Josaih

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King of Judah
Josaih 640-609 B.C.
Josiah was eight years old when he became king,
and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2
Ki 221
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Josiah Judahs Greatest King
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 Ki 2325)

• Judah's Recent Past

Ahaz (734 715 B.C. A very wicked king,
practiced human sacrifice) Hezekiah (715 686
B.C. A very good king, instituted many religious
reforms) Manasseh (696 642 B.C. The most wicked
of Judahs kings) Amon (642 640 B.C. Continued
the evil ways of Manasseh) Josiah (640 609 B.C.
Served God with a loyal heart and instituted many
religious reforms)
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Josiah Judahs Greatest King
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 Ki 2325)

• (630) Nahums prophecy against Nineveh
• (627) Jeremiah begins his work and prophecies
• (626) Nabopolassar becomes the first king of the
  Babylonian empire
• (612) Fall of Nineveh by the union of Babylon
  Media
• (609) Death of Josiah by Pharaoh-Necho
• (605) Battle of Carchemish Control of Babylon
  over Egypt Assyria

Important world events that would impact Judah
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Josiah Judahs Greatest King
Some notable highlights of Josiahs thirty-one
year reign

• At 16-years old Josiah begins to seek God (2
  Chron 343) This implies his decision to gain
  independence from crumbling kingdom of Assyria.
• He began a policy of purging the nation of its
  idolatrous past (2 Chron 343) Such a return to
  Jehovah worship would be viewed by Assyria as
  insurrection.
• He sought to annex into Judah provinces to the
  north that had been part of the northern kingdom
  of Israel (2 Chron 346) These would have been
  cities held by Assyria.
• His reforms gain momentum when the book of the
  Law is found (2 Ki 223-20) Understanding the
  condemnations of the book, Huldah the prophetess
  explains that Josiah would die before the nation
  becomes desolate.

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Josiah Judahs Greatest King
Josiahs Religious Reforms
All pagan vessels found in the temple were burned
and ashes carried to Bethel (2 Ki 234) Removed
the pagan priests that had been appointed by
Manasseh and Amon (2 Ki 235) Removed the image
(idol of Asherah) from the temple, burned it and
spread the ashes on graves of the people (2 Ki
236) Houses of the sodomites (homosexual
priests) were torn down (2 Ki 237) Defiled the
high places where the Lord was worshiped
illegitimately w/out authority (2 Ki 238-9)
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Josiah Judahs Greatest King
Josiahs Religious Reforms
He defiled Topheth, the area within the valley of
Hinnom where children were sacrificed to Molech
(2 Ki 2310)

• Destroyed a monument of horses and chariots that
  had been dedicated to the sun (god) (2 Ki 2311)
• Broke down and ground to dust certain
  unauthorized altars and cast the dust into the
  brook Kidron (2 Ki 2312)
• Destroyed the pagan shrines honoring the gods of
  the Zidonians, Moabites and Ammonites that had
  been built by Solomon (2 Ki 2313-14)

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Josiah Judahs Greatest King
Josiahs Religious Reforms
He removed the altar that Jeroboam had built at
Bethel, destroying the high place and the idol (2
Ki 2315)
Burned the bones of those who had practiced
idolatry fulfilling the prophecy of 1 Ki 132
(2 Ki 2316) Destroyed the shrines and high
places in Israel Samaria and killed the priests
and burned their remains on the altars they had
erected (2 Ki 2319-20) Removed those who
practiced witchcraft (2 Ki 2324)
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Josiah Judahs Greatest King
Josiahs Religious Reforms
He commanded the people to keep the Passover as
it was written in the book of God (2 Ki 2321-23)
Nevertheless the LORD did not turn from the
fierceness of His great wrath, with which His
anger was aroused against Judah, because of all
the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked
Him. And the LORD said, I will also remove Judah
from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will
cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen,
and the house of which I said, My name shall be
there. 2 Ki 2326-27
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