34 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
8 years old. Josiah was 39 years when he died.
“At last, after more than three hundred years, the prophecy of ‘the man of God out of Judah’ is fulfilled (1 Kings 13:2).”
2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
King David lived like a king with high standards. His standards made a mark on the earth. Josiah did not have the Word of God to look at for the dos and don'ts of kings. When we live transparently, others can see a portrait of what is right, wrong, good, or bad.
3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
16 years old 20 years old Josiah asked questions of people who knew he was interested in the things of God. He did not have a scrip, so he asked questions and listened to those who had the Word of God in their hearts. During this time Jerimiah and Zephaniah were alive. The prophetess Hulda was also a woman alive at this time, who Josiah knew and he called upon her when he needed clarity from God's Word through her.
4 And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
Judah suffered tremendously because of disobedience. When they saw what was wrong they began removing everything they thought was offensive to God.
5 And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
The priest who died but lived ungodly lives, bodies were removed from the grave and burned on their altars so that not even their bones were remembered in the land of Judah and Jerusalem. When we are wrong God wants us to eradicate any and all things that have the scent or space of sin.
6 And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.
Josiah removed the memory or current activities of sin from the main part of Judah and Jerusalem and the surrounding areas.
7 And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
God hates sin so much that he does not want any form of sin connected to our lives. He wants us to know that we must get rid of the smallest sin and grind it to nonexistence. He does not want the path of sin recognizable in our lives so that we won't be tempted to go down that dead-end road again. He wants any paths of wrongdoing in our lives destroyed.
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 the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.
26 years old
Josiah did everything he knew to do as the king to get Judah back on track. The next thing he did was to prepare to repair the Judah.
9 And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.
They BROUGHT the money to the high priest. This money was kept in a place/ perhaps similar to a bank account that was secured by those who worked for the king managing what was collected.
10 And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the Lord, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the Lord, to repair and amend the house:
11 Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
12 And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.
13 Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.
14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses.
Careful consideration was given concerning the money being brought to pay the men who were preparing to repair the temple of God. With that being done correctly, God made sure the high priest found HIM who was lost. When our finances are in order, God wants to take us to the next level in life by his Word. It is important that we manage what we have promised. After we complete that, God said here is your next step in life.
15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
The High priest said I have found the Word of God. The high priest was responsible for making sure the Word of God was being taught. When the high priest found the Word, he delivered it to the people who handled the money right.
16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.
17 And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen.
18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
19 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.
After the finances were carefully appropriated, the person in charge of giving the king the report, told the king what they had completed concerning dropping off the money. He then read to the king the book that was given to him. The king heard the Word of God and became upset. The king heard the sound of God's Word for himself.
20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying,
21 Go, enquire of the Lord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this book.
We can do all we know to do that is right, however, until we check God's Word, we are still lacking in areas that will shock us at times.
22 And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect.
Josiah sent the book to Huldah to make sure this was the Word of God. Josiah knew of this woman and it seems she had the reputation that she could recognize God's Word when she heard it. God appointed this woman to the king to confirm that he had heard from God.
23 And she answered them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me,
24 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:
25 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.
26 And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard;
27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord.
28 Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.
Huldah answered the king. Yes, this is the Word of God. The kingdom you are the king of is in trouble. God will destroy these people, but he will allow this to be done when you have died. The people under you refuse to take heed to my word. I have sent them prophets, but they refused to hearken to what I said. Now that you have a copy of what I will do, I am going to carry out my wrath. My word will accomplish what I said. I asked you over and over to review what I said but the people continued as if I am not God. It will be a time I will carry out exactly what I have written in this book. Because you, JOSIAH, responded as you did, you will escape the wrath I will pour out.
29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30 And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord.
1. The king
2. The Men
3. The people who lived in Jerusalem
4. priest
5. Levites
6. all the people small and great
And he read the book of God in their ears.
31 And 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 which are written in this book.
The king made a promise in front of all the people.
32 And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
The people agreed to follow the king's promise to God's Covenant.
33 And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.
As long as Josiah was king, the people followed God. When the leader follows God, the people will have an example of how they should follow God also.
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