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Josiah — An Example Of Faithful Obedience

Josiah was king of Judah from 641 to 609 B.C. He assumed the throne at the age of eight and reigned for 31 years (2 Kings 22:1; 2 Chronicles 34:1). He died in battle at Megiddo being killed by Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt (2 Kings 23:28-30). This faithful servant of God was righteous in an evil environment and in a time of great wickedness (cf. 2 Kings 21:2-7; 2 Kings 21:9; 2 Kings 21:16). His faithfulness was unsurpassed by any king before or after him (2 Kings 23:25).

Josiah’s faithful obedience is seen in numerous ways in his life – one being in the changes he instituted regarding acceptable worship to God. Let us note that in the eighth year of his reign, “he began to seek after God” (2 Chronicles 34:3). In the twelfth year of his reign, he brought sweeping changes to Judah by purging Judah of the “high places” and idols, breaking down the altars of Baal, and burning the bones of the idolatrous priests (2 Chronicles 34:3-7). In the eighteenth year of his reign he sought to repair the house of God (2 Kings 22:3-7).

His faithful obedience is also seen in his tender-hearted reaction to the Law of God. While work was being done on the temple, the book of the Law of God was found (2 Kings 22:8). Josiah immediately recognized the value of God’s Book, not only in his desire to learn more of God’s word (2 Kings 22:11-13), but in his expression of godly sorrow over Judah’s sins (2 Kings 22:19-20).

How could Josiah remain faithful in the midst of such an evil society? He sought to know as much of the will of God as he could (2 Kings 23:2). His faithful obedience is seen as he walked in the way of God by humbly obeying God’s commands.

2 Kings 23:3 tells us,

“Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book.“

Additionally, Josiah shared the God’s word with others. 2 Kings 23:2 says,

“And the king went up to the house of the Lord with all the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem – the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord.“

Note that as a result of his godly influence, “all the people took their stand for the covenant” (2 Kings 23:3).

Looking at Josiah’ life of faithful obedience, we see a wonderful example of how we find favor with God. Like Josiah, we need to tender-heartedly receive God’s word and be obedient to it (2 Kings 22:19 KJV; cf. Matthew 7:21). We need to be filled with godly sorrow over our sins, humbly seeking to cleanse the evils and impurities of sin from our life (cf. Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 57:15; 1 John 1:9). Then we need to continually walk in the way of God by humbly obeying God’s commands (1 John 1:7; 1 John 2:3-5). Knowing the value of God’s word, we have a great desire to share it with others (Acts 8:4).

If we will have a tender heart for God’s truth, as Josiah did, we too will be pleasing to God and be rewarded by Him with an eternal inheritance in heaven (1 Peter 1:4).