What is the meaning of 2 Kings 23:5? Josiah also did away By the time Josiah comes to the throne, Judah is weighed down with generations of compromise (2 Kings 22:11–13; 2 Chron 34:3–7). The phrase highlights decisive action: he “did away,” not merely re-organized or delayed. Josiah treats idolatry the way God told Israel to treat it from the start—eradicate it (Deuteronomy 13:12-17). His zeal fulfills earlier prophecy that a king from David’s line would break down pagan altars (1 Kings 13:2). with the idolatrous priests These “chemārîm” were not Levites faithfully serving in the temple; they were self-styled clergy leading the people astray (Zephaniah 1:4; Hosea 10:5). By dismissing them, Josiah obeys God’s command that only Aaron’s descendants serve at the altar (Numbers 16:40). Removal protects both worship and nation: false priests always produce false living (Jeremiah 23:13-15). ordained by the kings of Judah Past kings—especially Manasseh—had sanctioned this priesthood (2 Kings 21:3-5; 2 Chronicles 33:5). Royal endorsement gave sin official status. Josiah reverses that precedent, illustrating that earthly authority must submit to heavenly authority (Acts 5:29). His reform reminds leaders today that policy never overrules Scripture. to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah Incense symbolized prayer and worship (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 8:3-4). Offering it on “high places”—unsanctioned hilltop shrines—was a direct violation of God’s command to bring sacrifices only to the chosen place (Deuteronomy 12:5-13). What looked “spiritual” was actually rebellion dressed in tradition (1 Kings 3:2). Josiah abolishes the practice rather than adapting it. and in the places all around Jerusalem Idolatry had crept to the very doorstep of the temple (Jeremiah 19:4-5; Ezekiel 8:16). Josiah’s purge is comprehensive; he refuses a geographical double standard—no “safe zones” for sin. Holiness must reach the suburbs as well as the sanctuary. those who had burned incense to Baal Baal worship blended sexual immorality, child sacrifice, and claims of fertility (Jeremiah 7:9; 19:5). Elijah had exposed it a century earlier (1 Kings 18:21), yet it resurged. Josiah’s action shows God’s patience has limits; repeated warnings unanswered lead to judgment (2 Kings 17:13-18). to the sun and moon Astral worship captivated many ancient peoples (Deuteronomy 17:3; Job 31:26-28). Bowing to created lights denies the Creator’s glory (Genesis 1:16). Josiah dismantles these practices, declaring that the God who made the heavenly bodies alone deserves worship. to the constellations The Hebrew points to zodiac-style divination. Isaiah mocked those who “divide the heavens” for guidance (Isaiah 47:13), and Amos urged Israel to seek “Him who made the Pleiades and Orion” (Amos 5:8). Josiah’s cleanse rejects superstition and affirms trust in God’s revelation, not cosmic signs. and to all the host of heaven This catch-all phrase sweeps in every form of celestial idolatry (Deuteronomy 4:19; 2 Kings 21:3). Josiah leaves no loophole. Anything that diverts awe from the Lord is expunged. His example calls modern believers to similar thoroughness: smash every rival throne in the heart (1 John 5:21). summary 2 Kings 23:5 records a key stroke in Josiah’s larger reformation: he eliminates the state-sponsored, idolatry-peddling priesthood and the entire spectrum of pagan worship—Baal, sun, moon, zodiac, every celestial “host.” By doing so he obeys God’s Word literally, restores pure worship to Judah, and models the uncompromising holiness God still requires of His people today. |
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