2 Kings 22-23a

King Josiah of Judah reigned from 641 to 609 BC. Before him, there were kings who did good and evil in the eyes of the Lord. When Josiah was 26, he repaired the temple and found the book of the law. He tore his robes when he heard it and sought guidance from the prophetess Huldah. The Lord was angry because the people had not obeyed the words of the book. Josiah gathered the elders and made a covenant to follow the Lord. He removed idols, pagan priests, and high places. He celebrated the Passover and got rid of all detestable things. Josiah was praised for turning to the Lord with all his heart, soul, and strength. The story shows that the word of God transforms our behavior. It is important to read the Bible and pray to have a relationship with God. I'm Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at cab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are covering the reign of King Josiah of Judah, found in 2 Kings chapter 22 through chapter 23 verse 25. He reigned around 641 to 609 BC. The kings leading up to Josiah were Hezekiah chapters 18 through 20 who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and it was during his reign that Assyria, after wiping out the northern kingdom of Israel, tried to take Jerusalem. But because they blasphemed the name of the Lord, and because King Hezekiah humbled himself before the Lord, and because he sought the Lord's direction by seeking guidance from Isaiah the prophet, the Lord spared Jerusalem and the king. It was at the end of his reign when Isaiah told him that since he showed the Babylonians everything in his kingdom, that one day it would be the Babylonians that would take everything from Jerusalem and place the king's descendants into exile. The king was okay with that because it was not during his lifetime. After Hezekiah, who was described in chapter 18 verse 3 of 2 Kings, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord just as his father David had done. Then came Manasseh who was described in chapter 21 verse 6. He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger. The son after him, Ammon, also did evil in the eyes of the Lord like his father had done. So his officials killed him, and then the people killed the officials, and they placed Josiah, his son, king in his palace. Verses 23 and 24. Chapter 22 begins by telling us that Josiah was 8 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 31 years. Verse 2 says he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. When Josiah was 26 years old, he instigated repairing the temple of the Lord. At that time Hilkiah was the high priest, and Shaphan was the secretary, and Hilkiah found the book of the law in the temple, so he gave it to Shaphan who read it. Shaphan then reported to the king the progress of the restoration of the temple, and then he told the king about a book. Shaphan read it to the king. Verses 11 through 13 say, When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahiakim son of Shaphan, Akbar son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary, and Ussiah the king's attendant, Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord's anger that burns against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book. They have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us. The men left and went to the prophetess Huldah. She was the wife of Shalom son of Tikva, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the second district. Verse 14, verses 15 through 17, She said to them, This is what the Lord the God of Israel says, Tell the man who sent you to me, This is what the Lord says, I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read, because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made. My anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched. The Lord then added a note for the king himself, verses 19 and 20, Because your heart was responsive, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord, therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place. The men returned to the king with the news. King Josiah did not stop there, it was not good enough to know that he was okay, instead he called all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, he gathered the men of Judah, the priests, the prophets, and all the people from least to the greatest, and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which had been found in the temple of the Lord, chapter 23 verse 2. Verse 3 The king stood by the 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, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant. After that the king made sure that all the idols in the temple were removed, and they were burned in the Kidron valley, and the ashes were brought to Bethel. He removed the pagan priests, and the male shrine prostitutes, and the women who did weaving for Asherah the pagan goddess. He tore down the high places from Geba to Beersheba, in other words all the land of Judah. He tore down the place where child sacrifice was made to Molech, a pagan god. Verse 13b The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem, on the south of the hill of corruption, the ones King Solomon of Israel had built for Astereth, the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh, the vile god of Moab, and for Molech, the detestable god of the people of Ammon. In verses 15-18 the king even went to the altar at Bethel and tore down the high places that the king of Israel, Jeroboam, had made to keep the people from going to Jerusalem to worship, which led them to sin. While there the king saw the tomb of the prophet who came from Judah, who declared to King Jeroboam, 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. First Kings chapter 13 verse 2 When King Jeroboam heard the prophecy, he stretched out his hand against the prophet of Judah, and said, Seize him! Yet the king's hand shriveled up. He begged for healing. The prophet interceded for him, and the Lord healed the king. Now keep in mind that King Jeroboam's reign was from around 931 to 910 BC, and about 300 years later it is fulfilled with the name of King Josiah. It confirms to us that the Lord knows the future. King Josiah spared the tomb of the prophet, and the prophet of Samaria, who was buried with him. King Josiah also went up to the old capital of Israel, Samaria, and tore down the high places and the places of idolatry in that area as well. He even killed all the priests who led the people astray. When he got back home from cleansing out the land of idolatry, he then ordered the people to celebrate the Passover as it was written in the book of the covenant, and he tried to do it exactly like the word said. Josiah also got rid of all the mediums and spiritists, household gods, idols, and any other detestable thing in Judah and Jerusalem. Verse 24b says, This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the Lord. Verse 25 says, Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did, with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his strength, in accordance with all the law of Moses. If you remember, Deuteronomy chapter 6 verses 4 and 5 says, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. So many scholars believe that the book of the law they found in the temple was probably all or part of the book of Deuteronomy. Also if you remember from the New Testament book of Matthew chapter 22 verses 35-40, Jesus quoted the Shema which is Hebrew for the word hear, which in the Hebrew concept is not just to hear with my ears but to act upon it. These verses in Deuteronomy are called the Shema and Jews recite them during their morning and evening prayers. Jesus said, The Shema is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself, Leviticus chapter 19 verses 17 and 18. Then Jesus said that all the law and all the prophets hang on these two commandments, Matthew chapter 22 verse 40. So let me ask you, do you acknowledge that the Lord the God of Israel is one God? Do you humble yourself before him like King Joash did? Do you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength? What would you say the biggest takeaway is from this story in the Bible? For me it is that the word of God, the Bible, messes with you. Hearing from the Lord through his word changes our behavior like King Josiah. I heard a statistic from Sandy Wisdom Martin who heard it from Brother John that if someone claims to be a Christian but they only read the Bible one time a week, there is not a difference between their actions of a Christian and a non-Christian. But if a Christian reads the Bible at least four times a week, they are 227% more likely to share their faith. The word of the Lord transforms our lives. Ladies, do you need a bit of transformation in your life? I also want to remind you that listening to podcasts is not a substitute for reading your own Bible alone with the Lord. With the Bible and with prayer, we have direct access to the God of the universe who has the whole world in his hands. He is the one to go to for the cares of this world. Plus, ladies, he loves you more than anyone else does. Dr. Betts, my Old Testament professor said, there is nothing we can do to have him love us more and there is nothing we can do to have him love us less. Ladies, he loves you, period. If you have heard his voice today, please don't harden your heart. Instead, let's be like King Josiah and love the Lord back with all our heart and soul and strength. Thanks for listening and may the Lord bless you. Until next time.