2 Kings 21-23
What I Noticed Today (2 Kings 21-23)
2 Kings 21-23 continue the recounting of the kings of Judah.
2 Kings 21
In verses 1-18, Manasseh became king in Judah after his father Hezekiah died. He was 12-years old when he became king, and he reigned 55 years in Jerusalem.
- Manasseh was a bad king who did more evil than all the kings of Israel or Judah.
- He reversed all the progress made by his father by rebuilding the high places, and he erected altars for Baal, he even placed altars inside the house of the Lord.
- He burned his son as a sacrifice, made carvings of Asherah, and consulted mediums and spiritists.
- Manasseh led the people of Judah astray more than the kings of Israel and the people who the Lord had destroyed before the people of Israel.
- Because of Manasseh, the Lord decreed destruction on the people of Judah.
- Manasseh died and was buried in his own garden tomb. His son, Amon reigned in his place.
In verses 19-26, Amon was 22-years old when he became king of Judah. Amon reigned two years in Jerusalem.
- He was a bad king, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord.
- He abandoned God.
- His own servants rose up against him and killed him.
- The king’s supporters killed those who had conspired against Amon and appointed Amon’s son, Josiah to rule in his place.
- Amon was buried in the garden of Uzza.
Note: According to Jewish tradition, Manasseh put the prophet Isaiah to death by having him sawn in two.
2 Kings 22
In verses 1-2, Josiah was only eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 31 years.
- He was a good king, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
In verses 3-7, Josiah instituted reforms to rebuild the house of the Lord.
In verses 8-20, Hilkiah the priest found a copy of the Law, read it and shared it with Josiah.
- Josiah tore his clothes and repented when he heard the words of the Law.
- Huldah, the prophetess, advised the king that because he had repented the Lord would withhold his judgment on Judah until after he had died.
2 Kings 23
In verses 1-27, Josiah begins reforms in Judah and restored the Passover.
- Josiah brought all the elders of Judah together in Jerusalem along with the priest and prophets and read the book of the Law (probably sections of the Pentateuch).
- Josiah renewed the covenant with the Lord to keep his commands, decrees, and statutes.
- Josiah continued with his reforms bringing the worship of God back to the people of Judah. He even reinstituted the Passover celebration.
- He removed and burned all of the high places, Asherah, and other items that involved the worship of other gods.
- He did away with horses that had been dedicated to sun gods.
- Josiah even removed shrines in Samaria that the kings of Israel had made.
In verses 28-30, Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt came to help the king of Assyria (609 B.C.).
Note: Egypt and Assyria were allies against Babylon.
- Josiah died in a battle against Pharaoh Neco of Egypt at Megiddo.
- His servants brought him back to Jerusalem for burial.
In verses 31-33 Josiah’s son, Jehoahaz was made king and reigned in Judah. Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he began to reign in Judah.
- He was a bad king doing evil in the eyes of the Lord.
- He reigned only three months before Pharaoh Neco removed him.
In verses 34-36, Neco made Josiah’s son, Eliakim king in his place, and changed his name to Jehoiakim.
- Jehoiakim reigned eleven years in Judah. He was a bad king doing evil in the eyes of the Lord.
- Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king of Judah, and he reigned 11 years from Jerusalem.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- Evil king Ahaz fathered Hezekiah who followed the Lord, but he fathered the evil king Manasseh. Manasseh was evil early in his reign, but we will see him repent when we get to 2 Chronicles 33:12. The evil king Manasseh fathered the good king Josiah, but Josiah turned away from God later in his life (2 Chronicles 33:12).
- Manasseh tore down everything that his father Hezekiah built up, and Josiah tore down everything that his father Manasseh built up. Josiah had God’s word when the copy of the Law was found, and that drove him to rebuild the house of the Lord, but with all this having and hearing God’s Word the people failed to heed God’s Word over time. A leader can do a lot to bring people back to God, but unless the people repent of their sin and follow God faithfully, they will soon turn back to their old sinful ways once again.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.