Josiah Reigns in Judah
(2 Kings 22:1–2)
Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. Jer 1:2Zep 1:11Ch 3:14-151Ki 13:21Ki 3:7-91Sa 2:181Sa 2:262Ch 24:1 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 2Ch 29:2Jos 1:71Ki 14:81Ki 15:52Ch 14:22Ch 17:3Deu 28:14Deu 5:32
Josiah Destroys Idolatry
(1 Kings 13:1–10; 2 Kings 23:4–20)
In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his father David, and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images. 2Ch 33:222Ch 15:22Ch 33:17Pro 8:171Ch 22:51Ch 28:91Ch 29:11Ki 13:2 Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. Exo 32:202Ki 23:4-6Lev 26:302Ch 14:52Ch 33:32Ch 34:72Ki 10:26-272Ki 23:11-12 Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars. So he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 1Ki 13:22Ch 34:72Ki 23:162Ki 23:20Ezk 22:24Jer 3:10Jer 4:14Jer 8:1-2
Josiah did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins 1around them. 1Sa 13:20-212Ch 30:12Ch 30:10-112Ch 31:12Ki 23:15-20Isa 7:25Pro 25:18 He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. 2Ch 31:1Deu 9:212Ch 34:1
Josiah Repairs the Temple
(2 Kings 22:3–7)
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, in order to cleanse the land and the temple, Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. 2Sa 8:161Ch 18:152Ch 18:252Ki 22:3-202Sa 20:24Ezk 8:11Jer 1:2-3Jer 21:1
So they went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites at the doors had collected from the people of Manasseh and Ephraim, from all the remnant of Israel, Judah, and Benjamin, and from the people of Jerusalem. 2Ch 30:102Ch 30:182Ch 35:82Ch 24:11-142Ch 31:12Ch 34:14-152Ch 34:182Ch 34:20 They put it into the hands of the supervisors of those doing the work of the house of the LORD, who in turn gave it to the workmen restoring and repairing the house of the LORD. 2Ki 12:11-122Ki 12:142Ki 22:5-6Ezr 3:7 They also gave money to the carpenters and builders to buy dressed stone, as well as timbers for couplings and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to deteriorate. 2Ch 33:4-72Ch 33:22
And the men did the work faithfully. The Levites overseeing them were Jahath and Obadiah, descendants of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descendants of Kohath. Other Levites, all skilled with musical instruments, 2Ki 12:151Ch 23:51Ch 15:16-221Ch 16:4-51Ch 16:411Ch 25:1-311Ch 6:31-481Co 4:2 were over the laborers and supervised all who did the work, task by task. Some of the Levites were secretaries, officers, and gatekeepers. Neh 4:102Ch 2:181Ch 15:181Ch 16:381Ch 16:421Ch 23:4-51Ch 26:1-191Ch 26:29-30
Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law
(2 Kings 22:8–13)
While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD written by 2Moses. 2Ch 12:12Ch 31:42Ch 34:92Ch 35:262Ki 22:8-20Deu 17:18-19Deu 31:24-26Ezr 7:10 And Hilkiah said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD!” And he gave it to Shaphan.
Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and reported, “Your servants are doing all that has been placed in their hands. 2Ki 22:9-10Jer 36:20-21 They have paid out the money that was found in the house of the LORD and have put it into the hands of the supervisors and workers.”
Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king. Deu 17:19Jer 36:20-21Jos 1:8Psa 119:46Psa 119:97-99
When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes Jos 7:62Ki 19:12Ki 22:112Ki 22:19Deu 28:3-68Gal 2:19Gal 3:10-13Jer 36:22-24 and commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon 3son of Micah, 4 Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king: 2Ki 22:122Ki 25:22Jer 26:22Jer 26:24Jer 40:6Jer 40:9Jer 40:14 “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah concerning the words in the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that has been poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD by doing all that is written in this book.” 2Ch 28:6Ezk 14:1-11Jer 21:21Ki 22:5-71Sa 9:92Ch 29:82Ch 33:112Ki 17:6-7
Huldah’s Prophecy
(2 Kings 22:14–20)
So Hilkiah and those the king had designated went and spoke to Huldah 5the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, 6 the son of Hasrah, 7 the keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District. 8 Exo 15:20Luk 2:362Ki 22:14Act 21:9Jdg 4:4Luk 1:41-45
And Huldah said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Tell the man who sent you 2Ki 22:15-20Jer 21:3-7Jer 37:7-10 that this is what the LORD says: I am about to bring calamity on this place and on its people, according to all the curses written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah, 2Ch 36:14-20Deu 28:15-68Jos 23:162Ki 21:122Ki 23:26-27Isa 5:4-6Jer 19:15Jer 19:3 because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. My wrath will be poured out upon this place and will not be quenched.’ Jer 7:20Mrk 9:43-48Nam 1:62Ch 12:22Ch 15:22Ch 33:3-92Ki 22:172Ki 24:3-4
But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘As for the words that you heard, 2Ch 34:212Ch 34:23 because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its people, and because you have humbled yourself before Me and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you,’ declares the LORD. 2Ch 32:26Ezk 9:4Psa 34:182Ch 33:122Ch 34:19Isa 65:242Ch 12:72Ch 32:12-13
‘Now I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.’” Isa 39:8Psa 37:371Ki 21:292Ch 35:24Isa 57:1-2Jer 15:12Ki 20:192Ki 22:20
So they brought her answer back to the king.
Josiah Renews the Covenant
(2 Kings 23:1–3)
Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2Ki 23:1-31Ch 29:2-91Sa 12:232Ch 30:2Mrk 14:8 And he went up to the house of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the Levites—all the people small and great—and in their hearing he read all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. 2Ki 23:2Exo 24:72Ch 15:12-132Ch 17:7-92Ch 18:302Ch 34:152Ch 34:18-192Ch 34:24
So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. 2Ch 23:162Ch 15:122Ch 29:102Ch 6:132Ki 11:142Ki 23:32Ch 15:152Ch 30:16
Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand in agreement to it. So all the people of Jerusalem carried out the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 2Ch 14:42Ch 29:292Ch 30:122Ch 33:16Ecc 8:2Gen 18:19Jer 3:10
And Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the Israelites, and he required everyone in Israel to serve the LORD their God. Throughout his reign they did not turn aside from following the LORD, the God of their fathers. 2Ch 34:3-7Jos 24:311Ki 11:5-72Ki 23:4-20Hos 6:4Jer 3:10