Year 2, Week 10, Day 2 Bible Reading Observations

Year 2, Week 10, Day 2

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of 2 Kings 23.

Today’s reading stays in 2 Kings as we are provided still more information concerning the good rule of Josiah, king of Judah. 2 Kings 22-23, which orients us to Josiah, corresponds with 2 Chronicles 34-35. 2 Kings 23 records a vitally important renewal that unfolded under Josiah’s reign: “And the king stood by the pillar 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 all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant” (2 Kings 23:3). But in spite of Josiah leading Judah to renew their covenant with the LORD, 2 Kings 23 also notes that the LORD’s pronounced judgment upon Judah was not scraped: “Still the LORD did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. And the LORD said, “I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there” (2 Kings 23:26-27). This devastating announcement is followed by the death of Josiah and a brief report on the evil reigns of his sons: Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim.

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading was the thoroughness of Josiah’s reforms: “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” (2 Kings 23:25). Josiah is genuinely committed to being the king that the LORD requires as well as the king that the people of Judah truly need. The covenant that Josiah renews between himself, the people, and the LORD necessitated true reform. Josiah’s pappy and grandpappy—Manasseh and Amon—“have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger” (2 Kings 21:15). Josiah embarked on a massive “de-Manassehfication” project. And the LORD gave Josiah much favor to undo the dishonor that was done.

Josiah’s reforms consisted of a systematic dismantling of all vestiges of false worship. Josiah started with the removal of all pagan vessels of worship that had been placed in the Temple: “And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven” (2 Kings 23:4a). These were all properly disposed of: “He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel” (2 Kings 23:4b). Next, Josiah removed the pagan priests: “And he deposed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and the moon and the constellations and all the host of the heavens” (2 Kings 23:5). Then Josiah removed the Asherah: “And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people” (2 Kings 23:6). This was followed by the destruction of the structures that housed the male prostitutes: “And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah” (2 Kings 23:7). Afterwards, Josiah tackled the high places of false worship and removed their priests: “And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one’s left at the gate of the city” (2 Kings 23:8).

As Josiah continued his reforms, he destroyed the place were children where sacrificed: “And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech” (2 Kings 23:10). Next, Josiah removed the places associated with sun worship: “And he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the precincts. And he burned the chariots of the sun with fire” (2 Kings 23:11). Josiah removed additional places of false worship that were put in place as near as Manasseh and as distant as Solomon: “And the altars on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made…he pulled down…And the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem…which Solomon the king of Israel had built” (2 Kings 23:12-13).

We could go on, but this point is made: Josiah’s reforms were thorough. There was one monument that Josiah let stand in Bethel: “What is that monument that I see?” And the men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted these things that you have done against the altar at Bethel” (2 Kings 23:17). 1 Kings 13, which was a 300 years earlier, describes a prophet who declared that Josiah would come and do what he was doing: “And the man 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 he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you” (1 Kings 13:2). The monument remained, for a testimony of the truthfulness of God is not a place of false worship.

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe