profound. Instead of dismissing it or intellectualizing its contents, Josiah’s heart was rent with conviction.
This act of tearing his clothes was a powerful display of deep repentance and sorrow. Josiah recognized the immense chasm between the divine standard revealed in the Law and the reality of Judah's unfaithfulness. He understood the grave implications of their disobedience, declaring, "Great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according to all that which is written concerning us." (2 Kings 22:13). His immediate response was to seek counsel from the prophetess Huldah, acknowledging the severity of God's judgment but also seeking any glimmer of hope or instruction from the Lord.And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.
The Prophecy of Huldah and National Repentance
Huldah confirmed the impending judgment upon Jerusalem and its inhabitants due to their persistent idolatry and rejection of God's covenant. However, because of Josiah's humble and repentant heart, God promised a reprieve for him:
God assured Josiah that he would be gathered to his fathers in peace and would not witness the calamity that would befall Judah. This divine promise of grace for Josiah personally spurred him to even greater action for his people.Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.
Josiah did not merely mourn privately; he immediately initiated a national revival. He gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, and went up to the house of the Lord. There, in a public assembly, he read aloud "all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD." (2 Kings 23:2). Following this powerful reading, Josiah stood by a pillar and made a solemn covenant before the Lord: "to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book." (2 Kings 23:3). And remarkably, "all the people stood to the covenant," indicating their agreement and commitment to follow the king's lead.
Further Reforms and an Unparalleled Passover
With the rediscovered Law as his guide and the people's renewed commitment, Josiah embarked on an even more extensive and thorough cleansing of the land. His reforms were not based on personal preference but on the explicit commands of the Law. He removed all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven from the temple and burned them outside Jerusalem. He put down the idolatrous priests, defiled the high places, and broke down the houses of the sodomites. He even went to Bethel, where Jeroboam I had set up the golden calf, and destroyed its altar and high place, burning bones upon it as prophesied. His zeal extended throughout all the cities of Samaria, utterly destroying all forms of idolatry. This comprehensive purging demonstrated the transformative power of God's Word when it is heard, believed, and obeyed.
The pinnacle of Josiah's revival was the celebration of the Passover. With the Law now illuminating their path, Josiah commanded the people to keep the Passover unto the Lord their God as it was written in the book of the covenant. The account in 2 Kings 23:22-23 highlights the significance of this event:
This was not merely a ritualistic observance; it was a profound act of national repentance and renewed devotion to God, made possible by the rediscovery and application of His Word. It was a Passover celebrated with an understanding and fervor perhaps not seen since the days of Joshua, marking a true spiritual high point for Judah.Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;
But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem.
Josiah's Legacy and Lessons for Today
Josiah's reign stands as a powerful testimony to the impact of one person's obedience and the transformative power of God's Word. The KJV states of him:
This is an extraordinary commendation, placing Josiah in a unique category of devotion. While his reforms brought about a temporary spiritual awakening, the deep-seated idolatry and rebellion of the people, accumulated over generations, could not be fully undone. After Josiah's death in battle, Judah quickly reverted to its former wickedness, ultimately leading to the Babylonian captivity as Huldah had prophesied. Yet, Josiah's personal integrity and the extent of his reforms remain a shining example.And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
The story of Josiah offers timeless lessons for believers today:
Josiah, the boy king, stands as a monumental figure in Biblical history, a testament to what God can accomplish through a single individual who wholeheartedly pursues Him and His revealed Word. His reign serves as an enduring call for every generation to rediscover, reverence, and rigorously apply the timeless truths of God's Holy Law.
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