JOSIAH BECOMES KING

If you know an 8-year-old boy, imagine him suddenly becoming king.

Scary isn’t it?

I think most 8-year-old boys today would make it their first official duty to decree…

• No school 🏫
• No baths 🛁
• Vegetables 🥦 shall be replaced with candy 🍭
• All sticks that look like guns shall be kept and used as weapons (pew pew)

I would imagine that there were officials and advisors to assist leading the government because the king probably couldn’t even read yet. But Josiah must’ve had some godly influences in his life and he must’ve been intelligent, sensible, and courageous.

Something happened by the time he was 16.

“During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. Then in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, destroying all the pagan shrines, the Asherah poles, and the carved idols and cast images.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭34‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Jewish historian Josephus records:

“He was of a most excellent disposition, and naturally virtuous, and followed the actions of king David, as a pattern and a rule to him in the whole conduct of his life…”

By the time he was 20, he began a nationwide project to reform the culture. He was kind of like an ancient Charlie Kirk.

God didn’t wait until he was a middle-aged or older man to use him. But notice the order. Josiah spent 4 years seeking Yahweh, the God of his ancestor David. THEN he launched his mission to change the world.

Josiah didn’t just limit this Reformation to Judah. He went all the way through the ghost towns of the collapsed northern kingdom of Israel and tore down every pagan shrine and idol he could find.

He started in the 12th year of his reign and seems to have finished in the 18th year of his reign before he began the Temple Repair Project. That’s a young man with vision and determination. He spent possibly 7 years tearing down idols. Think of it!

We don’t have specifics on the condition of the Temple, but it is now roughly 250 years old. This year the United States is celebrating its 250th birthday. There are precious few buildings still standing that were here when the Declaration was signed.

We get clues as to what was broken down by what was used to repair the temple:

“They hired carpenters and builders, who purchased finished stone for the walls and timber for the rafters and beams. They restored what earlier kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭34‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

During the restoration work, this happens:

“While they were bringing out the money collected at the Lord’s Temple, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that was written by Moses.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭34‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let that sink in.

The PRIEST hadn’t known where the original Bible was. Y’all. We almost didn’t have the scripture. This was the original one. If it was lost, there was no replacing it.

How long had it been missing? Did they know it was missing? Why wasn’t the priest looking for it? Did the priest even know it existed? So many questions!

It must’ve been locked away in the temple treasury – perhaps in a chest? – because they found it when they went in the treasury to get the gold.

So they take the scroll to King Josiah and read it to him.

😯 Wait.. All of it? Like Genesis through Deuteronomy?

I don’t know. Maybe. Certainly enough for Josiah to know what God’s Laws were and to realize the nation had a long history of breaking them.

😧 That was a long reading session.

Yeah. And Josiah immediately tore his robes in repentance and began to weep. He realized they were doomed.

Then Josiah asks the leadership team (which included the priest Hilkiah) to go to the Temple and talk to God about what they’re supposed to do in response to what they’ve just learned.

But apparently none of them – including the priest – know how one actually talks to God. So instead of going to the temple, they go visit someone who they know can give them the word of the LORD – the prophetess, Huldah.

Josephus has it that Josiah sent them directly to Huldah and ask her to intercede for them.

We know almost nothing about Huldah except that her husband Shallum was probably a Levite or perhaps even a member of the priesthood (since he was taking care of the holy garments). Josephus records that he was “a man of dignity, and of an eminent family.” We also know that she was known to be a prophetess because the king’s officials knew to go speak with her. Huldah delivered God’s message to the king’s officials. There was good news & bad news.

• The Bad News – God is still going to completely destroy Judah and Jerusalem for their sins and no amount of praying was going to change it.
• The Good News – He will not do it in Josiah’s lifetime because he humbled himself and repented.

So Josiah gathers everyone at the Temple- elders, priests, Levites, ALL the people… And he read the entire book of the Law to them.

😲 Wait! They read the WHOLE thing?! AGAIN?!

Yup.

😲 That’s amazing! They must’ve camped out for days! 🤔 Do you suppose they had snacks?

I don’t know, but I suspect they were all eager to hear it and know what God’s book said. It was probably like the ancient equivalent of binge-watching a really good show.

After reading the whole Law, Josiah and the people together renewed the Covenant with Yahweh.

In case you didn’t know, the United States of America is doing something very similar in just a couple months. On Sunday, May 17, there will be a National Assembly in the capital called “Rededicate 250.” 🇺🇸 I would encourage all American saints to find a way to participate.

😏 And even believers who aren’t particularly saintly.

Interesting that Josiah’s dedication was also right about 250 years after the southern kingdom was established after dividing from the northern tribes.

Hopefully America’s rededication will not be a portent of only about 50 more years of existence as was the case with Judah.

Since “the internet is forever” – if anyone is reading this in 2076 and the United States of America is fallen, or whatever is happening, remember that the God of David is eternal. Nations rise and fall but He remains faithful. Blessings from 2026.