2 Chronicles 34:1-35:26

Memory Verse: 13

Questions

Outline

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I. Josiah, King of Judah's Reforms (34:1-33)

* The engraving to the right was in a book by Klauber, Joseph Sebastian (1700-1768). The book's title is "Historiae Biblicae Veteris et Novi Testamenti" This image depicts King Zedekiah of Judah being blinded before King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon after Zedekiah's sons are killed. At the top King Jehoiachin of Judah is released from prison by King Evil-merodach of Babylon. In the top left corner Shaphan reads the found book of the law to King Josiah. In the top-right corner Josiah's corpse is brought back to Jerusalem from Megiddo. In the bottom-left corner King Manasseh of Judah causes his son to pass through the fire, and participates in other abominations before God. To the bottom-right is Manasseh's captivity in Babylon. To the left and right Manasseh attempts to atone for his past sins. Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

>1. How is Josiah's life described in verses 1-7?

* 2 Chronicles 34:1-7 "Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. 3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, carved idols and cast images. 4 Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles, the idols and the images. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6 In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them, 7 he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem."

* Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and perhaps Nahum were prophets during Josiah's reign. Huldah was a prophetess.

* Josiah's reign is also recorded in 2 Kings 22.

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>What did he set his mind on? (8-11)

* 2 Chronicles 34:8-11 "In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the LORD his God. 9 They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the temple of God, which the Levites who were the doorkeepers had collected from the people of Manasseh, Ephraim and the entire remnant of Israel and from all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 Then they entrusted it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the LORD's temple. These men paid the workers who repaired and restored the temple. 11 They also gave money to the carpenters and builders to purchase dressed stone, and timber for joists and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin."

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>What is the temple of the Lord now and how can we build it up? (1 Cor. 3:16-17; and 2 Cor. 6:16)

* 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."

* 2 Corinthians 6:16 "What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

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>How did each have their duties? (12-13)

* 2 Chronicles 34:12-13 "The men did the work faithfully. Over them to direct them were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descended from Kohath. The Levites-all who were skilled in playing musical instruments- 13 had charge of the laborers and supervised all the workers from job to job. Some of the Levites were secretaries, scribes and doorkeepers."

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* See a painting of Josiah with the Book of the Law to the right.

>2. What did the high priest find as they were working on the temple? (8-10)

* 2 Chronicles 34:14-18 "While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD that had been given through Moses. 15 Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan. 16 Then Shaphan took the book to the king and reported to him: "Your officials are doing everything that has been committed to them. 17 They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers." 18 Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king."

* 2 Kings 22:8-10 also record the finding of the book of the Law.

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>What does this say about Judah in the preceding years?

* Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He loved God. He removed all the idols and false priests from the land. He wanted to purify the land and temple. So he ordered the temple repaired. While doing this they found the Book of the Law, the first five books of the Bible which the Lord God had Moses write. That is the covenant the Lord had with his people Israel.

So what did they have to read from the Lord before they found it? How did they know what the Lord required them to do without the covenant? They did not except what was passed down to them orally. Since their ancestors did not worship the Lord, this generation recieved skewed false information. That is why king Josiah tore his rode in great anquish. He said, "Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord's anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us."

The Holy Spirit lives in me reminds me of the word of God that I read and study. Daily Bible study is important because it is human nature to forget and confuse.

>What did King Josiah do and say when he heard the Book of the Law was found? (19-28)

* 2 Chronicles 34:19-21 "When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. 20 He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant: 21 "Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book." "

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>Who did the priest go to when inquiring of the Lord? (22)

* 2 Chronicles 34:22 "Hilkiah and those the king had sent with him went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District."

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>What was the Lord's word to Josiah? (23-24)

* 2 Chronicles 34:23 "She said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, 24 'This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people-all the curses written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah."

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* See a painting depicting the lost book being found and read to the king by The Providence Lithograph Company. This study card is now in public domain.

>Why?

* 2 Chronicles 34:25 "Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all that their hands have made, my anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.'"

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>Even though Judah has sinned what did the Lord tell Josiah? (26-28)

* 2 Chronicles 34:26-28 "Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 27 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. 28 Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.' " So they took her answer back to the king."

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>How is that hope in our time?

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>3. How did the king and all the people respond to the word of the Lord? (29-33)

* 2 Chronicles 34:29-33 "Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 He went up to the temple of the LORD with the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites-all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD. 31 The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD-to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book. 32 Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers."

* 2 Kings 23:1-28 is like 2 Chronicles 34:29 thru 35:19 with a few things added. 2 Chronicles does not go into as much detail about the king ordering the cleansing of the land as 2 Kings.

* King Josiah and the people of Judah and the remnant of Israel confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors and pledged themselves to the Lord's covenant as they read the lost Book of the Law, the first five books of the Bible that had been found while restoring the broken temple.

Then they removed all the idols, mediums, and spiritist in Judah and Israel including the two idols and altars that Jereboam set up when Israel split from Judah.

While Josiah was destroying the altar Jeroboam had made he came to the tomb of a prophet of the Lord. He was told that the prophet had predicted all that Josiah was doing. The tomb had been a source of ridicule. Now it was a testimony to the Lord.

Often we ridicule and scoff the truth till it is almost to late and sometimes is to late.

Then all Judah and the remnant of Israel not taken into captivity celebrated Passover like had not been done in a very very long time.

When Josiah did all these things the Lord said, "Nevertheless, the Lord did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to arouse his anger. So the Lord said, "I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, 'My Name shall be there.'" This was also said earlier when King Hezekiah, Josiah's great grandfather repented and served the Lord.

Consequences exist for every decision and action I do. I am saved by grace and often I do not get all that my sins deserve. Yet when bad things happen I must accept that it is a result of sin, and not because of anything God did or does. Yes, the Lord in mercy does not let me bear the full brunt of my sin. Still my sin has consequences. Example: Physical death, the result of sin comes to all. Yet even in death can be mercy, for those who put their hope in Jesus through God's mercy, will rise from the dead.

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II. Josiah Celebrates the Passover (35:1-19)

>4. Why did King Josiah call all the elders together? (1-6)

* 2 Chronicles 35:1-6 "Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the LORD's temple. 3 He said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been consecrated to the LORD: "Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel. 4 Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the directions written by David king of Israel and by his son Solomon. 5 "Stand in the holy place with a group of Levites for each subdivision of the families of your fellow countrymen, the lay people. 6 Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves and prepare the lambs for your fellow countrymen, doing what the LORD commanded through Moses."

* Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and perhaps Nahum were prophets during Jehoahaz's reign. Huldah was a prophetess.

* 2 Kings 23:21-23 also records Josiah given the order to celebrate the Passover.

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* See a lithograph of Israel's escape from Egypt to the right.

>What is Passover to the Israelites? (1; Exodus 12:26-27; Num. 9:1-3, 28:16-17, 33:3; Deut. 16:1)

* Leviticus 23:4-5 "'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month."

* Exodus 12:26-27 "And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.'" Then the people bowed down and worshiped."

* Numbers 9:1-3 "The LORD spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month of the second year after they came out of Egypt. He said, "Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time. Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, in accordance with all its rules and regulations."

* Numbers 28:16-17 "On the fourteenth day of the first month the LORD's Passover is to be held. On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a festival; for seven days eat bread made without yeast."

* Numbers 33:3 "The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. They marched out boldly in full view of all the Egyptians"

* Deuteronomy 16:1 "Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover of the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib he brought you out of Egypt by night."

* "Abib" -Abib is the name of the first month in the Hebrew calendar which has a total of twelve months. Abib is taken from the ripening of barley to reach the stage of "abib" meaning the nearly ripened crop. The month of Abib is called Nisan by modern Jews. (From "The Believer's Future - Hope that Inspires" found on this web site.)

* "Passover" -Passover was the first Feast of the Lord in the Hebrew calendar. It is the first of a seven day event commemorating when the Lamb of God’s blood saved Israel from death and slavery in Egypt. It starts with Passover and ends with the seven days Feast of Unleavened Bread with the Day of Wave Sheaf in the mist of it. (Ex. 23:19, 2 Ki. 4:42) (From "The Believer's Future - Hope that Inspires" found on this web site.)

>How did Jesus fulfill the Passover? (John 1:29, 1:35-36; and 1 Peter 1:18-20)

* John 1:29 "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

* John 1:35-36 "The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

* 1 Peter 1:18-20 "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake."

* Throughout history the Lord has established three ways to celebrate the Passover. The first could only have been observed once; the night before the Israelites were lead out of bondage to slavery by the Lord. The second was instituded at Mount Sinai and was to be celebrated in the promised land. The third institution was when Jesus celebrated what is called The Last Supper.

* The Passover lamb pointed to Jesus death for our sins. His blood cleanses us.

* See a chart showing what has come known as Jesus' Passion Week to the right.

>5. Why might the king provide the lamb offering for all the lay people? (7-9)

* 2 Chronicles 35:7-9 "Josiah provided for all the lay people who were there a total of thirty thousand sheep and goats for the Passover offerings, and also three thousand cattle-all from the king's own possessions. 8 His officials also contributed voluntarily to the people and the priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel, the administrators of God's temple, gave the priests twenty-six hundred Passover offerings and three hundred cattle. 9 Also Conaniah along with Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, provided five thousand Passover offerings and five hundred head of cattle for the Levites."

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>Was this good or bad?

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>6. How was the service arranged? (10-15)

* 2 Chronicles 35:10-15 "The service was arranged and the priests stood in their places with the Levites in their divisions as the king had ordered. 11 The Passover lambs were slaughtered, and the priests sprinkled the blood handed to them, while the Levites skinned the animals. 12 They set aside the burnt offerings to give them to the subdivisions of the families of the people to offer to the LORD, as is written in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle. 13 They roasted the Passover animals over the fire as prescribed, and boiled the holy offerings in pots, caldrons and pans and served them quickly to all the people. 14 After this, they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fat portions until nightfall. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the Aaronic priests. 15 The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, were in the places prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun the king's seer. The gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their posts, because their fellow Levites made the preparations for them."

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>Why might they have made preparations for themselves?

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>7. What is the Feast of Unleavened Bread? (16-19)

* 2 Chronicles 35:16-19 "So at that time the entire service of the LORD was carried out for the celebration of the Passover and the offering of burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, as King Josiah had ordered. 17 The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 18 The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah, with the priests, the Levites and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people of Jerusalem. 19 This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign."

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>What was so unique about this Passover?

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III. The Death of Josiah (35:20-27)

>8. What happened to Josiah? (20-22)

* 2 Chronicles 35:20-22 "After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle. 21 But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, "What quarrel is there between you and me, O king of Judah? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you." 22 Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Neco had said at God's command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo."

* 2 Kings 23:26-30 is similar to 2 Chronicles 35:20 thru 36:4.

* God had made a conditional covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai, after he led them out of Egypt. They continually broke the covenant. God did not. From God's point of view he was using the captivity to punish Israel and Judah would soon experience it too.

* Nowhere does it say that Josiah sought the Lord's direction in attacking Egypt.

>Why might Josiah have marched out against Egypt?

* 2 Kings 23:26 includes a reason for this. It says, "Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger."

* Josiah reigned from 640 to 609 BC, 31 years according to the Hebrew calendar. During all this time he had done so much spiritual cleansing and reform in Judah and that which was left of the kingdom of Israel.

Then Josiah did a foolish thing. He left Jerusalem to attach the Egyptian army. What lead him to attack Necho, the king of Egypt? Necho's army was not attacking Judah. They were just passing by Judah. They were not even close to Jerusalem So why did Josiah do this?.

The passage clearly says, "(Josiah) would not listen to what Necho had said AT GOD'S COMMAND but went to fight him..." God had told Necho to come to the aid of Assyria who was being attacked by Babylon. The battle would have also protected Judah. Still, Josiah went to attack the Egyptian army anyway. Why? Josiah was foolish when he did this. Why?

Josiah did not seek God's will. That's why. He didn't do so even when Necho had said to Josiah that God had told him to help Assyria fight Babylon. Why didn't even Josiah's curiosity pick up enough to seek the Lord when Necho said, "...God told me to hurry, so stop opposing God who is with me, or he will destroy you"? The passage does not say Josiah ever went to the Lord even once at this time. Why didn't he seek God's will in this?

Perhaps, it is because as 2 Kings 23:27 says, "...I (the Lord) will reject Jerusalem..." God had stated his plan for Jerusalem, and now his plan was coming thru.

And most likely Josiah didn't seek Gods will at this time out of spiritual pride. He was simply arrogantly thinking God does not interact and talk to Gentiles.

Spiritual pride is a virus that is in all, those who follow Jesus too. The disciples told Jesus about a man who was not one of them and yet was telling others about Jesus. They wanted that kind of nonsense to stop. Jesus said, "No. Don't stop him. He who is not against us is for us."

Jesus is the only way to God. And God works uniquely in everyone so that all can come to accept this truth. God can and does give messages to anyone and all. How else will anyone come to faith if he didn't for we all fall short of the glory of God and are born with the sinful nature? So God can and does speak to everyone, even me before I knew him too.

I am foolish to think God does not give commands and direction and his word to others simply because they do not go to my church, do not do what I do, and even if they do not confess the name of Jesus. I am to test every spirit, and also keep an open humble mind recognizing that God may be giving messages to others as well.

>What can we learn about the Lord from this?

* Deuteronomy 18:20 "But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death."

* James 3:1-2 "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check."

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>9. What happened to King Josiah during the battle with Egypt?

* 2 Chronicles 35:23-24 "Archers shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, "Take me away; I am badly wounded." 24 So they took him out of his chariot, put him in the other chariot he had and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his fathers, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him."

* 2 Kings 23:29-30 also record King Josiah's death.

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>10. Who was Jeremiah and what did he do for Josiah?

* 2 Chronicles 35:25-27 "Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the men and women singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments. 26 The other events of Josiah's reign and his acts of devotion, according to what is written in the Law of the LORD- 27 all the events, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah."

* 2 Kings does not record this.

* "Laments" -Some believed that this is what is now called "Lamentations" found right after the book of the prophet Jeremiah. It is not.

* "Jeremiah" -The prophet Jeremiah is the author of the book titled after him. Jeremiah held Josiah is high esteem. (Jeremiah 22:15-16)