May 24, 2010
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2 Chronicles 34 Part 1
I came across this section of Chronicles, chapters 34-35 about King Josiah a few days ago, and it caught my attention. So I’m doing a short study on it.
2Ch 34:1 Josiah [was] eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
Josiah = “whom Jehovah heals”
He was the son of Amon by Jedidah who succeeded his father to the throne of Judah and reigned for 31 years; his reign is noteworthy for the great revivals back to the worship of Jehovah which he led.
Amon: builder
He was assassinated (2Ki 21:18-26: 2 Chr. 33:20-25) by his own servants, who conspired against him.Jedidah: well beloved; amiable
2Ki 22:1 Josiah [was] eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name [was] Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.His mother was the daughter of Adaiah = “Jehovah has adorned Himself”
of Bozkath or Boscath = “rocky height”I thought King Tut was alleged to be the youngest king ever at nine years old, but this one was eight.
2Ch 34:2 And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined [neither] to the right hand, nor to the left.
It’s amazing…”And a little child shall lead them…” It always blows me away to see a young child that is so on track with God. I’m not talking about the ones who do the hype and put on the charismatic show. I’m talking about the ones who it is truly real for, those that study the word and know it.
Ecc 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
My younger brother was very much like that when he was young. We thought for sure he was going to become a pastor, because he took his bible everywhere, and although he didn’t preach it, he read it constantly with no encouragement from my parents. He was just into it. I think he was about 8 or 9 at the time.
Note that he bypassed his father Amon, who apparently was a builder of a lot of mess…things not worth investing in. Instead he followed and walked in the ways of David, and so he found favor in God’s sight. At that age, he discerned the differences between what David did and what Amon did, and he chose David.
2Ch 34:3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
So he was already walking in a way that God favored, but at this point, he began to seek after the God of David. In other words, he emulated David because he had enough sense to recognize that that was the better way, but he had not yet committed his heart to God, and at this point, when he began to “seek” after God…was when he committed to Him.
2Ch 15:2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD [is] with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
