SUMMARY OF 2 KINGS 22:1-23; 20; 2 CHRONICLES 34
2 Kings 22:
Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The book of the Law was found in the temple. Josiah tore his robes when he read the book because he knew none of the other kings had followed it.
The Lord responded by saying He would bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. 17 “Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made,[a] my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ 18 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse[b] and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 20 Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”
2 Kings 20:
When Hezekiah became ill, the prophet Isaiah said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Hezekiah wept and the Lord promised to add 15 more years to his life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’
Hezekiah showed the envoys his riches, and Isaiah prophesied that they would be carried away by Babylon. His son, Manasseh, succeeded him as king.
2 Chronicles 34:
Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He purged Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. 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 and the idols. He repaired the temple of the Lord.
The book of the Law was found in the temple. Josiah tore his robes when he read the book because he knew none of the other kings had followed it. He read the book to the people and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord. Everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledged themselves to it. Everyone followed the Lord as long as Josiah lived.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 17, Day 3: 2 Kings 22:1-23; 20; 2 Chronicles 34
6a)
2 Chronicles 34:1-2: 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 followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
2 Chronicles 34:3a: In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David.
2 Chronicles 34:3b-7: In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. 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 and the idols. 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.
2 Chronicles 34:8: 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.
7a) He tore his robes and inquired of the Lord about the consequences of those who acted before him.
b) You truly can’t grow with God until you do acknowledge your weaknesses before Him.
8a) 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. 27 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.
b) God heard Josiah and postponed punishment: “Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”
Josiah read the Law to the people and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord. Everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledged themselves to it. Everyone followed the Lord as long as Josiah lived.
c) I hope rightly. I hope I repent and turn to His ways and not mine. This is not always the case, I’m sure. I’m unsure on the recent experience.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 17, Day 3: 2 Kings 22:1-23; 20; 2 Chronicles 34
I love reading about the good kings much more than the bad kings. It gives me hope for the human race.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 17, Day 3: 2 Kings 22:1-23; 20; 2 Chronicles 34
2 Kings 22:
Josiah followed the Lord. He repaired the temple. According to 2 Chronicles 34, the repair of the temple happened after Josiah committed to the Lord at age 16 and began getting rid of idolatry in Judah. The book of the Law is found and read. Deuteronomy 31:24-27, tells us that there was a copy of the Book of the Law beside the ark of the covenant from Moses on. But, the book had been neglected for so long due to bad kings.
- Deuteronomy 17:18-20 says each king was to have a personal copy of the law, and he was to read it.
- Deuteronomy 31:9-13 commands the entire law to be read to an assembly of the nation once every 7 years at the Feast of Tabernacles to remind the people of God’s word.
There was apublic reading of the law in Joshua 8:34, during the reign of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:7-9), more than 500 years later, and in the reign of Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:30), more than 250 years after Jehoshaphat. There could have been more readings, too.
A spiritual revival happened, especially in Josiah. He sought the Lord, and the Lord says judgment is coming, but he spares Josiah due to his faithfulness and postpones judgment of the people. We’ve seen this a lot in this study where God takes pity on his people when they repent and postpones judgment (Ahab,1 Kings 21:25-29). This should encourage us.
2 Kings 20:
God extends Hezekiah’s life 15 years when He tells him that he will die (which is kind of God). He does this because he was faithful to the Lord. We know from 2 Kings 18:2 and 2 Kings 20:6 that Hezekiah was 39 years old when God told him he would die soon. This is also recorded in Isaiah 38.
Hezekiah prayed to God, and God answers (something we all should do). God confirmed his prophecy with a sign (another thing God did not have to do but does out of mercy for us).
Next, we see Hezekiah sin by being prideful of his riches that God gave him. He did not testify about God to these envoys either. This is a sin that God addresses. God says they will be taken away to Babylon, but Hezekiah is joyous because it won’t be in his day.
Hezekiah did not finish well. Will you?
2 Chronicles 34:
Josiah was a good king who worked to end idolatry in Judah. He restored the temple and discovered the book of the Law again. Josiah is overjoyed and goes to God. God answers. He will punish his people but not in Josiah’s time. Josiah will be gathered to his people.
Josiah renews God’s covenant and helps the people to follow God’s ways.
Josiah finishes well. Will you?
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