Josiah, The Youngest King

 

 

Central Thought: God upholds those who covenant to walk with Him.

 

Hymn: “I am Thin O Lord, I Have Heard Thy Voice.”

Text: 2 Chronicles 34:1-33; 2 Kings 23:1-29

 

 

The name one bears is very significant, mostly as it relates to the things of God. Josiah means, “Jehovah heals”.  Josiah was the youngest to start reigning amongst the forty-two kings of Israel.  He was the 16^th of the kings of Judah since the splitting of the kingdom of Israel.  He also was the 8^th and last good king of Judah besides David, and became king at the age of eight due to the wishes of the people of the land.  Early in his youth he sought God and walked in the ways of the his Father David; resolving to follow the footsteps of David makes one to say that he was a reformer and his period can be referred to as renaissance of Judah because before he came to the thrown true worship of God had collapsed completely during the reign of his Father Ammon.

This study shall consider the reforms, undertaken by Josiah after he found the book of the law in the temple, and how this should impress and spur us up as Christians.

 

 

Lesson Objectives:

1. Understand who Josiah was.
2. Enumerate and highlight the reforms he made.
3. Discuss what he did when God’s word found in the temple was read to him.

 

1. Who was Josiah? 2 Chronicles 33:21-25

Josiah was the Son of Amon and Amon was also the Son of Manasseh. Prevailing circumstance in the kingdom of Judah brought him to the throne early, 2 Kings 21:23-24.  Dake’s Commentary has this to say, “Josiah was the youngest to start reigning, of Israel’s forty-two Kings.  His reign was the 16^th of the kings of Judah since the division of the kingdom and lasted longer than that of any of the rulers of the ten tribes except one, Jeroboam II.”  To buttress this Josiah started to reign at a very tender age of 8 years and reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years, 2 Chronicles 34:1.

 

2. Highlight Josiah’s testimony as a godly king. 2 Chronicles 34:2-3

The Bible says he did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his Father David. He showed much interest in the things of God.  Sought God in his youth and began as a youth to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and grooves, the carved images, etc.  One of his first assignments was the repair and renovation of the temple.  When the book of the Law was fond in the temple by Hilkiah (the high priest) and read, he rent his clothes in repentance because he realized that they had transgressed.

 

3. What were those religious reforms of King Josiah?

Josiah’s reforms could be enumerated thus:

-He ordered the priest to bring out all the vessels made for Baal and Asherah and burnt them.

-He deposed the idolatrous priests whom the Kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places of the cities of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 Kings 27:5.

-He broke down the houses of male cult prostitutes (cult prostitution). This was a situation where idol priests made love with some women with the deceitful belief that sexual acts would cause the god of fertility to make the land fertile, 2 Kings 23:7

-Josiah carried out his reforms up to the northern Kingdom; he removed the shrines of the high places that were in the city of Samaria which the Kings of Israel had made, 2 Chronicles 34:6-7; 2 Kings 23:19-20.

-He restored the feast of Passover and commanded the people to keep it as it is written in the book of the law; thus marking the feast of Passover, which had been neglected in Israel even from the time of the Judges, 2 Chronicles 35:1-3; 2 Kings 23:21-27.

-He put an end to the activities of witch craft, sorcery, sooth saying, divination and their idols.

Thus King Josiah’s reforms were so great that the Bible records, “And like unto him was there no King before him who turned to the Lord”, 2 Kings 23:25.

 

4. Highlights some important events upon the discovery of the book of the law. 2 Chronicles 34:14-32

-The good examples found in Hilkiah and Shapan, vs. 14-17.

They found the Book of the law and did not hold it back. There was an excellent Spirit found in them.  Dake’s comment this way:  “what a find!  This was no doubt the original copy of the Pentateuch – the one actually written by Moses”.  It is an indication of the significance of the Book of the law, because it’s like a compass to the Nation Israel.  So also is the Bible to mankind today.

-Effect of the Word of God, when it was read to the King by Shaphan, vs 18-21.

The reaction was like that of prophet Isaiah, he saw the short comings of the people, rent his clothes depicting godly sorrow; he knew the gravity of moving away from God and therefore sent people to go and inquire of the Lord. This again proved that the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, therefore any man that sincerely comes in contact with God’s Word can never remain the same, if he believes it.  Christian leaders must respond positively to the word of God.

-The King’s further response to God’s message, vs. 29-33.

He carried out reforms, got the people to make a pledge to serve the Lord and keep His commandments, regulations and decrees with all their heart and all their soul. The Salvation message should not be kept to ourselves only.

-Other Lessons:

As a young leader Josiah adhered to all the Godly counsel he received from the high priest Hilkiah, and perhaps Prophets Zephaniah and Jeremiah, Zephaniah 1:1; Jeremiah 1:2.

The word of God is a source of renewal. Josiah found the word, read it and the people were changed for the better.  Today it is important that we return to the study and practice of the word, so we can be drawn nearer to God.

 

 

Daily Living Application:

Josiah showed typical example of a good leader despite the fact that he was very young when he started ruling coupled with the fact that his Fathers did what was evil in the sight of God, he did not follow their steps. Similarly, it is good to emulate good things and abhor evil at all times.  So like young King Josiah, we should seek the Lord irrespective of our age, walk consistently with God, read His word regularly, tremble at it and act accordingly.

 

Memory Verse:

Joshua 1:8 – “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night that you observe to do according to all that is written therein: for there you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.”