We’re finishing up today our look at king Josiah, and as well our series from 2 Chronicles. Before we do this, lets review Josiah’s life, as a reminder, and to keep things in context. Last week we saw how:
- He destroyed the idols from Judah and even the territory of Israel.
- He restored the temple, since it had fallen into ruin.
- He was repentant when the lost Book of the Law was read, when he saw how far off track they were as God’s people, and heard the warnings of judgment.
- He sought the word of Huldah, the prophetess, who said that judgment would come, but that he would die in peace, before the coming destruction and exile.
- He led the people in a covenant renewal ceremony, reaffirming their allegiance to God.
- He hosted an elaborate Passover celebration, the most amazing one since the days of Samuel the prophet, centuries before.
It’s clear that Josiah was a righteous man. He truly sought after God. And he was a bold reformer.
As 2 Chronicles 34:2 says, “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” The way he is presented in Scripture, he is the most righteous king since David, with the possible exception of Hezekiah, his great grandfather. In any case, he’s as good as they come.
Yet . . .
our story ends on a sour note. In a completely baffling and startling way, he dies in a senseless battle and for no good reason.
Having completed all the great reforms of the 18th year of his reign, 13 years later, our text says in v. 20 – “After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates and Josiah went out to meet him.”
Neco was going north to give assistance to his ally, the Assyrians who were being defeated by the Babylonians. He was passing through a part of the territory of the former kingdom of Israel to get there, along the coastal highway. And Josiah went up to do battle with him, at Megiddo.
Neco tried to dissuade Josiah from battle. In v. 21 he said, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” In other words, ‘I don’t want to fight with you and don’t oppose God’s will.’
- Well, Josiah didn’t listen – v. 22.
- He disguised himself for the fight – v. 22, (recalling the story and death of the unfaithful Israelite king, Ahab – 18:28-34).
- He was shot by an archer and mortally wounded – v. 23, (again recalling the Ahab story).
- They put him in his chariot and he died, apparently, on his way back to Jerusalem – v. 24.
This was a terrible blow to the kingdom of Judah. This shows up clearly in vs. 24-25 – “All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments.”
Everyone mourns and cries. Many laments were composed for Josiah, including one by the prophet Jeremiah. They were a part of a now lost book of laments that was still used many years later.
We have to remember that, like Hezekiah before him, Josiah was seen as a Messianic figure: a son of David who could restore the people of God to their rightful place in the world; who could bring back times of blessing and peace.
He was a person that people put their hope in. He had accomplished so much. Yet he dies in this tragic way, and then not too many years later, Jerusalem is destroyed and the people are taken off into exile in Babylon.
There’s a tension in this story that makes us ask . . .
Why??
Why did he die? The other righteous kings received material blessings and miraculous victory in battles. He died a senseless death. Nothing good came of it.
And why did he die like this? With regard to Huldah’s prophecy, it’s true he didn’t live to see the destruction of Jerusalem, but it would be hard to say that he died in peace.
2 Chronicles 35:22 gives the immediate answer. After Neco told Josiah he didn’t want to fight, and that God had told him to accomplish his mission, v. 22 says, “Josiah did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo.”
If we ask, “How could he know this was God speaking?” We don’t know. Perhaps he tested it with some Judean prophets, and went to war anyway.
But the broader context is that he didn’t accept the word of the Lord through Huldah that unstoppable judgment was coming. And we could also add here the word of Isaiah the prophet to his great-grandfather Hezekiah; and the word of Jeremiah the prophet, Josiah’s contemporary – both of whom said judgment would come.
- Perhaps he thought that his reforms would stop the judgment. Why else would he be out picking a fight with an empire, in an area that was not even his own land?
- Perhaps he thought that God would intervene and he would be able to reunite and restore all Israel to its former glory under his rule.
But according to God’s word this was not a time for restoration, it was a time for judgment.
And so instead of staying in his territory, being faithful, and dying in peace, he ventures off to do what God had not purposed, and is killed by Neco. He placed himself outside of God’s will. And the result was that Huldah’s prophecy over him was nullified. He did not die a peaceful death.
A lesson
Let’s see what we can learn from this. Josiah was true in his worship, not an idolater. He lived according to the precepts of the Law, both religiously and morally. But he still failed, because he didn’t listen to God; what God’s purpose was for the people at that time and in that place.
This teaches us that even if we are doing all that the Scriptures teach – we still need to listen to God, to know what God is up to in our particular situation.
It teaches us that even if we are trying to do something good for God – we still need to listen to God. Is this what God wants, or is it what we want?
God was trying to speak to Josiah, but he didn’t listen. He spoke through Huldah and even the pagan Neco. But he failed to heed the message.
May we be sensitive to hear the voice of the Spirit in our lives and what God wants to do in our lives. And may we not simply go out and do whatever we think is right and good, but what God tells us to do; what God’s purpose is for us – in this time and in this place. Lest we place ourselves outside of God’s will for our lives. We need to listen to God.
Finally, a reflection on . . .
Josiah and Jesus
As I said, Josiah was seen in a Messianic way, a son of David who could save God’s people. Jesus also was a son of David and also a descendent of Josiah (Matthew 1).
And so as we prepare to receive the Lord’s supper this morning I want to end with some comparisons and contrasts between Josiah, a partial foreshadowing of the Messiah, and Jesus, the true fulfillment:
- Both sought to obey God: If Josiah was faithful, except for the incident with Neco, Jesus never failed, but was faithful in all things.
- Both were tragically killed: If Josiah was killed for no good purpose, acting outside of God’s will, Jesus willingly gave his life according to God’s will.
- Both raised great hope: If Josiah’s actions led to despair and lament for many years, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead brought true hope, joy and salvation forever.
- Both are connected to Megiddo: If Josiah was killed by a pagan king, Jesus will defeat the nations when he returns in glory at Armageddon (Revelation 16:16), the New Testament name for Megiddo.
And it is Jesus that we celebrate this morning, this son of David, that we remember as we partake of our meal.
William Higgins
Christian teaching 