1 2 ß9/25/11 2Kings 22-23 the Wickedness of Manasseh Was The

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ß9/25/11 2)) He was taken to Babylon by Assyria, believed in 650 B.C. by 2Kings 22-23 Asherbanipal and repented and God allowed him returned to The wickedness of Manasseh was the worst of any Jerusalem. king, yet God in His mercy forgave him and 3)) Manasseh reigned till 642 B.C., restored him and he demonstrated his genuine faith that means he had eight years left in Yahweh. after his captivity, so if he spent two years in captivity, that means But his son Amon did evil before the Lord. Josiah had the benefit of his first six year of his Grand-father’s Now Josiah one of the greatest kings comes to the repentance and reform. 2Chron. throne in 608 B.C. , leaving only four more kings 33:11-20 before the 70 year captivity. 4)) Then from six to eight, his father Amon reigned for two years and 22:1-20 The eighteenth year of Josiah’s did evil before God, not humbling reign. himself before God, as his father Manasseh and was assassinated 22:1-2 The particulars about the reign of after two years. 2Kings 21:19-23, Josiah. 2Chron. 33:22-25 * The parallel passage. 2Chron. 34:1-7 b) He reigned thirty-one years in 1) Josiah was a mere eight years old when Jerusalem. vs. 1b he came to be king of Judah. vs. 1a * 640-608 B.C a) He did not have the advantage of a c) His mother’s name was Jediah. vs. 1c godly home. 1)) Jedidah “y@diydah”, means 1)) Most say for his first eight years beloved, feminine of Solomon. and I also have taught it, but as I 2)) She was the daughter of Adiahah was pondering the text, it struck “Adayah”, meaning “Yahweh has me that from birth to six years of adorned Himself”. age, he lived under his Grand- father Manasseh, who repented. 3 4

3)) She was from Bozkath, a city in 22:3-7 The particular command of Josiah. the low lands of Judah, towards the * 2Chron. 34:8-13 Philistines, Ekron. 1) Josiah gave a commanded to be carried 2) Josiah chose to walk with God, after his out in regards to the Temple. vs. 3a-b Grand-father Manasseh. vs. 2 a) The phrase “Now it came to pass”, a) His commitment was to Yahweh, simply implies after some time. vs. 3a doing what was right in the sight of b) The time is, “the eighteenth year of the LORD.” vs. 2a King Josiah”. vs. 3b b) His high commendation is recorded, 1)) He began to reign at 8 years old, he walked in all the ways of his father 640 B.C. David. vs. 2b 2)) He has reigned 18 years, so he is c) His steadfastness is emphasized, not now 26 years old, 622 B.C. deviating to the right or left. vs. 2c 3)) Eighteen year are passed up in 1)) Think about how the book of silence in the book of Kings, but Kings does not buy into the this was the result of seeking the philosophy of dis-functionalism to Lord, in earlier years. excuse you sinful life-style to 4)) Chronicles gives us clear order of blame your home-life and others, event, telling us that in the 8th year you have a choice on how to live. of his reign, when he was 16 years 2)) Godly Hezekiah had an evil father, old, while he was still young, he Ahaz, evil Manasseh had a godly began to seek the God of his father father, Hezekiah, evil Amon had David, then in the 12th year of his an evil father who repented, reign, when he was 20 years old, Manasseh, and Josiah had a godly he began to purge Judah and repentant Grand-father Manasseh Jerusalem. 2Chron. 34:3 but an evil father Amon. 5)) So the event of our text is six 3)) Do not get tired of hearing this years after the one recorded in important principle, God has gone Second Chronicles, he is now 26 out of His way to record this over years old. and over, so we do not miss it! 2) Josiah sent one of his servants. vs. 3c-f

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a) The king sent Shaphan the scribe. vs. 3c 22:8-10 The High Priest informed Shaphan * Shaphan “shaphan” means rock that he discovered a scroll. badge, coney or the hyrax. * The parallel passage. 2Chron. 34:14-21 b) The son of Azaliah, the son of 1) The communication was first hand Meshullam. vs. 3d-e information, Hilkiah the high priest to 1)) His father’s name is Azaliah, Shaphan the scribe. vs. 8a “Atsalyahuw” meaning Yahweh a) Direct lines of communications are the has reserved or set apart. most expedient and efficient. 2)) His grandfather was Meshullam b) Bureaucracy contaminates information “M@shullam”, means “friend”. and slows down efficiency. c) The destination, “to the house of the 2) The scroll found was the Pentateuch, the LORD.” vs. 3f first five books of the Bible, “I have 1)) The original temple Solomon found the Book of the Law.” vs. 8b built. b) The book Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus 2)) The temple was desecrated by Numbers and Deuteronomy, written many, but the worst was by his by Moses. Grandfather Manasseh. 1)) Whether it was the original one 3) Josiah gave specific instructions. vs. 4-7 that was to be kept beside the Ark a) He was to tell the High Priest to count of the covenant or not we can not the money dedicated for the temple by say. Deut. 31:26 the people. vs. 4 * It could have been from the time b) The High Priest then was to deliver of Moses! the money to those in charge of the 2)) This copy was distinct from the temple repairs of all its abuse and king’s copy from it, to read neglect. vs. 5 continuously to rule in the fear of c) He named the particular laborers to God. Deut. 17:18 purchase the materials needed. vs. 6 * Alexander White comments that d) Josiah emphasized the integrity of the for all practical purposes, if it were men doing the work, not needing not for Josiah we would not have accountability, being faithful. vs. 7 the first five books and our bible 7 8

would of begun with the book of Joshua! 22:11-14 The King Josiah was convicted by the 3) The location was in the house of the reading of the scroll. Yahweh, the covenant God. vs. 8b 1) The immediate outward response of a) As they were making preparations to Josiah was grief and anguish tearing his make repairs. clothes. vs. 11 b) Possibly the book of the Law was lost a) The Book of the Law contained a during Manasseh’s reign. portion of God’s cursings and 4) The delivery of the book was to Shaphan, blessing, key to the covenant. “And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, 1)) Josiah most likely read the section and he read it.” vs. 8c-d of cursings and blessings. Lev. 26, a) Shaphan was a scribe “caphar”, the Deut. 27-28 one responsible for the records or 2)) The Book of the Law contained chronicles of history or events. the covenant the people had made b) The were also responsible for the with God. Deut. 29-30 preserving of the Scriptures. making b) The tearing of one’s clothes was an newer copies, the more valuable. outward demonstration of the heart. c) Shaphan the scribe read the book, 1)) What pained God, pained Josiah, understanding how greatly they had demonstrating his brokenness. sinned against God. 2)) He was humbling himself before 5) The communication of Shaphan to Josiah. God, due to his contrition. vs. 9 2) The unhesitant inner response of Josiah a) First, to report he had carried out his was acknowledgment of their sin against command to repair the temple as God. vs. 12-13 order by Josiah. vs. 9 a) Josiah ordered five men to go enquire b) Second, to report the finding of the from God. vs. 12 book of the Law. vs. 10 1)) Hilkiah the priest, probably was 1)) He told Josiah that Hilkiah had the father of Jeremiah. vs. 12a handed him a book. vs. 10a-c 2)) Ahikam the son of Shaphan. vs. 2)) He read from the book aloud, to 12b Josiah. vs. 10d 9 10

3)) Achbor the son of Michaiah. vs. b) The prophetess was the wife of 12c Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of 4)) Shaphan the scribe. vs. 12d Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. vs. 5)) Asaiah a servant of the king. vs. 14e-g 12e 1)) Shallum could also be the door * Some of these men were friends keeper in the Temple. Jer. 35:4 of Jeremiah, who rescued him 2)) Shallum could be the uncle of from the cistern. Jeremiah. Jer. 32:7 b) Josiah words were related to what he * Most favor his uncle. had read in the Book of the Law. vs. c) They spoke to the prophetess, who 13 lived in the city of Jerusalem in the 1)) He was reminded that they were Second Quarter. vs. 14h-i the people of God, Yahweh. vs. 1)) Zepheniah mentions wailing 13a-c coming from there. Zeph. 1:10 2)) He was reminded that they were 2)) The lower city residential area to responsible and accountable to the west of the Temple in the God for the words of the Book. vs. depression which is the upper 12d Tyropoeon Valley. 3)) They were under God’s judgment, having disobeyed all the words of 22:15-17 The prophetess Huldah revealed the the covenant. vs. 12e-f judgment to come to Judah. 3) The uncompromising leading men sought * the parallel passages. 2Chron. 34:22-28 the Lord. vs. 14 1) The words were spoken to the men, but a) A prophetess Huldah was sought out directed to Josiah. vs. 15 by Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, a) The authority was directly from Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah. vs. heaven, “Then she said to them, 14a-d “Thus says the LORD God of Israel.” * Why some of he other prophets vs. 15a-b living at the time were not sought b) God was speaking directly to Josiah, is not stated, such as Zephaniah, ‘”Tell the man who sent you to Me.” Jeremiah or Habakkuk. vs. 15c 11 12

2) The words of God affirm the coming him, ‘Thus says the LORD God of judgment. vs. 16 Israel.” vs. 18c-d a) God Himself would judge the d) The word was a clarification in view inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Thus says of the coming judgment “Concerning the LORD.” vs. 16a-b the words which you have heard.” vs. b) God related His judgment to the words 18e Josiah had read in “the book”. vs. 16c 2) The words acknowledged Josiah’s 3) The words of God explained the reason repentance before God. vs. 19 for His judgment. vs. 17 a) God saw his brokenness before God. a) The people had been unfaithful to vs. 19a Yahweh worshipping other gods. vs. b) God saw his contrite heart. vs. 19a-b 17a c) God saw the outward expression, as an b) The people had offended and inward reality, “and you tore your infuriated Yahweh with their works. clothes and wept before Me.” vs. 19c vs. 17b d) God saw fit to hear and except his c) The people would sow the petition. vs. 19d-e consequences of their treachery. vs. 3) The words to Josiah were a promised 17c blessing. vs. 20 a) He would certainly die, but in peace 22:18-20 The prophetess Huldah revealed the with the honors of burial. vs. 20a-d blessing of God to Josiah. b) He would not see the judgment of 1) The words again were spoken to the men, captivity. vs. 20e but directed to Josiah. vs. 18 c) He heard these words from the men he a) The words to Josiah stand in contrast sent, “So they brought back word to to those of the nation, “But as for the the king.” vs. 20f king of Judah.” vs. 18a 1)) He has already reigned 18 years, b) The words are in answer to his he had 13 more years to live, a inquiry, “who sent you to inquire of total of 31 years for his reign. the LORD.” vs. 18b 2)) He was 26 years old at this time, c) The words are a directly from heaven, 622 B.C. , he would die at 39 years “in this manner you shall speak to of age, in 608 B.C 13 14

3)) He renewed the covenant, brought b) The one found in the house of the forth a great reform and Passover. LORD. 2Kings 23:1-24, 2Chron. 34:29- 35:19 23:3 The covenant renewal by Josiah. 4)) He brought about his own death 1) Josiah’s commitment, he stood by a pillar by the hand of Pharaoh-Neco, at and made a covenant before the LORD. the battle of Charchesh by not vs. 3a heeding to not come out against 2) Josiah’s proclamation, to follow the him, for the King of Egypt had LORD and to keep His commandments come to assist the king of Assyria. and His testimonies and His statutes. vs. 2Kings 23:28-30, 2Chron. 35:20- 3b 25 3) Josiah’s integrity, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this 23:1-3 The renewed covenant by Josiah. covenant that were written in this book. * The parallel passage. 2Chron. 34:29-32 vs. 3c-d 4) Josiah’s observation, And all the people 23:1-2 The reading of the law to the people took a stand for the covenant. vs. 3e by Josiah. 1) Josiah gather all the elders of Judah and 23:4-20 The reforms through the renewed Jerusalem to him. vs. 1 covenant of Josiah. 2) The gathering was at the Temple. vs. 2a-d * The parallel passage. 2Chron. 34:33 a) All the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 23:4-14 The reform at Jerusalem. b) All the priests and the prophets. 1) Josiah cleansed the temple of Asherah c) All the people, both small and great. and Baal. vs. 4 3) The king read word of God. vs. 2e a) The one’s ordered were Hilkiah the a) And he read in their hearing all the high priest, the priests of the second words of the Book of the Covenant, as order, and the doorkeepers. vs. 4a-c Joshua had done at Shechem. Deut. b) Their mission to eliminate from the 31:9-13, Josh. 24:15 temple of the LORD all the articles 15 16

made for Baal, for Asherah, and for 4) Josiah desecrated the high places. vs. 8-9 all the host of heaven. vs. 4d-e a) Bringing all the priests from the cities * 1kings 16:32, 18:19 of Judah to defiled the high places c) Their procedure was to burned them where the priests had burned incense, outside Jerusalem in the fields of from Geba to Beersheba. vs. 8a-c Kidron, and carried their ashes to b) Breaking down the high places at the Bethel. vs. 4f gates at the entrance of the Gate of *Kidron is on the valley to the east of Joshua the governor of the city, the city of David. located to the left of the city gate. vs. 2) Josiah removed the idolatrous priests. vs. 8d-e 5 b) The priests of the high places did not a) The idolatrous priests ordained by the come up to the altar of the LORD in kings of Judah to burn incense on the Jerusalem, but ate unleavened bread high places in the cities of Judah and among their brethren. vs. 9 in the places all around Jerusalem. vs. c) The Valley of Hinnom or Topheth, 5a was defiled so no one would offer b) Those who burned incense to Baal, to their child to Molech. vs. 10 the sun, to the moon, to the * Jeremiah was sent there to declare constellations, and to all the host of the judgment of God, after visiting heaven. vs. 5b-d the potter’s house. 2Kings 16:3, 3) Josiah removed the images from the Jer. 19:1-9 temple sodomites. vs. 6-7 5) Josiah removed the idols of creation. vs. a) The wooden image from the house of 11-12 the LORD, to burned it at the Brook a) The horses dedicated for the worship Kidron, throwing the ashes on the of the sun on a chariot by the kings of graves of the common people, making Judah. vs. 11a it a cemetery. vs. 6 * Today there are people that worship b) The booths in the temple of the the sun and spend hours looking perverted persons, sodomites, where right into the sun for health the women wove hangings for the purposes, which will only do wooden image. vs. 7 damage to their vision. 17 18

b) Located at the entrance to the house of 23:15-20 The reform in the area of Benjamin. the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan- 1) The altar that at Bethel and the high place Melech, the officer who was in the made by Jeroboam, making Israel to sin, court. vs. 11b-d were broken down and burned into c) They burned the chariots of the sun powder by Josiah, along with the wooden with fire. vs. 11e image. vs. 15 d) The altars on the roof, the upper 2) Josiah saw the tombs on the mountain and chamber of Ahaz, made by the kings took the bones out of the tombs and of Judah. vs. 12a-c burned them on the altar, and defiled it, e) The altars made by Manasseh in the in fulfillment of a prophecy. vs. 16 two courts of the temple. vs. 12d * 1Kings 13:1-3 f) The procedure of Josiah was 3) Inquiring about the other grave, he was pulverized them and threw their dust told it belonged to the man of God who into the Brook Kidron. vs. 12e-f came from Judah and proclaimed what 6) Josiah desecrated the surrounding high Josiah have done against the altar of places. vs. 13-14 Bethel. vs. 17 1) Defiling the high places on the east of 4) Josiah commanded to leave the tomb Jerusalem, on the south of the Mount undisturbed, along with the bones of the of Corruption, the Mount of Olives. prophet who came from Samaria. vs. 18 vs. 13a-b 5) Josiah took away all the shrines of the 2) Solomon had built for Ashtoreth the high places in the cities of Samaria abomination of the Sidonians, for erected by the kings of Israel, who Chemosh the abomination of the provoked the LORD to anger; doing Moabites, and for Milcom the what he had done in Bethel. vs. 19 abomination of the people of Ammon. 6) Josiah executed all the priests of the high vs. 13c-e places on the altars, and burned men’s * 1Kings 11:1-8 bones on them and returned to Jerusalem. 3) Braking the ritual pillars, the wooden vs. 20 images, desecrating their places with the bones of men. vs. 14 23:21-25 The Passover celebrated by Josiah. * The parallel passage. 2Chron. 35:1-19 19 20

b) He turned to the LORD with all his 23:21-23 The renewed covenant was celebrated heart, with all his soul, and with all with the Passover. his might. vs. 25b-d 1) Josiah commanded all the people to keep c) According to all the Law of Moses. vs. the Passover to the LORD their God, as 25e written in this Book of the Covenant. vs. d) None like him arose after him. vs. 25f 21 a) Commemorating the Exodus, their 23:26-30 The certain judgment to come and deliverance from bondage. death of Josiah. b) The angel of death that spared them. 2) The uniqueness of the Passover. vs. 22 23:26-27 The affirmation of the judgment. a) There had been none like it, since the 1) Yahweh would not turn from His wrath days of the judges of Israel. vs. 22a against Judah, due to the provocation of b) Nor in all the days of the kings of Manasseh. vs. 26 Israel and the kings of Judah. vs. 22b 2) Yahweh would send Judah into captivity 3) The date of the Passover was 622-21 as Israel, in spite of choosing Jerusalem B.C. in Jerusalem. vs. 23 for His house to put His name there. vs. 27 23:24-25 The summary statement. 3) The supplementary material for Josiah 1) Josiah put away the consulters of were written in the book of the chronicles mediums and spiritists. vs. 24a of the kings of Judah. vs. 28 * Deut. 18 2) The household gods and idols. vs. 24b 23:29-30 The death of Josiah. 3) All the abominations that were seen in the * The parallel passage gives greater details land of Judah and in Jerusalem. vs. 24c that supplements, not contradicts. 4) In order to obey the Book of the Law 2Chron. 35:20-27 found by Hilkiah in the temple. vs. 24d 1) In 608 B.C. Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt 5) The high and unique commendation to went to the aid of the king of Assyria, to Josiah. vs. 25 the River Euphrates, Josiah went against a) No king before him had been like him. him and was killed at Megiddo. vs. 29 vs. 25a 21 22

a) Assyria was waning in power, hoped 3) Pharaoh Necho put him in prison at to stop Babylon joined by the Media Riblah in the land of Hamath, putting at Haran. Judah under tribute of one hundred b) The Scythians were also rebelling. talents of silver and a talent of gold. vs. c) Josiah did not pay heed to Pharaoh- 33 Neco’s warning and meddled to his own hurt, like Amaziah king of Judah. 23:34-36 The reign of Eliakim. 2Kings. 14:1-14 * The parallel passage. 2Chron. 36:4-5 2) Josiah’s servants moved his body in a 1) Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim the second chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and son of Josiah king and changed his name buried him in his own tomb. vs. 30a-c to Jehoiakim, taking Jehoahaz to Egypt, * Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, the men with him and he died there. vs. 34 and women. 2Chron. 35:25 2) Jehoiakim paid tribute to Pharaoh in 3) The people of the land took Jehoahaz the silver and gold by taxing the people of son of Josiah, anointed him king in his the land, according to their assessment. father’s place. vs. 30d-e vs. 35 3) Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old 23:31-37 The reign of the sons of Josiah. when he became king, and reigned * The parallel passage. 2Chron. 36:1-3 eleven years in Jerusalem, whose mother’s name was Zebudah the 23:31-33 The reign of Jehoahaz. daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. vs. 36 1) Jehoahaz the son of Josiah was twenty- a) 608-597 B.C. three years old when he became king, in b) Babylon led by Nabopolassar and his 608 B.C, reigning three months in son Nebuchadnezzar advance to the Jerusalem, whose mother’s name was west and attacked the Egyptians at Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Carchemish, 605 B.C. defeating them Libnah. vs. 31 and causing them to flee to Hamath. 2) He did evil in the sight of the LORD, 4) He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. according to all that his fathers had done. vs. 32 vs. 37