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Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Michaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”
Then the king commanded all the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” Such a Passover surely had never been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was held before the Lord in Jerusalem. Moreover Josiah put away those who consulted mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him.
—From 2 Kings 22:1–2, 8, 10–13; 23:21–25 (NKJV)

Meditation

Today we consider Josiah, the child-king. Hezekiah’s profound lack of concern about evil, so long as it’s not in his day, had its payoff as his son quickly became one of the most wicked kings in Judah’s history. The next king carried on the tradition, and was so ruthless that his own people assassinated him, leaving eight-year-old Josiah heir to the throne.

Josiah was different.

Eight years into his reign, as repairs on the Temple were underway, an alarming discovery sent his entire court scrambling. It is believed he unearthed the book of Deuteronomy, and soon began swift and dramatic social reforms that went far beyond a few royal edicts.

He tore down idols and altars, burning, grinding or scattering the ashes. He ordered the execution of priests of foreign gods and did with their bones what he did to their idols. No corner of Judah remained uncleansed in hopes that the words of the prophets—decrying the wrath of God—would not come to pass.

“Imagine the anxiety of those who unearthed the scroll. Life as they knew it would never be the same.”

Imagine the anxiety of those who unearthed the scroll. They might have watched in horror as the king rent his robes, then returned to their families that night unsettled. Life as they knew it would never be the same. Their next day began with a frenzy of discussions, interpretations, even bringing the scrolls to Huldah, one of the few female prophets named in Scripture.

Of important note, Josiah had no visions, no dreams. He had no prophecies and felt no stirring of the Spirit of God. He had only an ancient manuscript, and he obeyed.

It was Huldah alone who heard the voice and spoke the words of God to Josiah—that like Hezekiah, Josiah would go to his grave in peace and would not see the calamity of judgment God had in store for the nation.

All of Josiah’s efforts yielded no more than a temporary stay of execution.

Some theologians call Josiah “the lost messiah.” His fervor, the zeal of his reform was unparalleled, the Biblical record stating, “Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him” (2 Kings 23:25).

He seemed a contender to fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah.

Yet his life and reign met a tragic end—killed in battle by the Egyptian Pharaoh.

Josiah’s works, no matter how fervent, could not fulfill the law. The old covenant had been broken too many times. God needed a new covenant, a new sacrifice.

God would Himself provide the Sacrifice. Born in a stable, laid in a manger, a new covenant would do what Josiah could not—He would call a faithful remnant back to the true worship of God.

Inspiration

The Scribe Shaphan Reading the Book of the Law to King Josiah

Leonaert Bramer, 1622. Josiah, already so different from his fathers, will change the fate of Judah … for a time.

Music

Enjoy this Christmas drama with the backdrop of Silent Night.

Josiah made dramatic changes because of God’s law. As we enjoy Sing We Now of Christmas, consider the changes our King might want us to make.

Visit our Joy of Advent YouTube playlist for featured videos, our Ultimate Christmas playlist for all our favorite carols, or our sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style.

Reflection

Advent is a fitting time for such a powerful story of reflection and dramatic change. The very purpose of Advent ultimately mirrors Josiah’s life story—to hear the word and act on it. It’s astounding how many idols, altars, and other artifacts Josiah had to eradicate—and we know they didn’t come into the Temple in a day. They crept in, over years, generations. In the book, The Right Kind of Strong, Mary Kassian talks about the slow creep of sin. No one wakes up one morning thinking, “Today I’m going to worship an idol.” It starts so small we seldom notice it at first. An advertisement pops up on social media, click a link, and before we know it, our morning time of prayer has been replaced with shopping, or gaming, or political debates with strangers online. Reflect today as Josiah did—has darkness crept into your life? What steps can you take to eradicate it?

Prayer

O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy
Even as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

Family Celebration

A scroll reminds us of Josiah’s discovery of the law.

In your child’s favorite Children’s Bible, read the story of Josiah.

Say: If you could be king or queen for the day, what would you do? Josiah was just eight years old when he became king. His father and grandfather before him were evil kings, but Josiah was good. He ordered God’s Temple to be repaired, and while repairing it, they found a book of the law. King Josiah was amazed and frightened—they weren’t obeying God’s laws! God’s laws had been forgotten. We use a scroll today to remind us how Josiah cleaned all the false gods out of the whole land because he wanted to follow the law of God.

Especially for Toddlers and PreK

Resources

Historians dismissed the story of Josiah as a fable since no archeological evidence for him had ever been found—until a very small discovery with huge implications was made in 2019.
Enjoy a printable coloring page of Josiah.
Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.

Recent Resources from Joy of Advent