II Kings 22-23 After Manasseh died, his son Amon became king for two years and was as evil as his father.  After Amon was killed by his own servants, Josiah, his 8 year old son became king.  Josiah "did right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the way of his father David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left. 

Josiah did even more than Hezekiah had done.  Not only did he get rid of every idol in Judah, but he also purged them from the rest of Israel, even removing Asherahs that Solomon had erected. Josiah instructed the priests and Levites to restore the temple.  While doing this, the book of the Law of Moses was found. Amazing that this vital book had been so neglected that not even the priests knew that it was there! When they took it to Josiah and he heard what the Lord had to say to Israel, he tore his clothes in grief.  Josiah gathered all the men of Judah and had the book read before all the people and renewed the covenant "to walk after the Lord and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book." 

Josiah thoroughly reformed Judah, restituted the Passover, and lived out his life in obedience to the Lord.  But, he went up to war against Egypt and was killed in battle.  His son Jehoahaz became king for 3 months and did evil. He was taken captive by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt, who then made his brother Eliahim king, changing his name to Jehoiakim.  He also did evil.  And then came Nebuchadnezzar. 

It is amazing to me that Josiah was a king who walked with the Lord so completely and then produced two sons who turned back to evil, bringing about the destruction of Judah, Jerusalem, and the Temple of the Lord. What happened there? 

In I Kings 13:1-2 a prophet told Jeroboam that a future king, named Josiah, would "sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense ( on Jeroboam's altar).. and human bones shall be burned.. " This is exactly what happened during Josiah's reign. ( II Kings 23:15-16)   Josiah was appointed generations before his birth to purge the land of Israel and of Judah.  Yet, God would not turn away from the "fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned... "  The idolatry and evil of Manasseh had so polluted the land that there was only a short reprieve during Josiah's reign.  Following Josiah, the evil once again swept through Judah. 

Is this what we see in our world today? Times of revival and restoration are followed by times of immorality and lawlessness.  Will the Lord raise up another like Josiah?  YES!   His Name is Jesus and He will come and rule with all righteousness and justice and truth.  O for that day to come!

Father in heaven, You are our hope and salvation!  Days of evil kings and godless leaders of every kind bring us to despair sometimes, but we know that the Day is coming when Jesus Christ will return to rule over all the earth!  O what a day that will be..  Help us to be ready, to live like Josiah, walking in Your ways and turning neither to the left or to the right.  Help us to read and study and take heed to Your Word, that we might not sin against You, but live for You and walk with You every day, to the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  In His name we pray. Amen.