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. (2 Kings 23:2)
The discovery of the Book of the Law in the temple signifies the central role of scripture in guiding the people of Israel and their leaders. Josiah's immediate response to hearing the words of the Book highlights the power of scripture to evoke repentance and inspire change. The king did this himself. He was so concerned that the nation would hear the word of God that he read it to them himself.
Josiah's religious reforms:
Josiah enacts widespread reforms in an effort to eradicate idolatry and restore proper worship of God
He put away the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in Judah’s cities and round about Jerusalem—also those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations [or twelve signs of the zodiac], and to all the hosts of the heavens. (2 Kings 23:5)
“…tore down the [ritual] booths of the perverted persons (qedeshim) that [were] in the house of the LORD…” (2 Kings 23:7).
Another translation says:
And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes, which were by the house of the Lord, (2 Kings 23:7)
As difficult as it is to even consider, God’s chosen people had come to the point that they committed homosexual acts with male prostitutes in the temple itself and imagined that it was righteous!
Note: Qedeshim, that is, those practising sodomy and prostitution in religious rituals.
11 And he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had devoted to the sun from the entrance of the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the area, and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. (2 Kings 23:11)
He did not just redirect the horses to some other use; he removed them as they were dedicated wrongly.
Then he said, “What gravestone is this that I see?” So the men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.” (2 Kings 23:17)
This is the remarkable fulfilment of a prophecy made hundreds of years earlier. The words of this anonymous prophet are recorded in 1 Kings 13:1-2: Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you, he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you. Josiah was careful to honour the gravestone of this anonymous prophet.
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