Read the Passage: 2 Kings 22-23

Hilkiah’s Discovery (22:3–20)

2 Kings 22:1–2 narrates the ascension of Josiah as king of Judah when he was only eight years old. Surprisingly, Josiah would become one of the most godly kings of Judah and he would reign for 31 years (2 Kings 23:25). Josiah’s reign was unexpected, for God’s judgment had already begun fall upon Judah. 2 Kings 22:3–20 reveals the rationale for Josiah’s righteous acts—that is, the recovery of the Word of God. This passage records that as his forebear Joash had done 200 years earlier, so Josiah purposed to restore the temple using donations. During the renovation process, the High-Priest Hilkiah found the Word of God. Apparently, under the reigns Manasseh and Amon, Scripture had been lost, destroyed, or ignored. The scribe Shaphan then read portions of the Word of God to king Josiah—likely Deut. 28–30—which moved Josiah to inquire how best to serve God.

In one sense, it is hard to believe that the Scriptures could have been lost; yet in another sense, this is a great warning about the effect of false teaching. As was noted above, when the Word of God was found and read to the king, he sought a word from God to know what to do. Perhaps because she was in proximity to Josiah, the king’s men asked the prophet Huldah for spiritual guidance. Her message from God was two-fold: first, she confirmed that God’s judgment would soon fall upon Judah because of their apostasy (cf. 2 Kings 22:15–17); second, God told Josiah that since his heart was tender towards God, he would not witness God’s judgment upon Judah, but “would be gathered to your grave in peace” (2 Kings 22:20). The text doesn’t report Josiah’s immediate response to this news, but 2 Kings 23 records that the king began a national effort to being glory to God.

Josiah’s Worship (23:1–25)

Despite the fact that Josiah had been assured that God’s judgment was coming, he spent the final thirteen years of his reign attempting to point the nation back towards God. 2 Kings 23:1–9 describes some of the general steps taken by Josiah. The king began by gathering all Judah, reading to them the recently discovered Word of God, and making a covenant with God (cf. 2 Kings 23:1–3). Following this, Josiah had the devices of Baal worship removed from the temple (cf. 2 Kings 23:4), he had the pagan priest removed from their offices (cf. 2 Kings 23:5), he destroyed the false idols in Judah (cf. 2 Kings 23:6), he cast out the sexually perverted people from the land (cf. 2 Kings 23:7), and he removed the high places from Judah. Next, 2 Kings 23:10–14 reports several of the specific things Josiah did to remove idolatry, such as defiling the places of false worship.

2 Kings 23:15–20 records the fulfillment of a prophecy that had been give 300 years earlier by an unnamed prophet (cf. 1 Kings 12:28–33). In this passage Josiah destroyed the pagan altar in Bethel that was built by Jeroboam. Josiah used the bones in the graves that surrounded the altar to defile it; yet, he did not exhume body of the man of God who had prophesied the altar’s destruction. Furthermore, Josiah removed all of the high places in Isreal and had the pagan priests executed. Note that since Israel was under Assyrian control at this time, Josiah’s activities in Israel highlight his influence as king of Judah. Next, 2 Kings 23:21–25 reports that Josiah held a great Passover celebration. Indeed, 2 Kings 23:22 specifies, “Such a Passover surely had never been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel & the kings of Judah.”

God’s Wrath (23:26–37)

Despite God’s blessing upon Josiah and his efforts at renewal, God was clear that His wrath had already been provoked (cf. 2 Kings 21:10–15; 22:16–17). This looming divine judgment is reiterated in 2 Kings 23:26–27. Next, 2 Kings 23:28–30 reports the untimely death of Josiah in a battle with the Egyptians (cf. 2 Chron. 35:20–27). This event, then, hastened the decline of Judah, as over the next 23 years four kings would reign in Judah, each of whom was evil. Upon his death, Josiah’s son Jehoahaz became king; however, he was captured by the Egyptians after only a three month reign. Jehoahaz was followed by Jehoiakim, who was merely a puppet king under the control of Egypt. Jehoiakim would reign for eleven years, and was the king on the throne when Babylon attacked Judah. In summary, then, Judah moved from being a vassal of Egypt, to being a vassal of Babylon.

Application Questions:

1. How important is Scripture for salvation and spiritual growth (cf. Deut. 8:3; Rom. 10:17; Jas. 1:18, 21; 1 Pet. 1:23)?
2. Why is Scripture received and embraced by some, while others reject and ignore the Word of God?
3. Does Josiah’s death in battle (cf. 2 Chron. 35:23) contradict God’s statement that he would die in peace?
4. Since Josiah knew that God’s judgment was certain, why did he spend time trying to cleanse the land of idolatry?
5. How can we explain the practical success that Josiah experienced (cf. Prov. 3:5–6; Ps. 37:4–5)?