JOSIAH’S REFORMS AND HIS DEATH If Josiah was the last good king in Judah, why then did the book care to mention his reforms before his death; with the confirmation that “the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah because of all the provocations with which Manasseh has provoked Him” (26)? The prophet Jeremiah started his ministry in the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign (626 BC); namely about five years before the great movement of religious reform mentioned in 2 kings 23. And he continued his prophetic work until about the year 586 BC, namely for as long as about 40 years. In spite of Josiah’s great strife against idol-worship, yet the torrent of corruption was so deep in the souls of the civil, the religious leaders, and the people, that they did not care for his reform with their whole hearts, other than to repair the temple, and to practice the formalities of worship without spirit, mixed with pagan abominations. That is why the call of the prophet Jeremiah concentrated on the reform of the heart. God set that great reformer, king Josiah, to follow Manasseh and Amon the evil kings. Even though, the leaders and the people, could find an excuse to respond to Manasseh and his son Amon, God sent to them Josiah the faithful reformer, to whose reforms they responded by outer appearance; while their hearts persisted on their evil. Setting king Josiah was the last the chance for the leaders and the people to return to God, but they did not. 1- A collective popular pledge to gather around the Word of God 1 - 3 2- Josiah cleansed the temple of all traces of idol-worship 4 - 6 3- Josiah tore down the ritual booths of the perverted persons 7 4- Josiah cleansed the cities of Judah and the high places 8 - 9 5- Josiah defiled Topheth 10 6- Josiah removed the chariots dedicated to the sun 11 7- Josiah removed the altars built by the evil kings 12 - 20 8- Josiah celebrated the feast of Passover 21 - 25 9- God’s wrath over Judah 26 - 27 10- Josiah killed in Megiddo 28 - 30 11- Jehoahaz (Josiah’s son) reigns, then taken into captivity 31 - 33 12- Jehoiakim sits on the throne 34 - 37 1- A COLLECTIVE POPULAR PLEDGE TO GATHER AROUND THE WORD OF GOD: “Now the king sent them to gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to him (1) .”The king went up to the house of the LORD with all the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the LORD” (2). The high priest discovered the book of the law in the house of God, and sent it to the king on the hand of Shaphan the scribe, whor read it before the king (2 kings 22: 10). Now the king read it aloud by himself in the house of the Lord, which seems a strange thing to do; for the reading is usually left to the high priest, or to one of the prophets like Jeremiah or Zephaniah and others, when they are present. But because of the king’s zeal and of his longing for all to enter into a renewed covenant with God, he himself read it before the people. In the last chapter we saw how all, so neglected the Word of God; that they had no knowledge of where the copy of the book of the law, dedicated to the temple, would be found. We noticed how the king, while reading what came in the book, seemed to hear it for the first time. Now, we see how he longs to make the holy law the foundation on which the whole kingdom be built, from the king, and men of his court, to the high priest, and the civil and religious leaders. Saying “all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem”, does not imply that all of them came, but representatives of the people of all ranks. And by the “prophets” is meant all those who preach the word of the Lord, like the teachers, and those who take care of the spiritual life of the people. “He read in their hearing the words of the book of the law”; The way the prophet Moses (Exodus 24: 3-8), and Joshua (8: 34-35); did, Josiah followed the lead of the old godly leaders (Deuteronomy 17: 18-20; 31: 9:-13), and assembled the people to renew the covenant with God (Joshua 34). Saying, “He read in their hearing the words of the book of the law”, does not mean that he read all the five books of Moses, but he read the commandments, and all what concern the duties of the people toward God. The true reform starts by being gathered together around the Word of God. Together with our commitment to have a personal relationship with God through His Word, it is befitting of us to gather together by the spirit of love and unity. For the Word of God is the basis of any reform on the individual, as well as on the collective level of the church. On another aspect, being gathered together, bears a call of brotherly love in the Lord; without which we would not enjoy the blessings of the divine Word. For according to St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi, [it is befitting of the speaker and the listener to have love]. + :Listen to me with love, the way I talk.. For without love it would be difficult to listen to the amazing Word. He who loves, will find a plenty to learn; for love opens the door of the heart and the soul to receive the Word. + I wish love moves you to listen, as it moves me to talk; for there will be no benefit except with love. + Love should be set as an intermediary, for whoever listens without love, will not be able to understand. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) “Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant”(3) The king stood on the bronze podium made by king Solomon, which was usually used by the kings when they address the people (2 Chronicles 6: 13) The goal of God is for His people to enter into a covenant with Him. It is written: “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: ‘Hear the words of His covenant, and speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 11: 1-2). According to some, the prophet here, refers to the covenant set between God and His people on Mount ‘Horeb’ in Sinai, to which king Josiah and the elders confirmed their faithfulness; the covenant that was recorded in a scroll (book), that was found during the repair of the temple; with which they bound themselves, and promised to consummate the words written in it (3). According to the scholar Origen, the words that came to Jeremiah from the Lord are the divine Word, saying: [If we meditate in the episode of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as narrated in the books of history; we shall find that his coming in the flesh happened only once, through which He enlightened the whole world: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1: 14). He was actually, “The true Light which gives light to every man was coming to the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him; and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1: 9-11) Yet, we should know that He came before that, even not in the flesh. He came in every one of the saints; And, after His coming in the flesh, He still comes to us even now. … If you want an evidence of that, listen to the words, saying: “The words came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: Hear…”. …. What is this word that came to Jeremiah, to Isaiah, to Ezekiel, or to other prophets from the Lord, but “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1: 1). As far as I am concerned, I know no other word from the Lord, except that about which the Evangelic John says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1: 1). We have to know that the coming of the Word was also on a personal level……… For, what would be my benefit if the Word came to the world, but not to me? … I would confirm that the Lord Christ came to Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and to everyone of the righteous men; and that the Word He said to His disciple: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28: 20, has been actually fulfilled before His coming; ……….For how could all those prophets utter the words of God, if the Word of God has not come to them? … Now, how about us?… The men of Judah refer to us; Christians; Christ came from the tribe of Judah, and if I made it clear that, by the word ‘Judah’ is meant the Lord Christ, men of Judah, therefore, will not be the Jews who did not believe in the Lord Christ, but we who believed in Him. The issue here concerns the church; for the church is the city of God, the city of peace; where the peace of God given to us, is seen and glorified, if we are as well the children of peace. According to the scholar Origen,: [Who would hear better the words of the covenant, commanded by God to the fathers?... those who believed in Him, or – according to the evidences we have – those who do not believe, even in Moses, having not believed in the Lord? ….To whom the Savior says: “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will be believe My words?” (John 5: 46, 47). Those people have not, therefore, believed in Moses. But, by our faith in the Lord Christ, we also believe in the covenant set by Moses; namely, the covenant I commanded to your fathers] It does not show here that the Lord said nor promised His people, any thing new; but all the talk was from the people; who pledged to return to God, and to keep the law, which they have neglected; The covenant was then, not with the Lord , but before the Lord.(3). We bring the people of God to the renewal by making them listen to the Word of God and learn it. Josiah gathered together the elders and the people to listen to the Word of God; on account of that the leaders and people are all in need to live through the proclamation of the Lord. + It may seem that the covenant and receiving the law are one and the same thing; but I think that there is a difference between them: The law was given only once through Moses; whereas the covenant was given several times (Genesis 9: 8-17; 25: 18; 2 Samuel 23: 5). For every time the people err, they are cast away, and lose the inheritance; then supplicate to God to call them back to inherit their possessions, and to proclaim again that they are heirs. (The scholar Origen) By “taking a stand for the covenant” (3), the people showed their appreciation, reverence of the Word of God, and acceptance of all what the king read before them. 2- JOSIAH CLEANSED THE TEMPLE OF ALL TRACES OF IDOL-WORSHIP: . 4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.” (4) If the Word of God was lost, and had no place in the hearts of all, we should not wonder that the pagan worship and its abominations have crawled into the house of the Lord, and into all the promised land in both Judah and Israel. That is why, after listening to the Word of God, the first task of all was to get rid of that serious plague.. According to some, “priests of the second order”, refer to all the priests under the high priest, who is considered ‘the first order’. Josiah, who had a close relationship with God, and a reformer like his grandfather Hezekiah; cleansed the temple, revived the obedience to the divine law, and confirmed his faith by works (James 2: 20; Jeremiah 22: 15). By the ‘articles’ (4), is meant all things concerning the idol-worship, , like the altars, the priestly clothes, the statues, and the vessels, etc., All the articles were taken to the fields of ‘Kidron’, in the reforms by Asa (1 kings 15: 13); and of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29: 16; 30: 14); where they were burned, and the ashes were carried to Bethel, as a public condemnation against the pagan rites, and against the location bound to it (1 kings 12: 28-30; Amos 4: 4-5). They were burned outside Jerusalem, so that their ashes would not defile the holy city…. The Northern kingdom was also influenced by Josiah’s reforms. According to R.E. Clements, setting the pillars was bound to the rites pertaining to fertility; as they used to consider that fertility and carnal practices, touch the power of the secret life; and have their effect even upon the crops of plants, and the production of animals. This power is produced by practices performed between gods and goddesses; and between men and women; who, by partaking in those rites, are provided with the power of life. Probably for this reason, those abominations were usually practiced beside altars set under every green tree on high places; to beseech the gods to give fertility to plants and animals, as well as to man. According to them, those practices grant them, as well, the strength to struggle against the secret and hidden power of death; as though the fertility and sex represent life and death; survival and perdition. Therefore, we should not marvel that the altars and the pillars were bound t0 the unclean practices, and the filthy abominations, as religious rites. The fields of Kidron were in the Valley of Kidron, East of Jerusalem, which separates between the city and the Mount of Olives. That location was a public burial lace for the common people; The Valley of the son of xxxxxxxx was in that vicinity. “Then he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, and those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven” (5) The priests of the idols, also mentioned in Zephaniah 1: 4; were appointed by some of the previous kings. The prophet Hosea spoke about the condemnation of those priests who led the worship of the golden calf in Bethel (Hosea 10: 5). By saying “he removed the idolatrous priests”, he does nit mean that he killed them, but he removed them from their pagan services. ….The next step in the renewal was to take away everything foreign of the house of the Lord. For it is befitting of whoever intends to follow the Lord to listen to His Word, to obey it, and to reject, by his whole heart the darkness and its works. “And he brought out the wooden image from the house of the LORD, to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, burned it at the Brook Kidron and ground it to ashes, and threw its ashes on the graves of the common people” (6) The” wooden images”, bound to the worship of ‘Sherah’, were previously removed by king Hezekiah 918: 4); But Manasseh, then Amon brought them back (21: 7; 21; 13; 6). 3- JOSIAH TORE DOWN THE RITUAL BOOTHS OF THE PERVERTED PERSONS: “Then he tore down the ritual booths of the perverted persons that were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the wooden image” (7) Corruption reached the extent that filthy practices were done as a part of the Canaanite worship (1 kings 14: 24; 15: 12; 22: 46). And more serious was that those perverted persons, not only did those practices in Jerusalem, but brought them into the house of the Lord; counting them as service to the gods. 4- JOSIAH CLEANSED THE CITIES OF JUDAH AND THE HIGH PLACES: “And he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; also he broke down the high places at the gates which were at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were to the left of the city gate” (8) “From Geba to Beersheba”, means from the far North to the far South. “The high places at the gates”, They used to burn incense on house roofs (Jeremiah 19: 13). At the gates of the city, there were towers, whose roofs were probably the high places referred to; like the location where Mesha, king of Moab offered his son a burnt offering (3: 270. And according to some, on those high places, pagan temples were built at the city gates as places of assembly. + How could the kings serve the Lord with fear, except by refraining to commit and reject what contradict His commandments with firmness? A king serves the lord in his capacity as a man, and in his capacity as a king: As a man by walking according to faith; and as a king by doing all efforts to issue by-laws that exhord goodness, and forbid anything contradictory. So were the services done by king Hezekiah by braking down the high places and the temples of the idols, that were built against the commandments of God (2 kings 18: 4; and so were the service done by king Josiah….. Kings serve God when they consummate works that no one except kings could do. (St. Augustine) “The gates of Joshua the governor of the city”; North of the city gate, the location where the governor of the city used to address the people, and makes decisions, Close to that location there were public altars on which sacrifices were offered to the true God, and sometimes to the false gods. “Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brethren” (9). They were called ‘priests’, even though they did not practice priesthood in the temple; on account of that they ministered on the high place; but having eaten from the offerings, being descendants of Aaron; they became like priests who have defects (Leviticus 21: 21-230. “The bread of the offerings were unleavened bread” (Leviticus 6: 16-18). The sacrifices offered by those priests, although were offered in the name of the living God, yet because they were offered on the high places, and not in the house of the Lord, the priests who offered them were not worthy of ministering in the temple. But, belonging to the priesthood, they received portions of the tithes, the sacrifices, the offerings, the unleavened bread, and the grain offerings. 5- JOSIAH DEFILED TOPHETH: “And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech” (10) According to St. Jerome, ‘Topheth’ was a joyful location, with gardens and springs of fresh water. And according to some scholars, ‘Molech’ was a pagan god like ‘Milkom’ the abomination of the Ammonites (1 kings 11: 5), or the Canaanite gods (Leviticus 20: 1-5); whose worship were moved into Jerusalem. And according to other scholars, ‘Melcom’ refers to the rite of sacrificing a child to the Baal (Jeremiah 7: 31, 32; 19: 5-6; 32: 35)……. In some excavations in Cartagena, a Phoenician city, there was found a testimony of such a kind of sacrifice. The Arabic word ‘Gohannam’, namely ‘Hell’,is formed of two Hebrew words: ‘Geh – Hinnom’, namely ‘inside Hinnom’. ‘Hinnom’is a valley into which the trash of the sacrifices offered in the temple, were cast by special tubes; Fire unceasingly ignited to burn the trash, to protect the city against diseases. By this we can understand the expression used by the Lord Christ three times in the gospel according to St. Mark, about the torture of the wicked in hell, “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9: 44, 46, 48; to portray the ultimate place where the wicked will be put after being judged. ………..In that valley, Ahaz and Manasseh, made their sons pass through the fire (2 kings 16: 3; 2 Chronicles 28: 3; 33: 6). Josiah, one of the good kings of Judah, put an end to those practices, and defiled that valley, to turn it into a trash dump for Jerusalem (2 Kings 23: 10) “Tophath”. A word meaning (a furnace, or a place for burning); for there, they used to burn the remains of the sacrifices, and there they made their sons pass through fire. It was at the south-east part of the Valley of Hinnom; south and west of Jerusalem; running from the ‘Khalil’s Gate’ down to ‘Job’s well’. It is also called ‘the Valley of the son of Hinnom’ or ‘of the children of Hinnom’ – a Canaanite tribe (Isaiah 30; 33). There was a hollow bronze statute of Molech, god of the Ammonites, inside which they used to ignite fire, then put their children on its red-hot hands to burn. 6- JOSIAH REMOVED THE CHARIOTS DEDICATED TO THE SUN: “Then he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech, the officer who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire” (11) In the east, horses were dedicated to the worship of the sun, because of their speed and several other benefits. Excavations in Jerusalem, and Hazor, revealed a sanctuary dedicated to the worship of the sun, that dates back to the time of Jehopshaphat, with small horses on whose forehead was drawn the image of the sun…. The Greeks , the Romans, and others, likened the sun to a charioteer riding a chariot, running from East to West. And used chariots of the sun in their religious celebrations. … Josiah burned those chariots and removed the horses; namely he forbade providing them to the chariots of the sun, the way his predecessor kings of Judah did. Those horses removed by king Josiah, were either living horses that ran the chariots of the sun, or carved images thereof. . Believing that horses draw the sun along, they were sometimes offered as sacrifices to the sun; or used in the processions to honor the sun. The sun-worshippers like Ahaz, Manasseh, and their prominent leaders, sometimes rode horses every dawn to receive sunrise, out of the Eastern gate of the temple.. 7- JOSIAH REMOVED THE ALTARS BUILT BY THE EVIL KINGS: . “The altars that were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, the king broke down and pulverized there, and threw their dust into the Brook Kidron” (12) Those who worshipped the sun, the moon, and the stars, used to set altars on house roofs for this purpose; like the upper room built by Ahaz on the roof of one of the buildings of the temple, from which they used to watch, and to worship the stars (Jeremiah 19: 13). “ Then the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, which were on the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the people of Ammon” (13) “The Mount of Corruption”, East and South of Jerusalem; the southern part of the Mount of olives. It was so called, for being where king Solomon built temples for the idols, worshipped by his foreign women (1 kings 11). The abominable statue of ‘Ashtoreth’ was erected by Manasseh the evil king in the temple of God (21: 7); Ashetoreth was often described as one of the goddesses of the sea, and as mother of several gods, including Baal. The godly kings broke those pagan temples down. And on the Mount of Olives, our Lord Jesus often sat to teach the true worship to His disciples (Matthhew 24: 3). “Chemosh”; The Moabites were called ‘the nation of Chemosh’ (Numbers 21: 29), or ‘the people of Chemosh’ (Jeremiah 48: 46); and ‘Chemosh’, the abomination of the Moabites. King Solomon brought its worship into Jerusalem (1 kings 11: 7); and king Josiah removed it. The Moabite kings used to refer their conquests to ‘Chemosh’, as shown on the Moabite stone by Mesha king of Moab (2 kings 3: 4 ‘Milcom’, There was a close relationship between ‘Chemosh’, god of the Moabites, and ‘Milcom’, god of the Ammonites; for in both, children were offered as sacrifices in fire (2 kings 3: 27). “And he broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images, and filled their places with the bones of men” (14). Filling their places with the bones of men, was considered a way of defilement by the Jews, as well as by the pagans; on account of that it is a sign of death and corruption; when the pagans claim that their gods are the source of life and fertility (21: 7). “Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down; and he burned the high place and crushed it to powder, and burned the wooden image” (15) A man of God in the past, prophesied that the altar built by Jeroboam, the first, in Bethel will be broken down (1 kings 13: 26-32). The literal fulfillment of that prophecy, confirms that that ancient man of God was a true prophet (Deuteronomy 18: 22). Bethel was where one of the two golden calves made by Jeroboam were worshipped (1 kings 12: 32). It is clear that the authority of Assyria on the land of Israel at that time (17: 24) was so weak; that the king of Judah broke down the altars, and slain their priests, with no reaction of Assyria which, according to historical records, was about to fall. “As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that were there on the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar, and defiled it according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words” (16) The king of Assyria probably got so preoccupied with wars against the Skythians who came from the north and entered into Asia Minor; and with the Babylonians and the Mades who stirred up troubles against Assyria; that he did not care much for what Josiah did. As the people perverted to idol-worship, the Lord threatened them on the tongue of the prophet, that calamity will dwell upon them, in every place they used to practice evil, whether a mountain a valley, a plain, or a river; that the sword will be upon the evildoers, to turn their cities into desolation and barrenness, to remove their high places, to break down their altars. The worshippers, what they worship, and where they worship, will all be broken down. He probably burned the bones on the altar before breaking it down, and scattered their ashes on the place to defile it (2 kings 23: 16).. That, according to St. Augustine, what happened was a fulfillment of the prophecy previously proclaimed by the man of God (1 kings 13: 2), three hundred years before, who mentioned ‘Josiah’ by name (about which Josiah did not know until after the fulfillment of the prophec). “Then he said, “What gravestone is this that I see?” (17) “So the men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.” (18) “And he said, “Let him alone; let no one move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria” (19). By Samaria here he means all the province, and not just the city that became later on, the capital of the Northern kingdom (1 kings 13: 32 16: 23-24). ………The man of God who came from Samaria, and cried out by the word of God against the altar of Jeroboam the first in Bethel, demanded to be buried in Bethel beside the prophet from Judah (1 kings 13: 2. 32). “Now Josiah also took away all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger; and he did to them according to all the deeds he had done in Bethel” (19) “He executed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned men’s bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem” (20) As the priests of the high places were not Levites, they, according to the law, were sent away (Deuteronomy 17: 2-7). But the true priests who served there, after removing those sanctuaries, were not allowed to minister in the temple in Jerusalem, and were counted as priests with physical defects (Leviticus 21: 17-23). God suffered long on those priests for 300 years; but as a multitude have perished because of them; they were executed; yet the prophet did such, seemingly cruel act, not out of personal vengeance, but by the allowance of God to save the souls; the same way the prophet Elijah slew the priests of the Baal (1 kings 18; 40). But now, in the era of grace, such a thing is no more allowed. 8- JOSIAH CELEBRATED THE FEAST OF PASSOVER: . “Then the king commanded all the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant” (21) Having removed every trace of idol-worship and its abominations; namely every trace of the old leaven, the people were qualified to celebrate the feast of Passover. It is befitting of the believer, not only to seek from God to cleanse him from corruption, but also to let him cross over from the bondage of the devil to the glorious liberty of the children of God. The Jewish feast of Passover carries a symbol of crossing over, not to the promised land, but to the heavenly Canaan. Hezekiah previously celebrated the Passover, but with some alterations (2 Chronicles 30: 13-20); But Josiah elaborately committed himself to the law (2 Chronicles 35: 1- 19); something not done since the era of the Judges. St. Ambrose calls us to follow the lead of king Josiah, concerning the flaring zeal in his heart.. + Love faith; for Josiah, by his godliness and faith, was greatly beloved, even by his enemies. He celebrated the feast of Passover in the eighteenth year of his reign, with great zeal, not done by any of his predecessors. … I exhort you, O my children, to have such a great zeal for God that would (eat him up). Let everyone of you, say: “The zeal for Your house has eaten me up” (Psalm 69: 9). ……….ne of the disciples of the Lord was called “the zealot” (Luke 6: 15). And why should I talk about a disciple, when the Lord Himself said: “The zeal for Your house has eaten Me up” (John 2: 17). I exhort You then to have true zeal for God, not an earthly zeal, that may produce envy. (St. Ambrose) “Such a Passover surely had never been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah” 22) .” But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was held before the LORD in Jerusalem” (23) One of the misconceptions, is that God intends to take away from his believers the spirit of feasts and gladness; For God actually wishes for us to practice the virtuous life in its fullness (John 10: 10); and for the life of those who love him to be turned into a perpetual feast and an unceasing celebration. In that year, after the repair of the house of the Lord, the great assembly in Jerusalem to read the newly discovered book of the law, and to renew the covenant with God; the breaking down of the pagan altars in Jerusalem, in Judah, and in the cities of Samaria; the people were now qualified to celebrate the feast of Passover. “Moreover, Josiah put away those who consulted mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD” (24) The teraphim, a Hebrew word meaning (that bring forth happiness), were household idols or statutes, so small to make it easy to carry along in case they have to get away in a hurry. According to a common belief, as their name indicates, they bring good omen, and were consulted in all problems (Zechariah 10: 2). According to the Babylonian law, whoever had them, was given the right to inherit the portion of the firstborn. Those teraphim were removed together with the other idols. “Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him” (25) Both Hezekiel and Josiah were commended on their godliness: Josiah for being the greatest among the kings of Judah and Israel, who held fast to the divine law; and Hezekiah, for being the greatest one to trust in God with faith (18: 5). 9- GOD’S WRATH OVER JUDAH: “Nevertheless the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him” (26) Despite all those effort exerted by Josiah, the divine judgment over Judah for their persistence on sin, was inevitable (17: 18-19; 23: 26-27; Lamentations 1: 5). Even though Manasseh repented, yet, on account of that his repentance was only temporary, he had to reap the fruits of his sins,. The problems of Judah as a whole during the last years before the Babylonian captivation, may be summarized in two things: 1- The civil and religious leaders, as well as the people, did not care to repair their hearts, beside repairing the temple, and practicing the worship in spiritless formalities. 2- The rulers, as well as the people were wrestling between making an alliance with the Pharaoh of Egypt, or with Assyria, then later with Babylon. The greatest majority did not like Babylon, expecting their attack any time, a feeling that provoked them to throw themselves in the bosoms of the Pharaoh of Egypt; despite their past bad experience with both Egypt and Babylon. ……….We can understand that controversy from what happened with the five kings who were contemporary with the prophet Jeremiah: : Josiah (626-609 BC), whom the Egyptian killed in the battle of Megiddo. Jehoahaz; who was removed from the throne after just three months of his reign (2 Chronicles 36: 2) Jehoiakim; who was set by Pharaoh a king instead of his brother; remained faithful to Pharah for four years; but when the later was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, Jehoiakim submitted to Babylon; and mysteriously died Jehoiakin; who, three months after being set a king in place of his father, was captivated by Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah; who was set by Nebuchadnezzar a king, instead of his nephew, wrestled between being faithful to his master in Babylon, and his attempts to please his people, who preferred to resort to the Pharaoh of Egypt to protect them from Babylon; and considered Jehoiakin, the captive in Babylon as their legitimate king. Zedekiah, having made an alliance with Pharaoh, was captivated by the king of Babylon, who put out his eyes, and took the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah captives (39: 1-7). So Judah was between a rock and a hard place. and instead of resorting to God with repentance, to enjoy salvation, they trusted in this and that king. “And the LORD said, “I will also remove Judah from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, ‘My name shall be there’” (27) Some may wonder: How could God reject the city He has chosen to build His house in it? After all those huge reforms done by Josiah, together with the obedience of the leaders and the people to all that He commanded? Josiah tore his clothes when he heard what came in the law of God (22: 11); held a great assembly, read to them the law; celebrated the feast of Passover, almost forgotten by the people; removed the idol-worship with all its abominations, not only from the house of the Lord, but in every city of the whole kingdom; and his influence even extended to the kingdom of Israel. Yet, all that, actually came in obedience to the good king, and not with repentance and a return to God. Most probably the greatest majority, if not the whole people admired the king. But mere admiration of the pure king is not enough, nor the obedience of his commands, but what is sought is the purity of heart of the people, and their attachment to God; That is the reason His wrath was still over Judah. 10- JOSIAH KILLED IN MEGIDDO: “ Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?” (28) There is no mention in the book, of the events from the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign to the end of his life, namely for 13 years; it so seems that he reigned with wisdom and in peace. But what was mentioned in history was that the Skythians attacked Asia Minor; that the king of Egypt conquered Phoenicia; that Nineveh and the kingdom of Assyria fell; and that the kingdom of Babylon prevailed. “ In his days Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went to the aid of the king of Assyria, to the River Euphrates; and King Josiah went against him. And Pharaoh Necho killed him at Megiddo when he confronted him” (29) Some may wonder, if Necho Pharaoh of Egypt went against Assyria, why did king Josiah go to fight against him; and why did he enter into a battle that ended in his death? There are several views to interpret that situation:: a- All along the years of Josiah’s reign (640- 609 BC), the power of Assyria started to fail, until Nineveh fell in the year 612 BC; as Nahum prophesied. …….And as Egypt was in alliance with Assyria, Necho set forth northward to help the Assyrians under siege., Necho delayed his advance long enough until Haran fell from the hands of the Assyrians. As Necho Pharaoh of Egypt set forth through the kingdom of Israel to support Assyria against the threats of Babylon, that was about to be the greatest power on earth; Josiah, for fear that the two nations would probably join forces against him, after the Egyptian army confront Babylon; went to the Valley of Magiddo in an attempt to confront the Egyptian army, and to stop it from going through his land. But, his action cost him his life (2 Chronicles 35: 20-25). he was killed, his army was defeated, and Judah submitted to Egypt in the year 609 BC (2 Chronicles 35: 20-25). + We know that even the saints are sometimes inflicted by illnesses, tragedies, and need, and that they are occasionally tempted until they say: “Surely, I have cleansed my heart in vain; and washed my hands in innocence” (Psalm 73: 13)…. If you think that your blindness is caused by your sin, and that your incurable illness is a sign of the wrath of God, You would be, as though, you count Isaac sinful, for his near blindness that made him bless someone whom he did not intend to bless (Genesis 27)… count Jacob sinful, for his near blindness, he could not recognize Ephraim from Manasseh, the sons of Joseph (Genesis 48: 10); even though by his inner insight, and the spirit of prophecy, he could foresee the future events; and that the Messiah will come from the royal seed (Genesis 49: 10). Is there a king more holy than Josiah? who was killed by the sword of the Egyptians (29). Are there saints more exalted than Peter and Paul? whose blood was shed by the sword of Nero.. Let us not talk about men; ………..Didn’t the Son of God endure the reproach of the cross? (St. Jerome) + Josiah was killed by the (crippled) Pharaoh (The Rabites translate his name as the crippled); ……..and the Lord Jesus was killed by the Jewish people, who became crippled by their sins. Josiah cleansed the land of Judah of defilement; ………And Jesus cleansed and took away defilement from the whole earth; Josiah glorified the name of his God; …………And Jesus said to His Father: “I glorified, and will glorify (Your name) (John 12: 28); Josiah tore his clothes because if the iniquities of Israel (2 kings 22: 11, 12); ………..And, because of the iniquities of the Jewish people, Jesus split the veil of the holy temple (Matthew 27: 51) Josiah said: “For great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against this people” (2 kings 22: 13);………… And Jesus said: that God’s anger will come upon that people, and they will fall by the sword. Josiah removed the defilement from the holy temple; …………..And Jesus drove away the defiled traders from His Father’s house; The daughters of Jerusalem wailed upon Josiah, when he died (2 Chronicles 35); ……………And the daughters of Israel wailed upon Jesus; according to what is written:: “The land shall mourn, every family by itself” (Zechariah 12::12); Luke 23: 27-28). (St. Aphrahat) b- Even though Josiah did what is right in the sight of God (2 kings 22: 2,), yet he did wrong by going against Necho, Pharaoh of Egypt, on his way to make war against Assyria; and had no intention to fight Josiah; He entered into a battle, that was not his in Megiddo and there he was killed (29-30). It is befitting of the believer not to throw himself into situations that he can avoid; Hence our Lord commands us, if persecution dwells upon a city, to flee to another city, not out of fear of death; nor of cowardice on our part, but to refrain from casting ourselves into temptations. + The Lord leaves His peace to us as He departs; and will give us His peace when He ultimately comes. ………Peace He leaves to us in this world; and peace He will grant us in the world to come;……… Peace by which we can prevail upon the enemy; …………..Peace He leaves to us, when there will be no more enemies to fight against; when we reign as kings…………..Peace He leaves with us, to love one another; when we do not judge one another; ………….He will give it to us here on earth, when our hearts are pure; and “each one’s praise will come from God” (1 Corinthians 4: 5). ………….In, and from Him, we get peace, whether that He will leave for us, when He departs to His Father, or what He grants us when He brings us forth to the Father…. What He will He leave for us when He departs from us, is His presence that He will never take away from us? …………..“He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken the middle wall of separation” (Ephesians 2: 14). Hence, He is our peace; whether when we believe in Him ; or “when we see Him as He is” (1 John 3: 2). For, if while we are still in this corrupt body that weighs down on our soul, and while we walk by faith and not by sight; He does not forsake those who depart while away from Him (2 Corinthians 5: 6-7), How much more, Would He do, when we reach that vision, when He fills us by Himself? + It would be befitting of us to call the peace which He leaves with us in this world, our peace rather than His peace; for He is completely sinless, with no controversy in Him. ……As far as our peace is concerned, in the midst of which we still say: “Forgive us our depts.” (Matthew 6: 12)… it is not a perfect peace; for “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind” (Romans 7: 23). (St. Augustine) c- Josiah was wrong to fight against Necho, without seeking the counsel of God. If Necho was going forth to support Assyria in alliance with her, it was not a matter of Josiah’s wrong political tendency, as much as it was not trusting in God and seeking His counsel. In the series of “The interpretation of the Holy Book” it came: [When Necho set forth northwards to support the king of Assyria, that was only an excuse to take over what he intended to take. As the Holy Book shows the real intentions, and not the apparent claims; the reference to Carchemish in (2 Chronicles 35: 20), was not intended to speak about the last defeat of Necho in the year 605 BC (Compare Jeremiah 46: 2); but rather to refer to the true goal of Necho by his invasion, namely to reach Carchemish. Expecting that his recently obtained independence was going to fall apart, Josiah, foolishly, intended to confront the advance of Necho; despite the fact that the later had, in his mind, what was more important than taking over the hills of Judah (2 Chronicles 35: 21). As to the reference to Josiah’s faithfulness to his alliance with Assyria, or with Babylon, it had no foundation. That war by Josiah, was not approved by some prophets like Jeremiah; but Josiah – like Ahab before him – listened to the prophets of the court, instead of the prophets of the Lord. As to cutting short any further narration about Josiah, it is most probably because it was not easy for the author of the book of the kings to write about the painful news of the death of such a good king as Josiah, who has gone astray because of trusting in himself, rather than in God. ……..The fact that the battle happened in Megiddo, is a proof that Necho did not intend to invade Judah; but was taking the regular route toward the north. . “Then his servants moved his body in a chariot from Megiddo, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in his father’s place” (30). This verse says that Josiah died in Megiddo; whereas in some other place it is said that he died in Jerusalem. Why? ………… The answer is: that the second book of the Chronicles only mentions his death; whereas the second book of the kings mentions in detail where he died, clearly saying: “In his days Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt went to the aid of the king of Assyria to the River Euphrates; and king Josiah went against him; and Pharaoh killed him at Magiddo when he confronted him. Then his servants moved his body in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb” (2 kings 23: 29-30). We should not marvel that God allowed for his evil grandfather Manasseh to reign for 55 years; and allowed for such good king as Josiah to die so quickly, while in a relatively younger age. + It is not befitting of us to assume that the quick death belittles the value of man, because of his unworthiness. For ‘Enoch’ was taken away by God (Genesis 5: 24), to spare him any evil desire of his heart. Whereas Josiah, who celebrated the feast of Passover of the Lord in the eighteenth year of his reign, in a way that surpassed in godliness, all his predecessors; did not live long, with the worthiness of his faith. But, as there was an eminent threat of a serious desolation of the Jewish people, that righteous king was taken away ahead, to spare him going through it.. (St. Ambrose) In his lamentation on Josiah’s death, the prophet Jeremiah, says:: “Weep not for the dead, nor bemoan him; Weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more, nor see his native country. For thus says the Lord concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, who went from this place; he shall not return here any more; but he shall die in the place they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more” (Jeremiah 22: 10-12). The “dead”, here is Josiah who was killed in the battle of Megiddo in the year 609 BC, after a good life, worthy of intense grief and sorrow. But, according to Jeremiah, we should not weep bitterly on Josiah’s death, as much as we should, on the new young king Jehoahaz his son; who was led by Necho king of Egypt, into captivity, after three months and ten days of his reign, never to return to his native land. The prophet Jeremiah calls him ‘Shallum’, his name before he reigns, and not by his royal name ‘Jehoahaz’; probably on account of his evil and the corruption of his life; beside being an intruder, not worthy of royalty, because he sat on the throne, even though he was not the firstborn (2 kings 23: 34), but the third son of Josiah (24: 18; 1 Chronicles 3: 15). Josiah’s first born died; and the second son Eliakim or Jehoiakim was worth nothing; and the fourth son ‘Matniah’ (Zedekiah) sat on the throne as the last king of Judah. Jehoahaz was probably chosen because the people assumed that he was of stronger personality than his brother. Having unjustly sat on the throne, he did not last long on it, but was captivated to Egypt, according to the prophecy that came in the book of Deuteronomy, addressed to the children of Israel, saying:: “And the Lord will take you back to Egypt in ships, by the way of which I said to you, ‘You shall never see it again’, and there, you shall be offered for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you” (Deuteronomy 28: 68). it so seems that no one was captivated together with him (2 Chronicles 26: 4). God demands from His people to mourn Jehoahaz more than they have mourned his father. While Josiah was buried in his tomb with peace and honor, and needed no mourning; the life of his evil son was counted as death, for he was led into captivity without honor. Yes, Josiah got a deadly wound in the battle of Megiddo; but he was carried to his land to breathe his last in his beloved city Jerusalem, that loved him dearly back; surrounded by the people whom he served for thirty years of his 38 years life. I wish we, as well, deliver our last breaths in our beloved city, namely, when we dwell in the kingdom of heaven; deliver our souls into the hands of our God, to whom we dedicate our whole energies and life to the account of His kingdom; to say, together with the apostle Paul: “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14: 8). We are committed to honor and desire the death of the righteous; while we feel the misery of the life of the wicked. … About his death, the apostle Paul could say:: “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord , the righteous Judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearance” (2 Timothy 4: 8). Paul’s death was not a cause for mourning, but for joy and gladness; for he anticipated the reward prepared for him on his good strife. 11- JEHOAHAZ (JOSIAH’S SON) REIGNS, THEN TAKEN INTO CAPTIVITY: “ Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah” (31) Jehoahaz reigned for three months; that came to an end by the return of Necho from Haran Presenting to us the episode of the captivity of Jehoahaz, the Babylonian history says: [When in the year 609 BC, the last Assyrian king ‘Ashur-uballit’ fell under intense affliction in Haran by the Chaldean armies, Egypt hastened to support him, out of fear of the imminent Chaldean danger, that started to appear on the stage of history…………..Pharaoh Necho came to Israel, and the region of Israel and Syria came to be under his authority. The leader of his army, who made his headquarter in Syria in ‘Rablah’, 47 miles south of Hamath, called Jehoahaz to encounter him in Rablah, then put him in chains, and led him to be a captive in Egypt, from where he never returned to his land, contrary to what he and his people anticipated (Jeremiah 22: 19-12).. “And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done” (32) Although this chapter starts by parading the reforms done by Josiah, yet we find that his children and his people have all returned to their evil ways, as is shown in the book of Jeremiah. According to some, the reason of that was that Josiah performed his reform with violence, which made his children and his people, once he died, hasten to apostate to practice evil, which had a special place in their hearts; which indicates that Josiah’s reforms came only on his part; while the whole people opposed them in their heart “Now Pharaoh Necho put him in prison at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold” (33) The prophet Jeremiah said that he will not return from captivity (Jeremiah 23: 11-12); according to the Lord’s proclamation at he will not see his land again; for he did not follow the lead of his good father Josiah; and because he forced himself upon his older brother’s legitimate right to the throne. 13-JEHOIAKIM SITS ON THE THRONE: “Then Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Pharaoh took Jehoahaz and went to Egypt, and he died there” (34). The Pharaoh of Egypt set Jehoiakim the other son of Josiah a king, and used him as a toy in his hand. And in the year 605 BC, Egypt was defeated before Babylon, and Judah came to submit to Babylon (24: 1). “So Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give money according to the command of Pharaoh; he exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land, from every one according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Necho” (35) Jehoiakim, for as long as four years, burdened the people with heavy taxes to pay tribute to his Egyptian master (2 kings 23: 31-35); Besides, he worshipped the idols and committed evil. In the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign, Jeremiah recorded all the prophesies he uttered all along the years, and gave them to Baruch to write in a scroll; and because Jeremiah was banned from entering into the house of God for a long time, he commanded Baruch to take the scroll to the temple, and read it before all the people who came on the occasion of fasting. When the scroll came into the king’s hand, he listened only to some of its paragraphs, then tore it and throw it in fire. Jeremiah then wrote two scrolls like the first one, with certain additions (Jeremiah 36: 27-32), according to a divine guidance; but Pashur the priest, the chief governor of the house of the Lord, and one of the enemies of Jeremiah, put the prophet in the stocks, then released him the next day (Jeremiah 20: 1 - 3). In the year 605 BC, because Nebuchadnezzar defeated Necho Pharaoh of Egypt in the battle of Carchemish (Jeremiah 46: 1-2), Jehoiakim turned his loyalty and submission from Egypt to Babylon; but a substantial part of his people, preferred to submit to Egypt, to join forces with it against Babylon; which seemed to be how Jehoiakim, himself prefered; even though the prophet Jeremiah warned him against it. “Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebudah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah” (36) . “And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done” (37) Jehoiakim reigned only for a short period (608-598 BC), featured by increasing evil (2 Chronicles 36: 5-8); and he actually filled the land with every kind of evil and violence (Jeremiah 18: 18-20). Although we do not hear much about the nature of the relationship between the prophet Jeremiah and king Josiah, we hear plenty of his relationship with king Jehoiakim; about whom he said: “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by injustice; Who uses his neighbor’s service without wages; … Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, and practicing oppression; … he shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 22: 13-19). ………..Of Jehoiakim’s evil deeds were the following: a- He was an enemy to the prophet Jeremiah, who rebuked him over his pride and oppression, contrary to his good father Josiah; and for rejecting justice and righteousness (2 kings 23: 36-37). The way the prophet Elijah confronted king Ahab, the prophet Jeremiah confronted Jehoiakim. Jeremiah stood in the court of the house of the Lord to proclaim the Lord’s judgment against His people, and to provide them with the living hope in forgiveness, in case they declare their repentance; contrary to the deceiving and vain optimistic proclamations presented by the false prophets. “In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, the words of the Lord came (to Jeremiah), saying: “Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word. Perhaps everyone will listen, and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings. And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord, ‘If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you, to heed the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded). Then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord” (Jeremiah 26: 1-7). According to the Historian Josephus, Jehoiakim had no fear of God, nor of men; and his wife Nehoshta, whose father Elnathan, had a role in the crime of killing the prophet Uriah, the man of God, had a bad influence on him. b- He tore and burned the scroll with the prophesies of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36: 27-32). c- He killed the prophet Uriah the son of Shemaiah, the man of God, who uttered harsh words against Jerusalem and its inhabitants, like those uttered by Jeremiah. The anger of the king was so intense against him, that Uriah had to flee to Egypt; but the king brought him back, killed him by the sword, and cast his corpse into the tombs of the common people, as a revenge for his daring on him. The evil king had the intention to do the same thing to Jeremiah, if it was not for the intervention of Ahikam the son of Shaphan and others to save him (26: 20-24). d- Jehoiakim, a tyrant dictator, rejected the reforms done by his father Josiah; trusted in the Pharaoh of Egypt, and was a strong advocate of making an alliance with him. e- He was a traitor, greedy, and oppressor against his own people (Jeremiah 22: 13- 19). Having been committed to pay huge tribute to the Pharaoh of Ehypt (2 kings 23: 33-35), instead of caring for the needs of his people, he committed them to build his palace in an exaggerated way. The people turned into slaves of the king, worked to his account without wages; something prohibited by the law (Leviticus 19: 13; Deuteronomy 24: 14-15). When it was befitting of the king to be the first to keep the law, and to protect it among his people, he was instead, the first one to break it; by which he came to be a bad example to them. f- He built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnum (hell) south of Jerusalem, where the fire was always burning to consume the trash thrown by the people. g- In those high places, human sacrifices were offered (2 Kings 23: 10), people offered their sons and daughters, to be burned by fire, to the god Molech; For which God threatened to turn Jerusalem into another Topheth, namely, in Hebrew (a place of fire), where the bodies of many are consumed (19: 13; 30: 33). h- By his alliance with Egypt he rebelled against Babylon; for which Nebuchadnezzar took him captive to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36: 6); then allowed him to return to Jerusalem, where he died. ------------------------------------------- AN INSPIRATION FROM 2 KINGS 23 TAKE AWAY FROM ME, O LORD, EVERY CORRUPTION AND FILL MY HEART WITH YOUR HEAVENLY JOY + What a magnificent scene, to see all assemble together in Your presence; That, in me, the king would encounter the elders of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, and the prophets; By Your presence, I shall enjoy a spiritual authority, to come to be like a king, who challenges the devil and all his hosts; Granting me the heavenly wisdom, I shall come to be like one of the saintly elders; I shall dwell as though in heaven, to come to be one of the inhabitants of the Higher Jerusalem, our mother; Receive my prayers and my worship, a sacrifice of praise I offer as a priest; To enlighten my depths, and to recognize the secrets of Your love, like a spiritual prophet. + Let my whole being assemble around Your holy law; That all would renew the covenant with You; Let all my energies assemble together in Your divine presence; Let my mind, my heart, all my senses, and emotions assemble together; Let all the members of my body, together with my soul, be sanctified by You, O Holy One; Let Your word work in me, to make me truly Your holy temple; Transfigure in me; and pour Your splendor in my depths; + Who can take away from me all traces of corruption but Your grace?! Who can drive away every evil pleasure, but Your dwelling in me?! Who can dedicate all my energies to the account of Your kingdom; But Your Holy Spirit, dwelling in me?!: + Proclaim, O Lord, Your dwelling in me; Set Your divine kingdom in me; Let Your peace, joy, and splendor, fill my depths; So that my soul comes to be an agency of heaven. + Let me enter with You into a new covenant; To celebrate a spiritual Passover, that lets my soul cross over into Your bosoms; And Your law would come to be the constitution of my life; And my depths would cry out: [You are mine, an I am Yours, O my soul’s beloved!] + I may admire certain spiritual leaders, and imitate them; But, who can touch and ignite my heart with Your love, but You?! Who can grant me its purity, faithfulness, and width for truth, but You?! “Make me repent; Heal me” Bring me back to attach to You.
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