Josiah mistook his own will for God’s will–and it cost him his life. (2 Kings 23:29-30, 2 Chronicles 35:20-25) Josiah was a king of Judah noted for having restored the proper worship of Yahweh and for eliminating idols throughout the land. It was during his reign that the “book of the Law,” commonly thought to be the book of Deuteronomy, was rediscovered.

During his reign, the king of Egypt, Neco, took his army north toward a place called Carcemesh, to align himself with the Assyrians against the Babylonians led by Nebuchadnezzar’s father. To get there, he had to pass through Josiah’s kingdom. Josiah denied him passage and went out to fight him on the battlefield. In the resulting war, Josiah was killed. Neco ultimately got to Carchemesh, but the delay hurt and in the end, both he and the Assyrians were defeated by the Babylonians, who became the new dominant power in the Middle East. Within a decade, Nebuchadnezzar marched down upon Judah and conquered it. In the end, he would burn Jerusalem and destroy its temple, besides deporting the upper class of Judah to exile in Babylon.

Neco had told Josiah, when Josiah first threatened him: “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.” (2 Chronicles 35:21)

Send to Kindle