Why did Josiah ignore God's warning?
Why did King Josiah ignore God's warning through Pharaoh Necho in 2 Chronicles 35:23?

Historical Setting: Egypt, Assyria, and Judah at the Turn of the Seventh Century BC

By 609 BC, Assyria was collapsing under Babylonian pressure. Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt marched north to aid his Assyrian allies against Babylon at Carchemish. Josiah had just completed sweeping reforms (2 Chron 34–35) and hosted the largest Passover since Samuel (35:18–19). Politically, Judah lay astride the main coastal highway (Via Maris) that Necho required. Blocking that route risked Egypt’s anger; allowing passage risked entanglement. Megiddo was the strategic choke point. Contemporary Egyptian inscriptions (Wadi el-Hôl, Karnak), the Babylonian Chronicles (BM 21901), and later Greek sources (Herodotus 2.158) corroborate Egypt’s activity in the Levant at precisely this time.


The Chronicler’s Narrative: 2 Chronicles 35:20-24

“After all this…King Necho of Egypt came up to fight at Carchemish…But Josiah marched out to meet him…Necho sent messengers to him, saying, ‘What is the matter between you and me, O king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war; and God has told me to hurry…Refrain from opposing God, who is with me, or He will destroy you.’ But Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to fight…The archers shot King Josiah…” (vv. 20-23).


Parallel Account: 2 Kings 23:29

“While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah marched out to meet him, but Necho killed him at Megiddo…” Kings omits any divine warning, underscoring that the Chronicler added theological commentary rather than conflicting history—both agree Josiah confronted Necho and died.


Why Would God Speak Through a Pagan King?

1. Precedent: God employed Balaam (Numbers 22–24), Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1), and even the Philistine princes (1 Samuel 29:6-11).

2. Universal Sovereignty: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD” (Proverbs 21:1).

3. Specific Purpose: To test Josiah’s discernment and to fulfill prophetic timing—Judah’s sins (2 Chron 36:15-16) required impending exile; Josiah’s premature death accelerated that timetable while sparing him from witnessing it (2 Kings 22:20).


Josiah’s Possible Motives for Ignoring the Warning

1. Covenant Optimism: Having renewed national obedience, Josiah likely assumed continued divine favor (cf. Deuteronomy 28 blessings). His reforms cultivated zeal but may have bred overconfidence.

2. Alliance Calculus: Babylon was the rising power threatening Egypt; Josiah may have sided tactically with Babylon, viewing Egypt-Assyria as the greater threat to Judah’s autonomy.

3. Prophetic Ambiguity: Jeremiah, Huldah, and Zephaniah were active; none is recorded as counseling Josiah to stand aside. Lacking confirmation from trusted prophets, Josiah distrusted an Egyptian oracle.

4. Moral Righteousness vs. Political Realism: Josiah’s crusade against idolatry included dismantling Assyrian-imposed cults (2 Kings 23:4-20). Permitting an Assyrian-Egyptian coalition to regroup could reverse his religious gains.

5. Psychological Factors: Cognitive dissonance can cause leaders to filter inconvenient information—especially when conveyed by perceived enemies. Behavioral science labels such filtering motivated reasoning.


Theological Tension: Faithful King, Fatal Choice

Scripture presents Josiah as exemplary (2 Kings 23:25), yet fallible. His death illustrates:

• God’s purposes transcend individual righteousness (cf. Job).

• Blessings promised in Deuteronomy are corporate; the nation at large remained sinful (Jeremiah 25:1-7).

• Obedience requires discerning God’s voice even when it comes through unexpected channels.


Providence and Judgment

Josiah’s passing removed Judah’s last upright monarch. Within four years, Babylon destroyed Assyria at Carchemish (605 BC), then subdued Judah (2 Kings 24). Jeremiah lamented, “The breath of our nostrils, the LORD’s anointed, was captured in their pits” (Lamentations 4:20). Thus God’s redemptive plan, including the 70-year exile prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11), advanced toward the coming Messiah.


Archaeological Corroboration

• Megiddo Stratum VIIA reveals destruction layers and arrowheads consistent with late-7th-century warfare.

• A shard from Tel Megiddo carries a late paleo-Hebrew inscription referencing “the king,” dating close to Josiah’s reign.

• The Lachish Ostraca (c. 588 BC) reference both prophetic messages and Egyptian movements, confirming Egypt’s military presence days before Babylon’s siege.


Practical Lessons for Today

1. Test the spirits (1 John 4:1) even if the messenger is unlikely.

2. Zeal must remain teachable; spiritual victories do not immunize against error.

3. National righteousness cannot rest on one individual’s faithfulness; communal repentance is vital.

4. God’s sovereignty means He may use unexpected instruments—even adversaries—to direct His people.


Conclusion

Josiah ignored Necho’s warning because prophetic insight, political strategy, and personal conviction converged to obscure God’s voice delivered through an unlikely channel. His death, while tragic, fitted God’s larger salvific timeline. Discernment, humility, and obedience remain central for all who seek to glorify God.

What does Josiah's story teach about seeking God's guidance before making decisions?
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