2Chronicles 34-36

Wednesday Evening Bible Study

February 12, 2003

Introduction

The last chapter covered the reigns of two very wicked kings.  Manasseh was the worst king and he had the longest reign of any king, 55 years.  He brought great idolatry into the nation of Judah.  He was followed by his son Amon, who only reigned two years before he was assassinated and the people made his young son king.

2Chronicles 34

:1-7 Josiah’s early idol smashing

:1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign

JosiahYo’shiyah – “whom Jehovah heals”

:2 walked in the ways of David his father

I like the fact that Josiah is compared to David and not to Amon or Manasseh.

:3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah

He begins to seek the Lord when he was sixteen.  When he’s twenty years old, he begins this process of cleaning up the nation.

Note:  He doesn’t have a copy of the Scriptures at this point.  They won’t be discovered until his 18th year.

Lesson

The Work of the Spirit

I think this is a picture of how God will begin to work in a person’s heart even when they don’t know very much of the Word.  This is the work of the Spirit.
When we come to the Lord, we begin a relationship with the Spirit of God.  He will be at work in our lives helping us do the things that please the Lord:
(Rom 8:3-6 KJV)  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: {4} That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. {5} For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. {6} For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
You will see this in the life of a new believer.  Even without people telling them what to do, things will start to change in their lives.  They’ll start that process of “cleaning house”.

:5 And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

This act of mixing dead bones and altars made the places “unholy”, it’s a way of destroying these altars.

:8-13 Temple repairs

Josiah then proceeds to have the Temple refurbished.

:12  the overseers of them were … all that could skill of instruments of music.

Lesson

Worshippers lead

For some of us, the idea of putting musicians in charge of anything is a joke.
Here’s some of those “musician jokes”:

How do you get two piccolo players to play in perfect unison? Shoot one.

General Custer and his aide were in the fort. The aide said, “General, I don’t like the sound of those drums.” From over in the hills you hear a voice yell, “It’s not our regular drummer.”

The bass player came tearing out a club in hot pursuit of another guy. The bouncer asked him, “What’s the problem?” Puffed the bassist “That guy turned one of my tuning pegs, and he won’t tell me which one.”

Why are so many guitarist jokes one-liners?  So the rest of the band can understand them.

What do you call a trombonist with a beeper?  An optimist.

I tried to find jokes about piano players, but couldn’t find any!  J

I think a better way of looking at this is that those who lead ought to be worshippers.
Some folks have the idea that the “music” is just “filler”.  Some think it’s just for warming up the crowd for the real stuff, the preacher. 
I know that worship is far more than music, and I don’t think you need to be able to play an instrument or sing on pitch to be a “worshipper”.  But if you haven’t come to the point where you understand what it means to love, adore, serve, and honor our God, then I don’t think you’re ready for God’s kind of leadership.

:14-28 The book is found / The end of the story

:15 Shaphan the scribe,

scribecaphar – enumerator, muster-officer, secretary; learned man, scribe

Shaphan might have just been an educated fellow; a high cabinet officer concerned with finance, policy, and administration.  But this title “scribe” is also used for a class of scholars who were learned in the Law of Moses. 

In the parallel passage, we’re told that when Hilkiah gave Shaphan the book, he read it (2Ki. 22:8).

:14-15 I have found the book of the law

Hilkiah didn’t find “a” book of the law.  He found “the” Book of the Law.

This use of the definite article (the word “the”) tells us that Hilkiah found the five books of Moses, the “Torah”, also known as the “Pentateuch”.

:15 in the house of the LORD

You may wonder why Hilkiah seems surprised at this.  Shouldn’t there be a copy of God’s Word in the Temple?

(Deu 31:24-26 KJV)  And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, {25} That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, {26} Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

There was supposed to be a copy of the Law kept near the Ark (Deut. 31:24-26)

Yet under Manasseh and Amon, the Temple had been ruined.  At this point, the Ark of the Covenant wasn’t even in the Temple anymore.  It apparently had been removed from the Temple, probably during the reign of Manasseh, and wouldn’t be put back into the Temple until the Temple was fully cleansed again (2Chr. 35:3).

It seems that there had been a period of time in which God’s Word was missing from the Temple.

Having grown up in good churches, this seems odd to me that someone would be surprised to find God’s Word in God’s House.  Yet there are churches today where you will have difficulty finding God’s Word.  Perhaps some of you are acquainted with places like this.

Apparently sometime around Christmas, one of the churches in Orange County had this up on their sign out front:

“We take the Bible seriously, not literally.”
I have a problem with seeing how you can take the Bible seriously if you don’t take it literally.

:17 …and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers…

Before Shaphan tells the king about the book, he gives the report that the king is expecting about the progress of the work in the Temple.

:16-18 …Shaphan read it before the king.

What did he read?

I’d like to think that Shaphan read the entire Torah to Josiah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).  Others have suggested that he only read the book of Deuteronomy.  Either way, at the end of this reading, the thing that is impacting Josiah’s mind is the ending to the book of Deuteronomy.  You can see it in his reaction to the reading.

I want you to think about what is going on in Josiah’s mind.  Imagine that you’ve never read God’s Word before.  You’ve heard about the Lord.  You care about the Lord.  But you’ve never heard God’s Word.

As Shaphan reads through the Law, Josiah hears each law spelled out and he realizes that he and the nation are way out of line with God’s standards.  And then he hears the warnings at the end of Deuteronomy:

(Deu 28:15-20 KJV)  But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: {16} Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. {17} Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. {18} Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. {19} Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out. {20} The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.

(Deu 28:25 KJV)  The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

(Deu 28:32 KJV)  Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand.

(Deu 28:36 KJV)  The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.

Josiah’s grandfather, Manasseh had already been taken captive to Assyria for a brief time.  Perhaps Josiah wonders if he’s next.

(Deu 28:49-53 KJV)  The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; {50} A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favour to the young:

Judah has already seen this with the Assyrians who wiped out the northern kingdom.  They’ll see it again with the Babylonians.

{51} And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. {52} And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. {53} And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:

This has already happened in the northern kingdom.  Is Josiah’s kingdom next?

Moses went on to write a song (Deu. 32) that Israel was supposed to learn.  This song was another warning and a reminder. It was to warn them of what would happen if they went away from the Lord.  But when the judgment happened, it would be a bitter reminder of why it happened. The song starts off speaking of God’s kindness in bringing Israel out of Egypt and taking care of them.  Then it moves into judgment:

(Deu 32:16-30 KJV)  They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. {17} They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. {18} Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. {19} And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. {20} And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward (perverse) generation, children in whom is no faith. {21} They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. {22} For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. {23} I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. {24} They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. {25} The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.

(Deu 32:29-30 KJV)  O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! {30} How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?

Lesson

God is pretty serious about doing things His way

Perhaps we don’t take God’s warnings too seriously because some of the warnings we see around us are kind of silly:
Illustration
These are actual product labels:
On a blanket from Taiwan - NOT TO BE USED AS PROTECTION FROM A TORNADO.
On a Sears hairdryer - DO NOT USE WHILE SLEEPING.
On a Korean kitchen knife - WARNING KEEP OUT OF CHILDREN.
On an American Airlines packet of nuts - INSTRUCTIONS - OPEN PACKET, EAT NUTS.
On a string of Chinese-made Christmas lights - FOR INDOOR OR OUTDOOR USE ONLY.
On a child's superman costume - WEARING OF THIS GARMENT DOES NOT ENABLE  YOU TO FLY.
On a hotel provided shower cap in a box - FITS ONE HEAD.
On packaging for a Rowenta iron - DO NOT IRON CLOTHES ON BODY.
On Boot's "Children's" cough medicine - DO NOT DRIVE CAR OR OPERATE  MACHINERY.
On Nytol sleep aid - WARNING MAY CAUSE DROWSINESS.
Sometimes when you talk to people about God, you kind of get the feeling that they think that we’re the ones that decide what’s important or not.
You’ll hear things like, “I don’t believe it’s that important which religion you follow, as long as you’re happy”.
How would you like it if you planned for a vacation in Hawaii, and after packing up the family, you board the airplane, settle into your seat, and then hear the captain over the intercom say, “Well folks, today we’re going to take off and head out into the wild blue yonder.  I kind of feel like flying south, so today we’ll fly south.  It makes me happy.”  Would it make you happy to end up in Columbia instead of Hawaii?
We may like to think that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re happy, but we’re not the ones who decide what the criteria is for going to heaven.  We’re not the one standing at the door deciding who to let in.  God is.
Suppose you were throwing a birthday party at your house for one of your children and a total stranger shows up at your front door with dark glasses, a red and white checked scarf around his face, and explosives strapped to his chest.  He says he wants to come to your party.  He doesn’t care whether or not you know him; he wants to come in so you should let him in.  Are you going to let him in?  Who decides who gets in the door, you or the stranger at the door?
Under the Old Covenant, the Law of Moses, the Jews were required to keep the Law.  Under the New Covenant, there’s a different criteria:
(John 10:1 KJV)  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
(John 10:6-10 KJV)  This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. {7} Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. {8} All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. {9} I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. {10} The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Under the New Covenant the criteria is Jesus.  But the point is still the same.  God is pretty serious about us taking His criteria seriously.  You only get in the door if you come God’s way – through Jesus.

:19 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.

Lesson

Understanding the times

Josiah understood the severity of his situation.  He realized how far they had gone from the Lord.  He realized the warnings of God’s judgment were for him.
Even though Josiah had already begun to clean up the nation, he really hasn’t scratched the surface.  When you look at the parallel passage, the things he does after having read God’s Word go much farther than the things he did before reading God’s Word.  He’s done a lot, but he knows there is much to be done.
In a way, we are in a time very similar to Josiah’s.  He was at the end of one of the chapters in God’s History.  As he heard these warnings he realized that he was very close to the end.
We too are living at the end of one of God’s chapter’s of History.  Jesus is about to come back.
Just as Josiah was living in a time that seemed to be described pretty well by the words in Deuteronomy, think about how Jesus’ words describe what our world is like:
(Mat 24:3-14 KJV)  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? {4} And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. {5} For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. {6} And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. {7} For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. {8} All these are the beginning of sorrows. {9} Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. {10} And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. {11} And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. {12} And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. {13} But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. {14} And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Jesus tells us how we ought to respond when we see these things happening:
(Mat 24:37-51 KJV)  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. {38} For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, {39} And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. {40} Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. {41} Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. {42} Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. {43} But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. {44} Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. {45} Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? {46} Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. {47} Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. {48} But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; {49} And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; {50} The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, {51} And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
As you’ve read some of Matthew 24 this morning, do you have a sense that we might be at the end of one of God’s chapters?  We ought to be getting ready for our Master’s return. Perhaps we ought to respond a bit like Josiah.

:21 Go, inquire of the LORD for me

Josiah wants to know what God is thinking.  He wants to know what God thinks of Josiah.

vs. 22-23 Josiah will send his delegation to a prophetess named Huldah.  She will have a message for Josiah from the Lord.

:24-25 …my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.

Lesson

God is just

God will not allow sin to go unpunished.
Sometimes we can think that because God has waited this long before judging the world, that perhaps it isn’t going to happen.
Just because God is patient doesn’t mean that He’s not just.
For us, there will be a time coming very soon when God will judge the earth.  It will happen.
(2 Pet 3:9-11 NLT)  The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent. {10} But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. {11} Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living!

:26-28 neither shall thine eyes see all the evil

Lesson

You can miss the judgment

Because of his heart, Josiah would not see the judgment.
When we turn to Jesus for help, we too pass out of the place of judgment.
When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins.  He satisfied God’s requirements for us to be forgiven.
(Rom 3:25 NLT)  For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.
(John 3:16-18 KJV)  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. {17} For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. {18} He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
We are getting close to the time of God’s judgment on the earth.  Jesus said we could escape the Tribulation:
(Luke 21:36 KJV)  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
We believe that the way of “escape” is the coming Rapture of the church, when Jesus will come and snatch us away from this place.
Are you ready for the end of the story?

:29-33 A new commitment

:30  he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.

This might have been done because God specifically commands the kings to be one of those most familiar with God's Word:

Deut. 17:18-20  And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 19  And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 20  That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Josiah isn’t keeping this to himself.  He’s sharing it with the nation.

:31 to keep his commandments…with all his heart

This seems to be Josiah’s personal commitment to the Lord.

I like the idea that Josiah is making a commitment to the Lord in front of everyone.

:33 And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

Lesson

Cleansing and the Word

Now that the Scriptures had been rediscovered, Josiah finds he has lots of more to do when it comes to cleaning house.
More housecleaning was done at this time –

There was still stuff hidden in the Temple that needed to be removed.

(2 Ki 23:4 KJV)  And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.

There had been idolatrous homosexual male-temple-prostitutes living next to the Temple.

(2 Ki 23:7 KJV)  And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.

This is when the valley of Hinnom (“gehenna”) stopped being a place for the worship of Molech and instead became a picture of hell.

(2 Ki 23:10 KJV)  And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.

There was all kinds of stuff that needed cleaning up, even things that dated all the way back to Solomon:

(2 Ki 23:11-13 KJV)  And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire. {12} And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron. {13} And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

Jesus said to His disciples:

(John 15:3 KJV)  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

We know that Jesus cleanses us as His Bride, through His Word:

(Eph 5:25-26 KJV)  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; {26} That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

I think that this cleansing is accomplished in two different ways.

First, just putting God’s Word into your mind brings cleansing.  Instead of having worldly thoughts occupying your mind, you have God’s thoughts on your mind.  When you read the Word, you just feel cleaner.

Secondly, there is the practical aspect.  Not only are we to be “readers” of the Word, but also “doers” of the Word.  One of the aspects of being a “doer” of the Word involves cleaning house – dealing with things that need to change in your life.

We need both the work of the Spirit in our lives as well as the cleansing of the Word.

Lesson

A sense of destiny

There’s something else that takes place at this time that is highly unusual.  It is connected with an ancient prophecy that was given about four hundred years earlier, right after Jeroboam split the northern kingdom off from Rehoboam and then he set up his golden calves in Bethel and in Dan.  Jeroboam started a false religion in order to keep the people from going back to Jerusalem to worship during the Passover and other great feasts of Judaism.  He was afraid that if the people went back to Jerusalem to worship, that they might abandon his northern kingdom.
When Jeroboam began his false religion, a prophet from the southern kingdom showed up.
(1 Ki 13:1-2 KJV)  And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. {2} And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
This is exactly what would happen when Josiah went north to tear down these altars.
(2 Ki 23:15-20 KJV)  Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove. {16} And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. {17} Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel. {18} And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria. {19} And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel. {20} And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.
I would imagine that it must have been a trip for Josiah to find out that he had even been named by name as the one who would tear down this altar in Bethel.
Even though we might not have our names recorded in the Bible, we too have a sense of destiny with the Lord.
(Eph 2:10 KJV)  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

before ordainedproetoimazo (“before” + “to prepare”) – to prepare before, to make ready beforehand

Lesson:

Outward reforms don't always tell what's going on inside.

During Josiah’s time, the nation got rid of lots of idolatry, it had to, it was the law of the land.
Josiah would rule for 13 more years from this point until his death (he ruled for 31 years, this is his 18th year ...)
But after Josiah was gone, the people went back to what they REALLY wanted to do.
The prophet Jeremiah tells us that after Josiah died, the people simply went back to their evil ways because that’s what they wanted to do all along (Jer. 26).
Are the changes in your life real, or are they “enforced”?
What do you do when nobody’s around?
This is why we need a little reserve in our response when a person “accepts” the Lord.
We hope and pray that it’s a true conversion.
The test is what happens over time, and whether or not the person actually allows God to make changes in them.

2Chronicles 35

:1-19 Josiah’s Passover

:3 Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build

It appears that the Ark of the Covenant was not in the Temple at this time.

Was the Ark not in the Temple?

One possibility is that it had been removed during the reign of Manasseh because of the stuff that Manasseh had brought into the Temple.

(2 Chr 33:7 KJV)  And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

Now that Josiah has thoroughly cleansed the Temple, the Ark is brought back.

:9 …gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.

Lesson

Setting the example of grace

Josiah was a good leader who had learned to give to his people.
But he’s not the only one who gives – now the rest of the leaders give as well.

:12 And they removed the burnt offerings

They took the animals that were set aside for burnt offerings and divided them among all the families that were present so everyone could offer burnt offerings.

:14 therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

(2 Chr 35:14 NLT)  Afterward the Levites prepared a meal for themselves and for the priests, because the priests had been busy from morning till night offering the burnt offerings and the fat portions. The Levites took responsibility for all these preparations.

We already read that the Levites were told to

(2 Chr 35:6 KJV)  …kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

Lesson

Helping others do their ministry

The Levites seemed to have a responsibility of helping others do their ministry.
It seems that the priests had their hands full taking care of the burnt offerings that they had not had time to make dinner.  The Levites help them out.
Deacons – Acts 6
(Acts 6:1-7 KJV)  And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. {2} Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. {3} Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. {4} But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. {5} And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: {6} Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. {7} And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

:15 And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun

The system of worship leaders that David had set up is still in place.

:18 And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet

Though Hezekiah’s Passover was very special (2Chr. 30) because it had been the first time that both the northern and southern kingdoms celebrated since the time of Solomon, this one was considered better.

Apparently this Passover was better because of the care that was taken to do things in strict accordance with the Law of Moses.

:20-27 Josiah’s tragic mistake

:20 Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Charchemish by Euphrates

Carchemish was an ancient Hittite and Assyrian city on the Euphrates River in what is now southern Turkey. It sat on a strategic crossing place of the Euphrates River and controlled the caravans that moved between Syria, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia (Turkey). See map

The word Carchemish would mean “the fort of Chemosh,” the well-known deity of the Moabites.

:21 forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.

By now, 609 b.c., Assyria had become so weak that she had lost practically all her empire, especially to the Babylonians (or Chaldeans). 

Nineveh (the capitol of Assyria) had fallen three years earlier, in 612, and the Assyrians had moved their forces around the cities of Haran and Carchemish on the upper Euphrates River.

The Babylonians decided to it was time to completely wipe out the Assyrians, and advanced to attach at Carchemish. 

Egypt was more fearful of Babylonia than Assyria, and launched an attack through Palestine with the idea of coming to Assyria's assistance at Charchemish. 

This would be one of the great battles of history with the fall of the leading world power to the upcoming world power.

Josiah apparently like the Babylonians best (kind of a pennant race), and decided to do a little warring of his own, trying to trip up the Egyptians on their way to rescue the Assyrians.

He met Pharaoh Necho at Megiddo, the same battle field as Armageddon, in the valley of Jezreel, in the north of Israel.

But instead of helping the Babylonians, Josiah ended up dead.

Necho proceeded after his brief interruption with Josiah, on up to Carchemish, where he joined with the Assyrians in 609 b.c.  For three years they gave the Babylonians a lot of trouble, until in 605 b.c., Nebuchadnezzar gave a surprise attack, wiping out the city, and chasing the Egyptians as far south as Hamath.

Lesson

Shaking your preconceptions

Think about this question - Was God with Necho?
It appears that God certainly didn’t want Josiah interfering with Necho because God allowed Necho to conquer Josiah.
If you looked at the exterior of this conflict, which person would you think that God was “with”?  Was God with this pagan ruler Necho, or was God with this good, godly king Josiah?

Yet Josiah would lose.

It appears that he should have paid attention to what Necho was saying.

And Necho was a pagan man.

Sometimes we form these “rules” of how we think God ought to work.  But sometimes God goes outside of our “box”.

:22  hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God

In case you wondered if Necho really had a message from God.  He did.

:22 came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

the valley of Megiddo – the same place as Armageddon.  This is a valley in the northern part of Israel. See map

:24 they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died

Lesson

Walking with God doesn’t exempt you from stupid mistakes.

Here’s this great, righteous king.
But he makes a great big, stupid, bozo mistake.
He should have never tried to take on Pharaoh Necho.
Necho even tried to warn Josiah, but Josiah didn’t pay any attention to the warnings.
I think that often we can get the idea that as long as we’re going to Bible Studies, having daily Quiet Times, and even praying a little every once in a while, that whatever we do will magically turn out wonderful.
As if we can make no mistakes.
It’s not that simple.
Sometimes I wonder if we simply aren’t as sharp as we should be in paying attention to God’s warnings and promptings.  Necho did warn Josiah, but Josiah didn’t pay attention.
Sometimes I wonder if simply being human isn’t going to mean that we’re going to make some bad decisions sometimes.

:25 And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah

This is the time period when Jeremiah begins his ministry among the people of Judah.  His ministry will be with the people of Jerusalem right up until the end and even beyond it.

Extra Credit:  Read the book of Jeremiah.

2Chronicles 36

:1-4 Jehoahaz’ brief reign

:2 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.

JehoahazY@how’achaz – “Jehovah has seized”

He will only reign for three months because at this point the Egyptians have conquered Judah and are the ones calling the shots of who should be king.  Necho isn’t going to like Jehoahaz being king.

:3 condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

Necho has conquered Judah.  He now demands taxes from them.

100 talents of silver = 3 3/4 tons of silver

a talent of gold = 75 pounds of gold

:4 the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim.

Necho wanted to be the one deciding who should be king, and he chooses another of Josiah's sons, Eliakim.

Eliakim – “God raises” or “God sets up”

Jehoiakim – “Jehovah raises up”

The practice of changing another person's name was done to show a person who was in charge.

:4 Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.

It’s at this time that the Lord gives a prophecy to Jeremiah regarding Jehoahaz (Jer. 22:10-13), he’s going to die in captivity.

Josephus records,

Neco carried away Jehoahaz into Egypt, where he died, when he had reigned three months and ten days.[1]

:5-8 Jehoiakim

:6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.

Initially, Jehoiakim served the Egyptians.  After the Babylonians beat the Egyptians at Carchemish, Nebuchadnezzar now begins to exert his influence in the kingdom of Judah.  In 2Kings 24 we find that Jehoiakim initially serves Nebuchadnezzar for three years, and then he rebels against Nebuchadnezzar.  That’s when Neb comes and takes him away.

Josephus records that Nebuchadnezzar had Jehoiakim put to death.

Now a little time afterwards, the king of Babylon made an expedition against Jehoiakim, whom he received [into the city], and this out of fear of the foregoing predictions of this prophet, as supposing that he should suffer nothing that was terrible, because he neither shut the gates, nor fought against him; (97) yet when he was come into the city, he did not observe the covenants he had made; but he slew such as were in the flower of their age, and such as were of the greatest dignity, together with their king Jehoiakim, whom he commanded to be thrown before the walls, without any burial; and made his son Jehoiachin king of the country and of the city: (98) he also took the principal persons in dignity for captives, three thousand in number, and led them away to Babylon; among whom was the prophet Ezekiel, who was then but young.[2]

:7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

This becomes known as the “first captivity”.  There will be three different times when Nebuchadnezzar will take people away to Babylon.  We believe Daniel and Ezekiel were among this first group of captives.

:9-10 Jehoiachin

:9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign

Jehoiachin – “Jehovah establishes”.  He’s also known as “Coniah” (“Jehovah will establish”)

2Kings 24:8 says he was eighteen years old instead of eight.  This is probably one of the rare copyist errors.

:10 king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD

This is the “second captivity”

Among those taken to Babylon (in 597 b.c.) in this second group (the first went in 605 b.c., including Daniel) is the prophet Ezekiel, who was one of the priests.

His prophetic ministry will start when he gets to Babylon:
Eze 1:2-3  In the fifth [day] of the month, which [was] the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity, 3  The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. (AV)

Josephus records:

But a terror seized on the king of Babylon, who had given the kingdom to Jehoiachin, and that immediately; he was afraid that he should bear him a grudge, because of his killing his father, and thereupon should make the country revolt from him; wherefore he sent an army, and besieged Jehoiachin in Jerusalem; (100) but because he was of a gentle and just disposition, he did not desire to see the city endangered on his account, but he took his mother and kindred, and delivered them to the commanders sent by the king of Babylon, and accepted of their oaths, that neither should they suffer any harm, nor the city; (101) which agreement they did not observe for a single year, for the king of Babylon did not keep it, but gave orders to his generals to take all that were in the city captives, both the youth and the handicraftsmen, and bring them bound to him; their number was ten thousand eight hundred and thirty-two; as also Jehoiachin, and his mother and friends; (102) and when these were brought to him, he kept them in custody, and appointed Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, to be king; and made him take an oath, that he would certainly keep the kingdom for him, and make no innovation, nor have any league of friendship with the Egyptians.[3]

:11-21 Zedekiah and the fall of Judah

:11 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

Zedekiah – “Jehovah is righteous”.  His name was originally “Mattaniah” (2Ki. 24:17), but Nebuchadnezzar did that “name change” thing to show who was boss.

:12 humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.

Josephus gives us the idea that Zedekiah believed the things that Jeremiah spoke, but gave in to the pressure of his friends to not obey what Jeremiah said.  You also get this same idea as you read Jeremiah – that Zedekiah seemed open to the things that Jeremiah spoke, but was afraid of what others would think.

Now Zedekiah was twenty-and-one years old when he took the government; and had the same mother with his brother Jehoiachin, but was a despiser of justice and of his duty, for truly those of the same age with him were wicked about him, and the whole multitude did what unjust and insolent things they pleased; (104) for which reason the prophet Jeremiah came often to him, and protested to him, and insisted, that he must leave off his impieties and transgressions, and take care of what was right, and neither give ear to the rulers (among whom were wicked men) nor give credit to their false prophets who deluded them, as if the king of Babylon would make no more war against him, and as if the Egyptians would make war against him, and conquer him, since what they said was not true; and the events would not prove such [as they expected]. (105) Now as to Zedekiah himself, while he heard the prophet speak, he believed him, and agreed to everything as true, and supposed it was for his advantage; but then his friends perverted him, and dissuaded him from what the prophet advised, and obliged him to do what they pleased. [4]

Josephus also records that when Zedekiah heard of some of the prophecies of Ezekiel in Babylon, he couldn’t figure out how Jeremiah and Ezekiel’s prophecies could both be true.  Ezekiel said that Zedekiah wouldn’t see Babylon.  Jeremiah prophesied that Zedekiah would be taken to Babylon.  In the end, both were true.  Zedekiah was blinded, and then taken to Babylon.

Ezekiel also foretold in Babylon what calamities were coming upon the people, which when he heard, he sent accounts of them unto Jerusalem; but Zedekiah did not believe their prophecies, for the reason following:—It happened that the two prophets agreed with one another in what they said as in all other things, that the city should be taken, and Zedekiah himself should be taken captive; but Ezekiel disagreed with him, and said, that Zedekiah should not see Babylon; while Jeremiah said to him, that the king of Babylon should carry him away thither in bonds; (107) and because they did not both say the same thing as to this circumstance, he disbelieved what they both appeared to agree in, and condemned them as not speaking truth therein, although all the things foretold him did come to pass according to their prophecies, as we shall show upon a fitter opportunity. [5]

:13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar

This would bring an end of the kingdom.

:15 sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes

rising up betimesshakam – (Hiphil) to rise early, make an early start

God always gives plenty of warnings.

:16 until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

until the wrath – it took a long time before God finally brought judgment.

It’s a pretty sad time when you cross that line where you can’t come back from.

:18 And all the vessels of the house of God…all these he brought to Babylon.

This is the third captivity – the final one

:19 And they burnt the house of God

The Temple is destroyed

:21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

Jeremiah prophesied that the captivity would last for seventy years.

(Jer 25:11 KJV)  And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

(Jer 29:10-11 KJV)  For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. {11} For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God had warned back through Moses that if captivity would come, it would come because they had not kept the Sabbath:

(Lev 26:34-35 KJV)  Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. {35} As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

Lesson

The importance of a sabbath

God wanted the Jews to take a day off and rest.
He wanted them to even give their land a rest every seven years.
Even though the keeping of the Sabbath is a commandment for Jews, there is still a principle that is important for the whole world.
Take a day off.  Rest.  Seek the Lord.

:22-23 Restoration

:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia

Cyrus would be the one who would make the decree to allow the Jews to rebuild their Temple.

Not only was he fulfilling the prophecies of Jeremiah, but there was an interesting prophecy by Isaiah as well.

Keep in mind:  Isaiah wrote around 700 BC.  Cyrus wasn’t even born until 599 BC and wouldn’t conquer Babylon until 538 BC.

Isaiah wrote,

(Isa 44:24-28 KJV)  Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; {25} That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; {26} That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: {27} That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: {28} That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
Cyrus would be the one who initiated the rebuilding of things at Jerusalem.

Cyrus was also the one who conquered Babylon.  Remember Daniel 6, where Belshazzar was having his party when he was interrupted with the writing on the wall.  Belshazzar’s knees knocked together.

(Isa 45:1-2 KJV)  Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; {2} I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
Cyrus conquered Babylon by diverting the Euphrates River and entering into the city through the river gates that had been left unlocked.

Map



[1]Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1996, c1987). The works of Josephus : Complete and unabridged. Includes index. (Ant X, v 2). Peabody: Hendrickson.

[2]Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1996, c1987). The works of Josephus : Complete and unabridged. Includes index. (Ant X, vi 3). Peabody: Hendrickson.

[3]Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1996, c1987). The works of Josephus : Complete and unabridged. Includes index. (Ant X, vii 1). Peabody: Hendrickson.

[4]Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1996, c1987). The works of Josephus : Complete and unabridged. Includes index. (Ant X, vii 2). Peabody: Hendrickson.

[5]Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1996, c1987). The works of Josephus : Complete and unabridged. Includes index. (Ant X, vii 2). Peabody: Hendrickson.