The Kings of Judah - Josiah

Josiah’s spiritual reforms began with the repair of the temple complex in Jerusalem. A torah scroll found by Hilkiah lit a fire for righteousness and the young king knew judgment was coming. The Bible records the sinful practices of the Kabbalah, revealing the depravity to which the twelve tribes had sunk.

It took Josiah 18 years to systematically remove all idolatry. The altars of Ahaz, Manasseh, and Solomon were destroyed. The groves were cut down, every high place was defiled, and anyone opposed to the cleansing was killed. This included the northern kingdom as well. Josiah went further than any king had previously done to turn the nation to the Lord.

This was followed by the greatest Passover celebration since the time of the prophet Samuel. Jesus gave Josiah 13 years to enjoy the fruit of his labor and then war came to the region. Josiah was killed in battle at the age of 39 when he disobeyed God. Josiah was Judah’s greatest kings, but a single blunder cut his life short and caused him to forfeit the remainder of his time on earth.