2Ch 35:20 | KingComments | STEP | After Josiah has finished restoring God’s house ( ), another act of him is described by the chronicler. This act will be his last, because Josiah will be killed in it. It is an act of war. The connection between the mention that his work concerning the house is finished and his acting against Neco is perhaps that he no longer sees any challenges internally and shifts the field of his interest to events outside his land. Be that as it may, it is always a dangerous moment when we have come to the completion of a particular work for the Lord. We should then remain dependent on Him and not look for challenges in areas where He has not called us. It is important that we remain in the field of work that the Lord has entrusted to us (cf. ). Josiah should not have interfered in the politics of the world. The disputes between these empires are none of his business ( ). It is also a mystery why he did this. In 609 BC Neco, the king of Egypt, comes up to make war. It is not clear whether he is engaged in battle with Assyria or whether he is on his way to help Assyria in its battle against the rising Babylonian empire ( ). As a matter of fact, it is not so important. It is about Josiah’s attitude to what is happening outside his land and how he responds to warnings not to interfere in matters that do not concern him. When Josiah meets Neco to fight against him, Neco lets warn him not to do so ( ). He clearly says this time he isn’t out for war with Judah but that he is going against a house that is waging war against him. Neco appeals for this fight to a command from God Who also said to him that he has to hurry. He emphasizes once more to Josiah that his actions mean obstruction of God. Neco knows God at his side. If Josiah stands in his way to prevent him from carrying out his task, it will be to his ruin. God will then ruin him. The words Neco speaks are very remarkable. Did God really command him to take up the sword against an enemy empire? Or is it the case that Neco speaks about his own god he consulted and that he says what he told him? We do not have to exclude speaking of the true God to the heathen Neco. It may be that God has spoken to him in some way hidden from us (cf. ). We can see a confirmation of this in the following verse, where his words to Josiah are referred to as “the words of Neco from the mouth of God” ( ). The fact is that God warns Josiah through Neco not to interfere in this battle. We see here that a believer is reprimanded by an unbeliever for his actions as a believer. Being a Christian has consequences and sometimes we are reminded of this by people of the world. It will be wisdom to listen to them. God may want to make things clear to us through an unbeliever. He can make use of an unbeliever ( ) and even a donkey ( ). However, Josiah does not let himself be warned and goes into battle. In doing so, he disguises himself, which reminds us of Ahab who did the same ( ). This shows that Josiah is not in the way of faith. Just as the disguise did not protect Ahab, the disguise of Josiah does not protect him from death. The archers shoot him ( ). God knows how to hit him. Josiah realizes that he is badly wounded and orders his servants to take him away. Because his own chariot may have been disabled, the servants transport Josiah on the second chariot, the spare chariot ( ). They take him to Jerusalem, where he dies and is buried. The sadness about Josiah’s death is great. All of Judah and Jerusalem mourn over him. Jeremiah makes a lament about him ( ). This doesn’t mean the lamentation after which his Bible book is mentioned. The book of Lamentations is written on the occasion of the fall of Jerusalem, which takes place twenty-two years after the death of Josiah. Zechariah also speaks of a lamentation and that refers back to this lamentation about Josiah ( ). The singing about Josiah in lamentations continues for a long time. There is even an ordinance made in Israel to do so. For that purpose the lamentations are written down. They can always be consulted when the grief for the loss of this king needs to be expressed. The people may feel that he has been their last hope for prosperity and that with his death all hope for blessing has disappeared. What remains is the expectation of the judgment on Judah and Jerusalem. The chronicler does not conclude his description of the life of Josiah with his failure, but with a remark about “his deeds of devotion” ( ). He points out his pious deeds, his deeds “as written in the law of the LORD”. Only if deeds are in accordance with the Word of God they can be seen as ‘deeds of devotion’. It is not about human goodness, but about goodness as God also demonstrates it. The deeds of devotion of Josiah which the chronicler did not include in his account can be found “in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah” ( ). What is written in those books concerns his whole life, from “first to last”. Thus there is a complete description of the life of one of the most God-fearing kings of Judah. Only what is of use to us is included in Scripture.

‏ 2 Chronicles 35:20

The Death of Josiah

After Josiah has finished restoring God’s house (2Chr 35:20), another act of him is described by the chronicler. This act will be his last, because Josiah will be killed in it. It is an act of war. The connection between the mention that his work concerning the house is finished and his acting against Neco is perhaps that he no longer sees any challenges internally and shifts the field of his interest to events outside his land.

Be that as it may, it is always a dangerous moment when we have come to the completion of a particular work for the Lord. We should then remain dependent on Him and not look for challenges in areas where He has not called us. It is important that we remain in the field of work that the Lord has entrusted to us (cf. 2Cor 10:13). Josiah should not have interfered in the politics of the world. The disputes between these empires are none of his business (Pro 26:17 ; Pro 20:3). It is also a mystery why he did this.

In 609 BC Neco, the king of Egypt, comes up to make war. It is not clear whether he is engaged in battle with Assyria or whether he is on his way to help Assyria in its battle against the rising Babylonian empire (2Kgs 23:29). As a matter of fact, it is not so important. It is about Josiah’s attitude to what is happening outside his land and how he responds to warnings not to interfere in matters that do not concern him.

When Josiah meets Neco to fight against him, Neco lets warn him not to do so (2Chr 35:21). He clearly says this time he isn’t out for war with Judah but that he is going against a house that is waging war against him. Neco appeals for this fight to a command from God Who also said to him that he has to hurry. He emphasizes once more to Josiah that his actions mean obstruction of God. Neco knows God at his side. If Josiah stands in his way to prevent him from carrying out his task, it will be to his ruin. God will then ruin him.

The words Neco speaks are very remarkable. Did God really command him to take up the sword against an enemy empire? Or is it the case that Neco speaks about his own god he consulted and that he says what he told him? We do not have to exclude speaking of the true God to the heathen Neco. It may be that God has spoken to him in some way hidden from us (cf. Gen 31:24). We can see a confirmation of this in the following verse, where his words to Josiah are referred to as “the words of Neco from the mouth of God” (2Chr 35:22).

The fact is that God warns Josiah through Neco not to interfere in this battle. We see here that a believer is reprimanded by an unbeliever for his actions as a believer. Being a Christian has consequences and sometimes we are reminded of this by people of the world. It will be wisdom to listen to them. God may want to make things clear to us through an unbeliever. He can make use of an unbeliever (Jn 11:51) and even a donkey (Num 22:28-31).

However, Josiah does not let himself be warned and goes into battle. In doing so, he disguises himself, which reminds us of Ahab who did the same (2Chr 18:29). This shows that Josiah is not in the way of faith. Just as the disguise did not protect Ahab, the disguise of Josiah does not protect him from death. The archers shoot him (2Chr 35:23). God knows how to hit him. Josiah realizes that he is badly wounded and orders his servants to take him away. Because his own chariot may have been disabled, the servants transport Josiah on the second chariot, the spare chariot (2Chr 35:24). They take him to Jerusalem, where he dies and is buried.

The sadness about Josiah’s death is great. All of Judah and Jerusalem mourn over him. Jeremiah makes a lament about him (2Chr 35:25). This doesn’t mean the lamentation after which his Bible book is mentioned. The book of Lamentations is written on the occasion of the fall of Jerusalem, which takes place twenty-two years after the death of Josiah. Zechariah also speaks of a lamentation and that refers back to this lamentation about Josiah (Zec 12:11).

The singing about Josiah in lamentations continues for a long time. There is even an ordinance made in Israel to do so. For that purpose the lamentations are written down. They can always be consulted when the grief for the loss of this king needs to be expressed. The people may feel that he has been their last hope for prosperity and that with his death all hope for blessing has disappeared. What remains is the expectation of the judgment on Judah and Jerusalem.

The chronicler does not conclude his description of the life of Josiah with his failure, but with a remark about “his deeds of devotion” (2Chr 35:26). He points out his pious deeds, his deeds “as written in the law of the LORD”. Only if deeds are in accordance with the Word of God they can be seen as ‘deeds of devotion’. It is not about human goodness, but about goodness as God also demonstrates it.

The deeds of devotion of Josiah which the chronicler did not include in his account can be found “in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah” (2Chr 35:27). What is written in those books concerns his whole life, from “first to last”. Thus there is a complete description of the life of one of the most God-fearing kings of Judah. Only what is of use to us is included in Scripture.