NL 212: Josiah's Reform

image: King Josiah by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (wikimedia)

2 Kings 22:1-20; 23:1-3

Initial Thoughts

  • Weird - this was Advent 1 4 years ago but is now Christ the King...seems strange to RCL folks- remember that this is not the RCL

Bible Study

  • Traditional interpretations and assumptions

    • Josiah was the best King of Israel

    • Traditional-Historical interpretation of Josiah’s reform

      • He emptied the treasury to rebuild/restore the temple, found the scroll containing the message of judgment

      • He ended the vassalship with Assyria - and could get away with it because Assyria’s power was waning

    • Counter narrative - the text does not say this

      • We don’t know where the scroll was found - was it in the temple or in the money chest

      • It is possible Josiah remained as a dutiful vassal lord to Assyria

    • What do we know? Josiah was motivated by this new book of law and not by Assyria - it is the word of God that is motivating Josiah

  • House repairs

    • Not unique to Josiah - he is following the tradition as seen in 2 Kings 12:9-15 with King Joash

    • The reconstruction of the temple is not detailed or considered at all- this seems to be a pretty generic decree that reveals something extraordinary, if anything it marks a return to the normalcy of the Kingdom after Manasseh, who was the worst king.

  • Discovery of Deuteronomy

    • No clear indication of how or where this book was found

    • The dramatic movement of the scroll from Hilkiah to Shaphan to Josiah, from temple via priest and secretary to the king and then to the people, serves as both dramatic delay and as a “chain the evidence” as to the authenticity of the newfound law (Nelson, Interpretation: 1 & 2 Kings)

    • Prophetess Huldah bears witness to the text without having read it.

      • “She is the only female prophet mentinoed in the Book of Kings. She performs in every respect like the male prophets, quoting God’s words directly with the introductory messenger-formula, ‘thus says the LORD,’ and the large royal delegation that comes to her clearly accepts her authority as fully as they would that of a male prophet” (Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, v. II, p. 602)

      • “Since contents of the book at this point would be known only to Josiah and Shapahn and perhaps some courtiers who heard the reading of the text, Huldah must be presumed to know the book through her prophetic gifts.” (Alter, p. 602)

      • If  you are intrigued by this prophetess, Here is an article about her that includes some midrash.

    • This new scroll is Deuteronomy (literally, “Second Law”)

    • How does one “lose” a book of the Torah?

  • Inquiry

    • Josiah hears the book and knows that doom is imminent because Deuteronomy ends with a series of explicit curses and woes to the disobedient

    • Josiah wants to know what will happen to him and to Judah

    • Response from Huldah the prophetess:

      • Yes- Judah is doomed

      • But- Josiah - you’ll be ok

  • Response

    • Josiah enacts a mighty reform that all the people should hear and obey this “second law”/Deuteronomy

    • Josiah knows that this will make no difference, but does it anyway

    • The new law is now known as the “book of the covenant” (23:2). This law will set a new relationship between the people and God

    • They will renew their covenant with God and be faithful

Thoughts and Questions

  • Josiah find an unexpected gift, Deuteronomy, that was forgotten or lost, simply by going through the regular motions of his duty as King. What important stories, lessons, people, rituals, practices have you or your church forgotten from your past? What would it mean to uncover and return to them?

  • Josiah hears this word of doom and instead of succumbing to apathy or despair he enacts his reform anyway. He knows this will not save Judah or affect his own salvation, but he does it anyway. Faithfulness is its own reward. How often are we faithful because of what we hope to receive or are afraid of the wrath to come?

  • How do we balance the wrath to come with the grace of God? Even upon repentance and reform, Judah remains doomed. This makes me think of climate change. Even if we make major reforms by doing what we should have been doing for decades, it may be too late.

Year 2Eric Fistler2 KingsComment