I. INTRODUCTION

A. In 1Kings 13:1-2, a prophecy was given about a man who would counteract the sinful works of King Jeroboam and the other kings that followed. Consider this passage:

Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense. He cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'”

B. Let us consider the man who fulfilled this prophecy about three-hundred years later.

II. THE REIGN OF JOSIAH

A. Josiah was a good king who reigned over a wicked and idolatrous nation in Judah.

1. In 2Chronicles 34:1, we learn that "Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.” He reigned from approximately 640 to 609 B.C.

2. This was a time when the Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been carried into captivity because of their wickedness and idolatry, and Judah was quickly following.

a. Josiah's grandfather was Manasseh, who "misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel” (2Chron. 33:9). His fifty-five year reign was a disaster for Judah.

b. Although Manasseh had repented late in his reign, his abominations (including child sacrifice – 2Ki. 21:6) had already sealed the fate of Judah (2Ki. 21:10-15).

c. Josiah's father, Amon, also did the evil deeds Manasseh had done, and he was assassinated after only two years as king (2Chron. 33:21-25).

3. Despite his own youth and the wickedness of his fathers, Josiah was an exceptionally good king.

a. Notice 2Chronicles 34:2-3:

He did right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images.

b. The early reforms of Josiah reached even into the ruined cities of the Northern Kingdom as he sought to rid the inheritance of Israel of idolatry (2Chron. 34:4-7).

B. When Josiah ordered the repair of the temple, he uncovered the Law of Moses.

1. 2Chronicles 34:8 – "Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah an official of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.”

2. While carrying out Josiah's orders through Shaphan the scribe, "Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the LORD given by Moses” (2Chron. 34:14). The fact that the Law had been utterly lost is evidence to how far God's people had fallen away from Him.

3. Shaphan read the Law to Josiah, and "when the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes” (2Chron. 34:19). Josiah understood that the wrath of God was poured out on Judah because they had failed to follow the Law, so he sought to inquire of the Lord (2Chron. 24:20-21).

4. When Hilkiah and the others inquired of the Lord through Huldah the prophetess, they were told that the wrath of God against Judah would not be quenched but that Josiah would be spared from seeing the coming destruction because of his tender heart and humility (2Chron. 34:22-28).

5. Josiah responded by rededicating all of Judah to God through the keeping of His commandments.

a. At the temple, Josiah gathered all the elders, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the men of Judah, and he read the Law to them (2Chron. 34:29-30)

b. Notice 2Chronicles 34:31-32

Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book. Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

6. Following this, Josiah continued his purging of idolatry from God's people.

a. 2Chronicles 34:33 – "Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve the LORD their God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn from following the LORD God of their fathers.”

b. This process is given in great detail in 2Kings 23:4-20 and 24. Notice a few points.

i. Josiah destroyed the idols, the places, the vessels and instruments, and the priesthood of the false gods. It was a complete purging.

ii. He defiled the idolatrous places and burned the bones of the idolatrous priests on their altars in fulfillment of 1Kings 13:2.

iii. The high places and altars had been built long before by Solomon, Jeroboam, and other kings of Israel, but Josiah defiled and destroyed them (vv. 13-15).

C. Josiah also restored the Passover.

1. In accord with the other restorations of Judah, it was also necessary and appropriate to bring back the Passover according to the Law. Notice 2Chronicles 35:18-19:

There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of the kings of Israel celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign this Passover was celebrated.

2. Well over four-hundred years had passed since Samuel's time, so this is further evidence of how far God's people had fallen. Not even David had celebrated the Passover in full conformity with the Law, but Josiah gave the Passover its full and proper observance.

D. Josiah is remembered as the most outstanding king of Judah.

1. Josiah died in battle against King Neco of Egypt, who was sent by God to conquer Assyria. Led by the prophet Jeremiah, Judah mourned for Josiah even years after his death.

2. It seems that Josiah's death in battle was God's providential way of sparing Josiah from the coming destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, which followed shortly after his death.

3. Perhaps the best memorial to Josiah is found in the words of 2Kings 23:25 – "Before him there was no king like him who 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; nor did any like him arise after him.”

III. LESSONS FROM JOSIAH

A. God's people need to turn back to God and the Bible.

1. The reforms of Josiah started when he "began to seek the God of his father David” (2Chron. 34:3). They were completed when he returned Judah back to serving God according to the Law.

2. The work of Josiah was also the plea of Jeremiah. Notice Jeremiah 6:16 – "Thus says the LORD, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls.' But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.'”

3. In our time, all men need to turn back to God and hearken back to the Bible for all things.

B. God's people need leaders who will not compromise.

1. Josiah was appalled when he discovered that Israel had violated God's Law for many years. He acted quickly and decisively to fully restore the people to God's service.

2. Notice that Josiah "made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him” and "made all who were present in Israel to serve the LORD their God” (2Chron. 34:32-33).

3. Today, we need leaders in our families and in the church who will act decisively on the word of God without compromise.

C. God's people can overcome great difficulties to serve God.

1. Josiah was just a boy when he became king after the assassination of his father. He was only sixteen years old when he began to restore Judah from the abominations for which is fathers were responsible. Despite his youth, his heritage, and the deplorable spiritual condition of the people, he succeeded in becoming the best king Judah ever had.

2. Josiah also overcame the hopelessness of Judah, for he was told by God that his reforms would not save the nation (2Ki. 23:26-27; 2Chron. 34:23-25). Nevertheless, he was not deterred in doing what was right.

3. Regardless of any obstacles, God makes it possible for us to serve Him successfully today through Jesus Christ. May each of us confidently say, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).