Question 1

What is the main message of this passage about King Josiah?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows how seriously God takes both worship and obedience. Josiah hears God’s words and responds with his whole heart. He gathers the people, renews the covenant, removes idols from the temple and land, stops child sacrifice, and restores the Passover just as it was written. His life shows what it looks like when a leader and people try to line up with God’s word. At the same time, the passage reminds us that long years of sin still bring consequences, even after a sincere reform.

Question 2

Why did Josiah destroy idols, high places, and altars so thoroughly?

Accepted Answer

Josiah did not just tidy up a few things, he tore down and burned idols, altars, and high places, ground them to powder, and scattered the remains. He even defiled places like Topheth so they would never again be used for child sacrifice. This shows that worship of other gods could not live side by side with true worship of the Lord. Sinful practices had to be fully removed, not just hidden. Josiah’s actions picture how God wants His people to turn from false worship in a clear and decisive way.

Question 3

What is the significance of Josiah renewing the covenant with the people?

Accepted Answer

When Josiah stood by the pillar, read the book of the covenant, and promised to walk after the Lord with all his heart and soul, he was calling the nation back to the relationship God had set up long before. The people “stood to the covenant,” meaning they agreed to it. This scene shows that hearing God’s word should lead to a clear response, both personal and public. It also reminds us that faith is not only private; God’s people are meant to walk together in obedience, encouraging each other to keep His commands.

Question 4

Why does God still promise judgment on Judah after Josiah’s reforms?

Accepted Answer

The passage says that even after all Josiah did, the Lord did not turn from His great anger. This is tied to the many sins that had piled up, especially under Manasseh, who filled Judah with idols and evil practices. Josiah’s heart was true, but the nation as a whole had been hardened for a long time. Outward changes could not erase years of deep rebellion. This teaches that sin has real results and that turning to God late does not always remove earthly judgment, even though God still honors sincere repentance.

Question 5

What is special about the Passover Josiah commanded the people to keep?

Accepted Answer

The Passover Josiah ordered was described as unlike anything held since the days of the judges or any of the kings of Israel or Judah. It was kept “as it is written in the book of this covenant,” meaning Josiah wanted it done exactly as God had commanded. This feast remembered how God saved His people from Egypt. By restoring it, Josiah helped the people remember who they belonged to and what God had done for them. It shows that true reform includes not only tearing down idols but also returning to the worship God has given.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about God’s view of idolatry and child sacrifice?

Accepted Answer

The passage makes very clear that God hates idolatry and the horrible practice of making children pass through the fire to Molech. Josiah defiles Topheth so that no one will be able to use it for this again. He removes items for Baal, Asherah, and the host of heaven from the temple and burns them. He puts away sorcerers and mediums. All of this shows that these practices are not small mistakes but deep offenses to God. True worship of the Lord is jealous and pure and cannot be mixed with such sins.

Question 7

Who is Josiah in this passage, and how is he described?

Accepted Answer

Josiah is the king of Judah in this story. He is shown as a man who hears God’s word and takes it to heart. He gathers leaders and common people, renews the covenant, destroys idols in Jerusalem and beyond, restores the Passover, and removes occult practices. The passage says there was no king like him before or after, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, soul, and might according to the law of Moses. His life is held up as a rare example of a ruler fully committed to God’s commands.

Question 8

Why does the passage end with Josiah’s death and evil kings after him?

Accepted Answer

After all the good Josiah did, the story turns suddenly. He goes out against Pharaoh-nechoh of Egypt, is killed at Megiddo, and is carried back to Jerusalem dead. Then his son Jehoahaz and later Jehoiakim reign and are described as doing evil in the Lord’s sight. Egypt also puts Judah under heavy tribute. This ending shows that one godly king cannot by himself change a nation’s heart. When he dies, the people quickly return to old ways. It underlines the sadness of wasted chances and the weight of long-term unfaithfulness.

Question 9

How can Josiah’s example of reform speak to believers today?

Accepted Answer

Josiah’s example speaks to anyone who wants to take God’s word seriously. When he heard the law, he did not shrug it off. He humbled himself, gathered others, and acted on what he heard. He removed what clearly went against God and restored what God had commanded, like the Passover. For believers today, this points to reading Scripture with an open heart, turning from anything that rivals God in our lives, and joining with others to worship in ways God has set out. It encourages wholehearted, not half-hearted, obedience.

2 Kings 23:1

And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.

Josiah Renews the Covenant

Josiah Destroys Idolatry

Josiah Restores the Passover

The Death of Josiah

Jehoahaz Succeeds Josiah

Jehoiakim Reigns in Judah

Josiah Renews the Covenant

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2 Kings 23:1

And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.

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Josiah Renews the Covenant

Josiah Destroys Idolatry

Josiah Restores the Passover

The Death of Josiah

Jehoahaz Succeeds Josiah

Jehoiakim Reigns in Judah

Josiah Renews the Covenant

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