P. Josiah chs. 34-35

Like Amon's death, Josiah's was unnecessarily premature. However unlike Amon Josiah was one of Judah's reformers.

"Josiah instituted the most thorough of all the OT reforms . . ."⁹¹

"Despite this, however, Josiah is not so significant a monarch overall for the Chronicler as he is for the earlier historian [i.e., the writer of Kings]. Much that he records is now to be understood as recapitulation of Hezekiah's work, who stands out as the real innovator in Chronicles."⁹²

 1. Josiah's reforms ch. 34

The godly in Judah may have regarded Josiah as the most likely candidate to fulfill the promises God had given to David. His early life and reign were spiritually exemplary (vv. 2-3). He sought to purge idolatry from the whole territory of Israel as well as Judah (vv. 4-7). Many of the Simeonites (v. 6) had allied themselves with Israel religiously (cf. 15:9).⁹³

In Jerusalem, Josiah embarked on a renovation of the temple because Manasseh and Amon had abused it (vv. 8-13). The "book of the law"that Hilkiah found (v. 14) may have been the Book of Deuteronomy,⁹⁴another portion of the Pentateuch, or the whole Pentateuch.

It may be hard for us to understand how the people could have lost the Law of Moses and how they could have forgotten it in just two generations. However written copies were scarce. Moreover parents and the Levites conducted most instruction orally (17:9). Only one generation separated the people from ignorance of God's will (cf. Deut. 6:6-7; 17:18). This has been true throughout history. Josiah's response to the reading of Torah (the Law) shows his heart to please God (vv. 19, 27).

Huldah announced that God had decreed captivity for Judah (v. 25). Nevertheless Josiah would experience mercy because of his tender heart and humility (v. 27). He would die before Judah went into captivity (v. 28).⁹⁵

The announcement of God's coming judgment led the king and the nation to commit themselves anew to follow God's Word (vv. 29-33). Perhaps He would postpone captivity.

Note that the temple had been the protector of the Law (v. 14) as it had earlier protected David's heir, Joash (22:10-12). It had preserved the two foundational elements in Israel's life: God's Word and God's vice-regent. As I mentioned before, the temple represented God. The preservation of these two essential elements was an act of Israel's faithful God. Concern for the things of God resulted in the discovery of God's will.

 2. Josiah's Passover 35:1-19

As Hezekiah had done, Josiah led his people in observing the Passover, that greatest feast of Israel that commemorated her redemption from Egyptian slavery. Josiah's Passover was even greater than Hezekiah's that Hezekiah had put together quickly (v. 18; cf. 29:36). Josiah offered almost twice as many sacrifices as Hezekiah had (30:24) but far fewer than Solomon had at the temple dedication (7:5). The writer's attention to detail reflects his intense interest in Josiah's concern that the people worship Yahweh properly.⁹⁶All that the writer recorded between 34:8 and 35:19 happened when Josiah was 26 years old.⁹⁷

 3. Josiah's death 35:20-27

Josiah died at Megiddo in 609 B.C. when he interrupted Pharaoh Neco's military advance against the Babylonians.

"Fearing the advance of the Babylonians, Pharaoh Neco and the Egyptian army were on their way to assist the Assyrians. Josiah, who apparently was an ally of the Babylonians (or at least an opponent of the Assyrians), attempted to impede the march of Neco."⁹⁸

Quite clearly Pharoah's word to him to turn back was from the Lord (v. 22). Probably the writer included this event in his narrative because Josiah came closer to the Davidic ideal than any other king since Solomon. Yet he too was disobedient to God. Thus David's greatest Son was yet to come. When He comes back to the earth He will win the battle that will be raging at the very place Josiah died, the Plain of Megiddo (i.e., Armageddon, lit. the mountain of Megiddo).⁹⁹

"He [Josiah] was a shepherd whose flock never really accepted or understood him, though his concern was for its own welfare . . ."¹⁰⁰

Josiah's death is another example of immediate retribution for sin, of which we have seen many in Chronicles. He is one more king who began well but ended up doing something wrong (cf. Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah). He was not the only king to hear a warning before his tragic military error (cf. 11:1-4; 18:16-22). Like the other reforming kings (Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah), he sensed a military threat by an external enemy following his religious reforms.¹⁰¹