2 Kings 22

2 Kings 22

As an 8 year old boy, Josiah took the throne, taking over a nation that his father and grand-father had turned away from God. Josiah learned from a young age what it meant to follow God, and that carried out into his reign as king as he grew older. He was instrumental in turning Judah back to God. His first order of business was to repair the Temple. The two kings before him had destroyed the Temple, removing some of the things of God and replacing them with various idols. Josiah turned the Temple back into what it was originally meant for, and in the process found a great treasure!


While some of his servants were cleaning out and repairing the Temple, one of them found the Book of Law that Moses had written. He read it before King Josiah, and Josiah broke down in weeping. He knew that the nation had drifted from God in recent years, and knew that it was enough for God to send punishment down on them. They had not been careful to follow the laws that had been given to them. In fact, destruction was coming for Judah. God had already promised their future destruction as a result of the way that Manasseh and Amon had acted when they were the king. Josiah feared what God was about to do, knowing that although he had followed God, the nation as a whole was living in disobedience.

Some of Josiah’s men went to inquire of the prophets as to the future of Judah. They discovered that what God had previously promised about their impending destruction was still to come. He had not and would not change His mind on that matter. However, God had also seen the way in which Josiah had been able to help turn Judah back to Him. He was pleased with the way that Josiah had led as king and promised that he would not see the destruction of Judah. God will give them peace during his reign, as He had done during the reigns of all of the obedient kings. As long as Josiah continued to follow God, he would not have to worry about the destruction of Judah.

Sometimes it seems impossible for a particularly tough situation to work itself out. When the odds are stacked against us, we find it easier to give up and not try to change what seems inevitable. After 2 of the worst kings that Judah had seen, however, Josiah was willing to take a stand, despite the odds. He initiated a series of reforms for the nation of Judah and led them back to the Lord. Finding the Book of Law brought a new spirit of life to the nation as they saw where they had strayed and saw where they needed to go. So take this as encouragement. Even when it seems like there is no way out of a particularly tough situation, we can always turn to God for help. He will be with us and guide us through if we truly come to Him in faith.

Matt