Day 202 – Josiah (Southern King 31 years) #3

• Today is the final day reading about good old Josiah. The start of today’s passages describe the great celebrations that occurred during the celebration of the Passover.
• Can you remember what the Passover was celebrated for? What did it help the Hebrews to know about God?
• What does this chapter say about this Passover compared to all the other ones held during the time of the kings? Why do you think it might have been so special?
• In 2 Chronicles 35:20-24, we read about Josiah’s death. Can you see what mistake Josiah made? Egypt was coming to help the Assyrians to fight against the Babylonians – a battle that Josiah in Judah didn’t need to get involved with. Josiah seemed to think that if he fought against the Egyptians, he would gain favour with Babylon. What was the problem with this way of thinking?
• How does Josiah’s choice illustrate the proverb we read today?
• Do you remember which other king foolishly got killed whilst wearing a disguise in battle?
• Have you ever got into difficulty by “getting involved” with someone else’s business?
• Aside from the decision to join the battle, how do you think Josiah was otherwise able to follow God so well, when so many of the kings before him did not?
• In the first few verses of chapter 36 we meet the first of the final few kings. The writer of the Chronicles spends very few verses writing about Jehoahaz, or indeed the kings after him. With Josiah now dead, the judgement – and exile – of Judah and Jerusalem is fast approaching.

Josiah is remembered as a good king, as indicated in 2 Chronicles 35:26, and in 2 Chronicles 34:2. This is despite some less wise choices that he made later in his life.

This, of course, is not particularly odd – many previous kings who have done well and put God first also made mistakes, as I’m sure you’ll be able to recall.

It is wonderful, however, that God is gracious with us all in this way. As Psalm 103 reminds us, God is slow to anger and abounding in love, and all this is happening in Old Testament times, when God is often pictured as being angry and vengeful. In our New Testament times, with the awesome fulfilment of Old Testament promises of a salvation, we too can enjoy the unmerited forgiveness and grace which we’re offered through the blood of Jesus.

This means that our sin isn’t a millstone that is forever around our necks. It’s cast as far as the east is from the west – incalculable in other words – and what a joy that is to know. If you’re ever struggling with the guilt and weight of past sin, never forget that in Christ you are made wonderfully and perfectly new.