Bird's-eye view
In these opening verses of Josiah’s reign, we are introduced to a startling discontinuity. After the abysmal reigns of Manasseh and Amon, who dragged Judah into the deepest pits of idolatry, a glimmer of light appears in the form of an eight-year-old boy. The Chronicler sets the stage for one of the most significant revivals in Israel's history. The text immediately establishes Josiah’s bona fides, not by his own accomplishments yet, but by the standard to which he would adhere: the way of his father David. This is covenant language. The historian is telling us from the outset that this reign will be different because it will be a return to the covenant standard, a return to the law of God. This short introduction is the theological heading for the entire chapter, pointing to the foundational truth that genuine reformation is always a recovery of God’s revealed Word.
Outline
- 1. The King and His Pedigree (2 Kings 22:1)
- a. Josiah's Youthful Accession (v. 1a)
- b. His Reign's Duration (v. 1b)
- c. His Maternal Lineage (v. 1c)
- 2. The King's Character and Standard (2 Kings 22:2)
- a. His Righteous Conduct Before Yahweh (v. 2a)
- b. His Adherence to the Davidic Standard (v. 2b)
- c. His Unswerving Faithfulness (v. 2c)
Context in 2 Kings
The book of 2 Kings chronicles the steady decline of both Israel and Judah, a sad story of covenant unfaithfulness leading to exile. The reigns of Manasseh and Amon represent the nadir of this decline for the southern kingdom. They didn't just tolerate idolatry; they institutionalized it, even in the Temple itself. The nation was spiritually bankrupt. It is into this profound darkness that the story of Josiah erupts. His reign is a stark contrast, a divine interruption. The historian places Josiah’s story here to show that even when judgment is deserved and imminent, God can raise up faithful leaders and grant seasons of repentance and restoration. Josiah’s reforms, which we will see are prompted by the rediscovery of the Law, serve as a final, gracious call to repentance for Judah before the Babylonian storm breaks.
Key Issues
- The Providence of God in Raising Up Leaders
- The Davidic Covenant as the Standard of Righteousness
- The Nature of True Reformation
- Walking in the Way of the Lord
- The Dangers of Doctrinal Amnesia
Verse by Verse Commentary
1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.
The Spirit makes a point of telling us that Josiah was just eight years old. Some might see this as a liability, a recipe for instability. After all, what can a boy do? But in the economy of God, it is a feature, not a bug. An eight-year-old king has not had time to be corrupted by the court politics and pagan syncretism that ensnared his father and grandfather. God, in His providence, often uses the weak and foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He is clearing the decks. This young king is a lump of clay, ready to be molded. His long reign of thirty-one years tells us that this was not a fleeting moment of piety but a sustained period of divine grace. The mention of his mother, Jedidah, is also significant. In a time of rampant apostasy, it is often faithful women who preserve the seed of righteousness in their children. We are not told much about her, but her son’s character is a testimony that someone, somewhere, was pointing him toward the God of Israel.
2 And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh and walked in all the way of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left.
This is the highest praise the biblical historian can give a king. The standard is not popular opinion, political expediency, or even the king's own conscience. The standard is what is "right in the sight of Yahweh." This is an objective, external standard, revealed by God Himself. And how is this standard defined? He "walked in all the way of his father David." This doesn't mean David was sinless; the Scriptures are brutally honest about his failures. Rather, "the way of David" refers to the covenant ideal. David was a man after God's own heart because his fundamental orientation was toward Yahweh and His law. He repented when he sinned, and he established the kingdom on the foundation of God's covenant promises. For Josiah to walk in this way means he was a covenant-keeper. The final clause, that he "did not turn aside to the right or to the left," is a direct echo of the charge given to Joshua (Josh. 1:7) and the command for all of Israel's kings (Deut. 17:20). It speaks of a single-minded devotion to the Word of God as the only rule for faith and life. Josiah’s reign was not about innovation; it was about restoration. It was not about finding a new path, but about returning to the old paths, the good way, and walking in it.
Application
The story of Josiah begins with a powerful reminder that God is not constrained by the spiritual state of the preceding generation. We may look at the state of our culture, or even the church, and despair. But God can raise up an eight-year-old boy from the rubble of apostasy to bring about a great reformation. This should give us hope and encourage us to pray for godly leaders, and to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, regardless of the cultural headwinds.
Furthermore, the standard for Josiah’s righteousness is the standard for ours: the sight of Yahweh, as revealed in His Word. We are not called to be creative in our ethics or worship, but faithful. The temptation is always to turn to the right or to the left, to compromise with the spirit of the age or to add our own man-made traditions. But faithfulness is found in walking the straight path laid out in Scripture. Like Josiah, our task is not to invent a new way, but to recover the ancient faith and to walk "in all the way" of our greater David, the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone perfectly fulfilled all righteousness for us.