Topical Bible: Obedience: Josiah

◄ Obedience: Josiah ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Introduction

Josiah, the sixteenth king of Judah, is a prominent biblical figure known for his exemplary obedience to God. His reign, which began when he was only eight years old, is marked by a significant religious reform that sought to restore the worship of Yahweh and eliminate idolatry from the land. Josiah's account is primarily found in 2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35, where his commitment to God's law and his efforts to lead his people back to righteousness are detailed.

Josiah's Early Reign and Discovery of the Law

Josiah ascended to the throne at a young age following the assassination of his father, Amon. Despite the idolatrous practices of his predecessors, Josiah "did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left" (2 Kings 22:2). His early reign was characterized by a desire to seek God, which set the stage for the significant reforms he would later implement.

In the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah ordered the repair of the temple in Jerusalem. During this process, Hilkiah the high priest discovered the Book of the Law, believed to be a copy of Deuteronomy. When the book was read to Josiah, he was deeply moved and tore his clothes in distress, recognizing the nation's disobedience to God's commands (2 Kings 22:11).

Josiah's Reforms

Josiah's response to the discovery of the Law was immediate and decisive. He gathered the people of Judah and read the words of the covenant to them, renewing the nation's commitment to follow the LORD. The king then embarked on a comprehensive campaign to rid the land of idolatry. He ordered the destruction of pagan altars, Asherah poles, and high places, and he removed the idolatrous priests who had led the people astray (2 Kings 23:4-20).

Josiah's reforms extended beyond Judah to the former territories of Israel, demonstrating his dedication to restoring true worship throughout the land. He reinstituted the Passover, which had not been observed in such a manner since the days of the judges, emphasizing the importance of obedience to God's commands (2 Kings 23:21-23).

Josiah's Legacy

Josiah's reign is remembered for his unwavering obedience and his efforts to lead his people back to God. The biblical narrative highlights his unique position among the kings of Judah: "Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him" (2 Kings 23:25).

Despite his reforms, the judgment pronounced against Judah for the sins of previous generations was not averted. Josiah's death in battle at Megiddo marked the end of an era of reform and the beginning of Judah's decline toward exile. Nevertheless, his life serves as a powerful example of the impact of obedience to God's word and the importance of leading others in faithfulness to the covenant.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Kings 22:2
And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
Nave's Topical Index

2 Kings 23:24,25
Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant.
... thus he is left a pattern to all ages of prompt obedience for conscience ... great prophet's
call were delayed on purpose to try the strength of Josiah's loyalty to ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon vii josiah a pattern.htm

The Prophet in the Reign of Josiah. 627-26-608 BC
... lavish distribution of the high-places in Judah and Benjamin, and may therefore
be dated before the suppression of these by King Josiah, in obedience to the Law ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture iv the prophet in.htm

Scriptural Examples of Piety and Obedience in the Young.
... 8.6.8.6 James Montgomery. Scriptural Examples of Piety and Obedience in the Young. ...
And o'er Gath's champion trod; Josiah, from his boyhood, knew. ...
/.../montgomery/sacred poems and hymns/hymn cccxxxi scriptural examples of.htm

Manasseh and Josiah
... and with few counselors to encourage him in the right way, Josiah nevertheless was ...
been given for the guidance of Israel's rulers, and his obedience made it ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 32 manasseh and josiah.htm

From Megiddo to Carchemish, 608-605.
... This he bravely gave by making, in obedience to God's call, public prediction ... to
believe, the former chapter reports an address delivered under Josiah, and the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/1 from megiddo to carchemish.htm

Jeremiah and Deuteronomy. (Chs. vii, viii. 8, xi. )
... called to assent to was not a legal programme but a spiritual covenant, of which
ethical obedience alone was stated as the condition. In Josiah's reign what ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/3 jeremiah and deuteronomy chs.htm

Jeremiah
... prophetic office while still a youth, in the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign ... pure
gold, the refined silver, the precious stones"faith and obedience and good ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 34 jeremiah.htm

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
... It must be recollected, too, that religious obedience was under the Jewish covenant ...
Josiah was the very king whose birth was foretold by name above three ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon ix jeremiah a lesson.htm

The Book of the Law
... Josiah was deeply stirred as he heard read for the first time the ... The encouragements
offered as the reward of obedience were accompanied by prophecies of ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 33 the book of.htm

Deuteronomy
... being disproportionately long for an introduction, it repeatedly demands obedience
to the ... in this chapter that produced such consternation in Josiah when he ...
/.../mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/deuteronomy.htm