2 Kings 21-23: Josiah and The Great Purge

Thoughts

Kings 21

Manasseh becomes king at twelve years old and reigns fifty-five years in Jerusalem. He does evil in the sight of the Lord. He rebuilds the high places destroyed by Hezekiah, sets up altars for Baal, and makes an Asherah.

Asherah was the name of a Canaanite goddess, believed to be the consort of the god El (and sometimes associated with Baal). She was considered a fertility goddess, connected to motherhood, sexuality, and nature.

• An Asherah pole was a wooden symbol or object (sometimes a carved tree, wooden pole, or living tree). These poles were used in rituals, often alongside altars for Baal and other pagan gods.

He worships the host of heaven and builds altars to them in the temple courts.

• The “host of heaven” refers to the sun, moon, stars, and planets.

He even places an Asherah inside the temple itself, where God had said His Name would dwell. Manasseh leads Judah astray, doing more evil than the nations before them.

The Lord speaks through His prophets, declaring judgment because of Manasseh’s sins. God announces disaster so severe that it will shock all who hear of it.

Jerusalem will be wiped like a dish turned upside down.God will forsake the remnant of His inheritance, giving them into the hands of their enemies.

Manasseh sheds much innocent blood, filling Jerusalem from end to end. He dies and is buried in the garden of his house. His son Amon succeeds him as king.

Amon becomes king at twenty-two and reigns two years in Jerusalem. He does evil like his father Manasseh.His servants conspire against him and kill him in his house. The people of the land strike down his assassins and make his son Josiah king.

Kings 22

Josiah becomes king at eight years old (not to be confused with Joash who reigned at 7 years old) and reigns thirty-one years in Jerusalem. He does what is right in the sight of the Lord (!)

In the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah sends Shaphan the secretary to the temple to tell Hilkiah the high priest to gather the silver brought into the house of the Lord.The money is to be given to those overseeing the repairs of the temple.

The workers are to use it honestly and faithfully without needing an accounting, since they act with integrity.

Hilkiah the high priest finds the Book of the Law in the temple. He gives it to Shaphan, who reads it to King Josiah. 

When Josiah hears the words of the Law, he tears his clothes in grief. He commands Hilkiah, Shaphan, and others to inquire of the Lord concerning the words of the book, recognizing God’s anger at their fathers’ disobedience.

• · Deuteronomy 17:18-20 and Deuteronomy 31:9-13 tell us that Kings were supposed to keep hold of the Law and  read to all once every 7 years at the Feast of Tabernacles.

They go to Huldah the prophetess, who delivers God’s message:

• Judgment is coming upon Judah for forsaking the Lord and worshiping idols.
• But because Josiah humbled himself, tore his clothes, and wept before the Lord, he will be spared from seeing the disaster.
• He will die in peace

Kings 23

Josiah gathers all the elders, priests, prophets, and people of Jerusalem. The Book of the Covenant is read aloud to everyone.

Josiah stands by the pillar and makes a covenant before the Lord : to follow Him, keep His commands, and obey with all his heart and soul. All the people pledge themselves to the covenant.

• He removes all the vessels made for Baal, Asherah, and the host of heaven from the temple, burning them outside Jerusalem.

• He removes idolatrous priests appointed by former kings. He tears down the houses of male cult prostitutes near the temple.

• He brings out the Asherah pole that was in the temple, burns it, grinds it to dust, and scatters the ashes.

• He defiles Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so no one can sacrifice sons or daughters to Molech.

• He removes horses and chariots dedicated to the sun.

• .He destroys altars built by kings of Judah, including those Solomon had built for Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Molech.

• He defiles high places, breaks down altars, and grinds images to powder.

• He even goes into Samaria, tearing down altars and killing idolatrous priests, extending reform beyond Judah.

• Josiah removes mediums, necromancers, household gods, idols, and abominations throughout Judah. 

Josiah commands the people to keep the Passover as written in the Book of the Covenant.A Passover is held in Jerusalem and was unlike any Passover observed since the days of the judges and all the kings of Israel and Judah.

He turns to the Lord with all his heart, soul, and might, fulfilling the law of Moses more than any king before him. However, the Lord does not turn away from His fierce anger because of Manasseh’s sins.God declares He will remove Judah from His sight, just as He did with Israel.

Pharaoh Neco of Egypt marches to fight at Carchemish. Josiah goes out to meet him at Megiddo and is killed. His son Jehoahaz becomes king.

Jehoahaz becomes king at twenty-three and reigns three months. He does evil in the sight of the Lord.

Pharaoh Neco imprisons him at Riblah. Jehoahaz is taken to Egypt, and Eliakim (God establishes) renamed Jehoiakim (YHWH establishes) is made king by Pharaoh.

Jehoiakim becomes king at twenty-five and reigns eleven years. He does evil in the sight of the Lord.

Questions

How had the Book of the Law been lost or forgotten in the temple for so many years?

During times of evil reign where there was much sin and idolatry, were there ‘missionary’ like people trying to keep God in the center?

Why did Josiah have to die so young?

Application

Purging sin in our lives is much like what Josiah did when he tore down idols and cleansed the land in these chapters. What are the idols of our life? Habits? Addictions? Relationships that come before God? Whatever we might be struggling with, we need to completely remove them. Josiah didn’t set idols aside…he smashed and burned them. And after the idols were gone, Josiah led the people back to faithfulness. When we clear sin from our lives, we must then fill that space with prayer, obedience, and the Word.  We don’t have to do this alone!  Josiah gathered all the people to join him. We need accountability and encouragement from our brothers and sisters in Christ. There won’t be a ‘one purge fixes all’ situation until Christ comes back again, but in the meantime we can keep ourselves in check.