Old Testament · Divided Kingdom
Josiah
“Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did — with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength.”2 Kings 23:25
Biography
Josiah became king at age 8. At 16 he began to seek God; at 20 he began purging Judah of idols; at 26, during temple repairs, the long-lost Book of the Law was discovered. When Josiah heard it read aloud, he tore his robes in immediate repentance. He renewed the national covenant, reinstituted the Passover (celebrated like none since Samuel's day), and destroyed every high place and idol throughout the land.
Spiritual Lesson
Josiah shows what one person's wholehearted response to God's Word can accomplish in a broken culture. His reaction to hearing Scripture — immediate repentance rather than defensiveness — is a model for all who encounter God's truth. He teaches us that personal faithfulness is not contingent on the corporate response of those around us.