Josiah succeeded the kings Manasseh and Amon. Manasseh, like Josiah, was young when he was king, in fact 12 years of age. Manasseh did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Amon, like Manasseh, was also given over to demons, and he too did evil in the sight of the Lord. He worshipped the idols that his father Manasseh served and abandoned the Lord. Though he was 22 when he took over the Kingdom of Israel. The people conspired against him and assassinated him. His son Josiah would be placed on the throne of Israel at age 8. It is important to note that Josiah was the king of Judah. Israel had split into two kingdoms by this point, the northern kingdom was given over to idolatries much more grievously than Judah so the northern kingdom would be delivered to the Babylonians much sooner than the Kingdom of Judah. Unlike his father and grandfather, he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. Josiah's mother was Jedidah and he would reign for a total of 31 years in Israel. It was under Josiah's reign that Israel was called forth from the worship of false idols once again.
Josiah's servant Hilkiah found the Book of Law which had been lost to the Israelite monarchy for quite some time. It was doing a routine counting of money in the Temple in which this high priest found it. The high priest, showing it to the holy king, began to read from it. When Josiah had heard every word from it, he tore his clothes for he had begun to realize the grievous errors of his predecessors on the throne of Israel and how they had abandoned the God of Heaven and Earth by assenting to the worship of pagan deities. He sent the high priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan the secretary, and his own servant Asaiah to inquire from the prophetess Huldah of what awaits the nation of Israel for he realized how great the offense of Israel's was in the sight of the Lord.
Huldah warned the men of the coming destruction of Israel. How the words of the prophets from the book which the King of Judah read shall be fulfilled. But because the King of Judah showed great repentance upon hearing the words of the prophets, rent his clothes, and mourned over the kingdom, he would be spared of the coming destruction to the Kingdom of Judah. He would be allowed to die in peace and to be buried with his ancestors. He would not have to see the destruction coming to the Kingdom of Judah which his successors would have to see for their idolatries. Upon hearing these things, Josiah was led to greater penance. He began a sweeping series of reforms to the Kingdom of Judah.
He commanded the high priest Hilkiah to bring out of the temple the idols of Baal and Asherah and had those idols burned. He also defiled the altars to the pagan deities, the demons, who were worshiped by his ancestors, tearing down the high places dedicated to these demons from Geba to Beersheba, defiling the altar to Topheth so that no daughter would pass through the flames in a sacrificial act to the demon Molech and he tore down the houses for the male prostitutes of this fertility goddess Asherah. He tore down the two altars built up by his grandfather Manasseh and continued throughout the land. Wherever there was an altar dedicated to one of these demons, he tore it down and defiled it. Wherever there was an altar constructed to Baal, he took it down and defiled it. Only the Lord of Heaven's Armies was to be worshiped by Israel. The readings from the books of the Law had reformed his heart and he proceeded courageously against the will of the people to call Judah back to the worship of the one true God and away from the demons they had found themselves dedicated to.
Moreover, he commanded the Passover be observed once again. Judah was so sold out to these pagan deities that they had neglected to observe the most important Jewish feast of all. The Passover was instituted under the Holy Prophet Moses and was to be observed as remembrance of the plagues wrought out upon the Egyptians while the Israelites were held in captivity under these wicked heathens. They were to keep it in remembrance of what the Lord had done for them in delivering them from their bondage. This important holy feast had been neglected. It was during the Passover that Our Lord even instituted the New Covenant becoming the Pascha (Passover) for the New Israel (the Church). There is no greater Jewish feast than the Passover and Josiah would restore its celebration. There was no king like Josiah. But still, the Lord's wrath was enkindled against Judah for the idolatries that Manasseh had sold Judah out to. The Lord was still desirous to remove Judah from the earth. Yet Josiah was not to see this in his lifetime for Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo by the Pharaoh Neco. Josiah's successors, Jehoahaz and Jehoiakam did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.
When the country is moving in the wrong direction spiritually, there may be no way to turn it around save through a national repentance of the kingdom. This is what Judah needed. Though we may have solace for a temporary period of time, it is inevitable that a country committed to its worship of idols will continue on this deadly track. This is exactly what we observe in the reign of Josiah. We see a period of solace from the deadly worship of idols but immediately after he falls, the country is led astray yet again. Broad is the road leading to destruction and many will find it. Narrow is the path to eternal life and few will find that. Always take the straight and narrow path. St. Josiah, pray for us!
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