Commentary - 2 Kings 23:24-27

Bird's-eye view

This short, sharp passage presents us with a profound and sobering theological reality. It sets in stark contrast the most thorough and heartfelt reformation in Judah's history with the immovable and settled judgment of God. On the one hand, we have King Josiah, whose zeal for the law is unparalleled. He doesn't just redecorate; he purges, he cleanses, he roots out every detestable thing in the land based on the rediscovered Word of God. The narrator gives him the highest possible commendation. And yet, on the other hand, we have the great "However" of God. God's righteous anger, kindled by the deep-seated, culture-saturating sins of the previous generation under Manasseh, would not be turned aside. Josiah's personal piety was magnificent, but it could not reverse the covenantal sentence that had already been passed. This passage teaches us about the limits of reformation, the gravity of corporate and generational sin, and the inexorable nature of God's judicial decrees. The die had been cast, and not even the best of kings could undo what the worst of kings had done.

Outline

Context In 2 Kings

This passage is the tragic pivot point at the end of Judah's history as a kingdom. It follows immediately upon the discovery of the Book of the Law in the temple and the beginning of Josiah's radical reforms. He has renewed the covenant, celebrated the Passover like no one before him, and systematically destroyed the high places and idols throughout the land. Chapter 23 is the high-water mark of obedience in the book of 2 Kings. Everything seems to be on the right track for a full national restoration. However, these verses slam the brakes on that expectation. They provide the theological explanation for why, despite this glorious revival, the narrative will quickly descend into the final death throes of Judah, culminating in the Babylonian exile. This section explains why the goodness of one king, however great, was not enough to save a nation that had for generations steeped itself in rebellion. It sets the stage for the final, tragic reigns of Josiah's worthless sons and the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem.

Key Issues

Too Little, Too Late

We live in an age that is allergic to the idea of a point of no return. We believe that every problem has a solution, that it's never too late to turn things around. We believe in the power of a sincere effort. And in many ways, the Bible encourages this. God is merciful, longsuffering, and ready to forgive. But there are moments in the history of redemption when a line is crossed, when a nation's corporate sin fills up a measure of guilt, and judgment becomes inevitable. The story of Josiah is the story of a righteous man leading a revival in a nation that was already under a death sentence. His reforms were genuine, his heart was pure, and his actions were pleasing to God. But the spiritual cancer, planted and nurtured by his grandfather Manasseh, had metastasized. It had gone too deep into the bones of the culture. This passage is a hard lesson, but a necessary one. It teaches us that while personal faithfulness is always required and always honored by God, it does not guarantee the deliverance of a culture that has spent its spiritual capital and stands under the righteous judgment of a holy God.

Verse by Verse Commentary

24 Moreover, the mediums and the spiritists and the teraphim and the idols and all the detestable things that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, Josiah purged in order that he might establish the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of Yahweh.

This verse details the thoroughness of Josiah's cleansing. This was not a superficial reform. He went after the dark underbelly of Judah's apostasy. Mediums and spiritists represent the occult, the direct trafficking with demonic powers forbidden by the law. The teraphim were household idols, likely used for divination. This shows he took the reformation from the public square right down into the private homes. Then the list becomes a catch-all: "idols and all the detestable things." He left no stone unturned. The motivation is crucial: he did this "in order that he might establish the words of the law." His actions were not based on personal preference or political expediency. They were driven by a desire to conform his kingdom to the written Word of God. All true reformation begins with, and is governed by, the Book.

25 And before him there was no king like him who turned to Yahweh with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.

Here the Holy Spirit gives His assessment of Josiah, and it is glowing. This is the highest praise given to any king in the entire history of the monarchy. He is declared unique. The language used is a direct quotation from the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:5, the very heart of the covenant. Josiah loved God with an all-encompassing passion: all his heart, all his soul, all his might. This was not a divided loyalty. And this comprehensive love was expressed in comprehensive obedience: "according to all the law of Moses." Hezekiah was praised for his trust (2 Kings 18:5), but Josiah is praised for the totality of his repentance and obedience. The final clause, "nor did any like him arise after him," seals his legacy but also carries a note of tragedy, for his sons would be nothing like him.

26 However, Yahweh did not turn from His great burning anger, His anger which burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him to anger.

This is one of the most jarring uses of "however" in all of Scripture. After the highest possible praise for a king, we are told it was not enough. God's anger is described as a "great burning." This is not a petty irritation; it is the settled, judicial, holy wrath of a covenant Lord against a people who have betrayed Him in the most profound ways. And the reason is laid squarely at the feet of Manasseh. Manasseh's reign was not just wicked; it was institutionally wicked. He had so thoroughly corrupted the worship and morals of Judah, even sacrificing his own son, that he had fundamentally altered the character of the nation. He had, in effect, signed the nation's death warrant. The sin was so deep, so pervasive, and so high-handed that it set in motion a judgment that even Josiah's piety could not forestall. The guilt was corporate and it was cumulative.

27 And Yahweh said, “I will remove Judah also from My presence, as I have removed Israel. And I will reject Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’ ”

Here God Himself speaks, confirming the verdict. The sentence is exile: "I will remove Judah... from My presence." This is the ultimate covenant curse. To be removed from God's presence is to be given over to death. The comparison to the Northern Kingdom is explicit. Judah had seen what happened to Israel for her idolatry, and yet she followed the same path. Therefore, she will suffer the same fate. The most shocking part is the rejection of Jerusalem and the Temple. These were the symbols of God's covenant presence. The people had come to treat them as magical talismans, believing God would never abandon His own city and His own house. But God makes it clear that He is not beholden to real estate. He is faithful to His covenant, which includes both blessings for obedience and curses for rebellion. When the people who inhabit the chosen city and worship at the chosen house become utterly corrupt, God will reject the city and the house for the sake of His own holy name.

Application

The first and most obvious application is a warning against trifling with sin, both personally and corporately. The legacy of wicked leadership is devastating. The sins of Manasseh echoed for generations and ultimately sealed the nation's doom. We must not be naive about the long-term consequences of unholiness, injustice, and idolatry in our culture. A nation can sin its way past a point of recovery.

Second, we see the absolute necessity of Word-centered reformation. Josiah's zeal was not aimless; it was governed by the Book. Any attempt to reform the church or the culture that is not grounded in and obedient to the written Word of God is just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. We must read the Book, believe the Book, and do what the Book says.

But the deepest application is how this passage makes us long for a better King. Josiah was the best of the best, and it still was not enough. His heart was true, but he could not take away the sins of his fathers. He could cleanse the land of idols, but he could not cleanse the hearts of the people. This points us to King Jesus. He is the only King whose righteousness is sufficient. He is the only one who, by His perfect obedience and sacrificial death, could fully absorb the "great burning anger" of God that we deserved. Josiah's story ends in tragedy. But the story of King Jesus ends with an empty tomb, a throne in heaven, and a promise that His cleansing is total, His forgiveness is final, and His kingdom will have no end.