Why did Josiah disregard God's warning through Necho in 2 Chronicles 35:22? Opening Snapshot: 2 Chronicles 35:22 “Josiah, however, did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight against him. He did not listen to the words of Necho from the mouth of God, but went to fight him on the Plain of Megiddo.” Remembering the Man Josiah Had Been • Found the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22:8–13) • Led sweeping reforms and covenant renewal (2 Chronicles 34:29–33) • Restored the Passover to its biblical pattern (2 Chronicles 35:1–19) The Unexpected Messenger • Necho, Pharaoh of Egypt, claims a divine mandate: “God has told me to hurry; stop opposing God, who is with me” (2 Chronicles 35:21). • The text explicitly says these words were “from the mouth of God” (v 22). Why Josiah Ignored the Warning 1. Zeal without Reservation – Josiah’s lifelong passion for purity left him suspicious of anyone outside the covenant community. – Egypt had long been Israel’s oppressor (Exodus 1; Isaiah 31:1); instinctively, an Egyptian claim to divine authority sounded counterfeit. 2. Misapplied Theology – The Law commands Israel’s kings to trust the LORD, not foreign alliances (Deuteronomy 17:14–20). – Earlier prophets denounced relying on Egypt (Isaiah 30:1–5). Josiah may have assumed resisting Egypt equaled obedience, overlooking that God sometimes speaks through outsiders (cf. Balaam, Numbers 22:20; Cyrus, Isaiah 45:1). 3. Political Calculus – Necho’s march threatened Assyria, Judah’s former enemy; Josiah likely feared a strengthened Egypt–Assyria axis menacing Judah’s borders. – Strategic defense may have eclipsed spiritual discernment. 4. Overconfidence Born of Success – Years of reform and blessing may have fostered an unconscious presumption: “God is with me; my instincts are right.” – Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction.” 5. The Disguise Factor – Josiah “disguised himself,” recalling Ahab’s fatal ploy (2 Chronicles 18:29–34). Copying a wicked king’s tactics hints at misplaced trust in human schemes rather than the revealed word. Lessons the Narrative Emphasizes • God’s Word Stands, Even When Delivered by an Unlikely Source – Compare Jonah 3 (Ninevite king repents) and Acts 10:34–35 (God shows no favoritism). • Spiritual Discernment Requires Humility – 1 Thessalonians 5:20–21: “Do not treat prophecies with contempt, but test all things; hold fast to what is good.” – Josiah listened to past Scripture but missed a present word that aligned with God’s sovereign plan. • Obedience Is Moment-by-Moment – Earlier faithfulness never guarantees future faithfulness (Ezekiel 18:24). – Hebrews 3:13: “Encourage one another daily… so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Take-Home Summary Josiah’s tragic end was not God’s caprice but a sobering reminder: zeal, history, and good intentions cannot replace fresh obedience to God’s voice—wherever He chooses to speak it. |
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