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Josiah's Reforms
2 Kings 23:21-25 Then the king commanded all the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to YHWH your Elohim, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” Such a Passover surely had never been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. .. Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to YHWH 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.
In the timeline explanation below, it took about 400 years since King Solomon for Israel and Judah to have ended up at this point where they have actually “misplaced”/lost the Torah. 2 Chronicles 34-35 parallel and expand on the events in 2 Kings 23, providing a more detailed account of Josiah’s reign and reforms. When Josiah heard about the Torah – he tore his clothes and cried in shame about what was right there with them, but the people got lost in their own traditions. One would think that 400 years is a long time, but see how quickly it took only 1 generation to lose the values of their parents. Just look at Hezekiah and Manasseh for example. And then again after Josiah, we read his own son went back to idol worship.
Josiahs’ name in Hebrew is Yoshia H2977 – yō’šîyâ, coming from two words, Yah (YWHW) and ASYA H803 – ‘āšyâ, meaning support or foundation – so Josiah means YHWH’s support/foundation.
Timeline and Jews, Jerusalem's fall
2 Kings 24:10 “At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.” We read about this event of Jerusalem’s fall in Lamentations 1:1-22, verse 1 “How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!”
If we quickly look at the approximate timeline since Israel’s exodus out of Egypt:
430 Years – Israel was in Egypt
40 Years – Israel in wilderness
360 Years – time of Judges (between entering Promised land and King Saul & David)
40 Years – King Saul
40 Years – King David
285 Years – Between King Solomon and Israels’ fall to Assyria
135 Years – After Israels’ fall to Assyria and Jerusalem/Judah fall to Babylon
(285+135=400 Years between Solomon and Babylon)
70 Years – Judah’s exile in Babylon, before their return to Jerusalem (many prophets)
lost – Northern Kings of Israel never returned, or lost tribes of Samaria
400 Years – quiet time between last Prophet Malachi and Yeshua’s birth
The word or name Jew, in Hebrew is Yehudim, referring the the people of Judah/Yehudah. This term Jew is used for the first time here in 2nd Kings, specifically 2 Kings 16:6, “At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drove the Jews from Elath”. The Hebrew word is Yehudi H3064 – yᵊhûḏî, and will be used a lot especially in the book of Esther, but also in the prophets Nehemiah, Jeremiah and Zechariah – all whom witnessed and experienced the Babylonian exile.
False gods and idols
In 2 Kings 23, King Josiah led a major religious reform in Judah, destroying idols and altars dedicated to false gods. Verse 4-20 it describes a long list of altars, people, objects, places etc.. “And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring out of the temple of YHWH all the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.”
Some of the idols and false gods destroyed:
- asherah: The asherah pole was burned and ground into dust. She is often referred to as “queen of heaven“. Scripture use the word pole, but it generally were trees, or trees cut down and kept in homes, or objects made from wood.
- altars: altars inside the Temple and elsewhere, including those built by Manasseh. Some of these were for molech/moloch/molek, verse 10 on which they “sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to molek”. The reference or term use of “molech” still continues today, equating it to abortions that are legalized, millions of children disappearing every day, and also in some secret cults.
- gods of the nations: Josiah destroyed shrines dedicated to astarte (symbolizing love festivals or spring time festivals), chemosh (related to martial arts and war skills, and thirst for power), and milcom (Solomon built altars to him, revered for its power and association with the stars).
- abominations: Josiah removed mediums, necromancers, household gods, and idols
- Shades and cult articles: Josiah removed inappropriate worship places and cult articles and shrines.
- High places: Josiah made impure the places east of Jerusalem where idols were worshiped, covering them with human bones.
- Idolatrous priests: Josiah removed idolatrous priests ordained by kings of Judah.
- Other idols: Josiah put away household gods, images, and all detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem.
Even though we might not think today there are false god worship, many of these are done or suggested as just in the “name of fun”. Festivals or days held in the name of “love”, fascination with stars, war and fighting skills promoted among children and men, children disappearing and abortions, gender confusion, wooden objects or tree “love” to name but a few…
