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)

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?  

Celebrate Together

Gather the family for today’s Celebration in our book, The Joy of Advent. Join with Josiah in discovering the Law, explore the Jesse Tree symbol of a scroll, discover the history behind today’s carol, and enjoy a family conversation (or private journaling) about preparing our hearts for Christ’s return.

Inspiration

Music

Enjoy this Christmas drama with the backdrop of Silent Night. [Play Video]

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. [Play Video]

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.

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.

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.

• Find another version of Sing We Now of Christmas here, and be prepared for delight!

• 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.

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