This Generation Is Likened Unto That Of Josiah!

1. There is an association between the Book of Deuteronomy and 2 Kings that is often unnoticed. This association is one of the more remarkable lessons found in a study of the Kings of the Old Testament. It occurs during the reign of King Josiah of Judah. Josiah is the last good King to rule the Southern Kingdom. After his untimely death there would be four other Kings and then the nation would be taken into exile. All who followed Josiah to Judah’s throne were wicked and evil. In Josiah the Southern Kingdom had one last opportunity to save itself from destruction. 

 

2. Historical Highlights surrounding this King.

a. Notice the influences that surrounded Josiah.

 

1) We first observe his family’s influence. 

   “Josiah is the most astonishing instance that is contained in Scripture of goodness springing up, and attaining high perfection under the most extraordinarily unfavorable circumstances” (Pulpit Commentary, Vol 5, 440).

Josiah’s grand-father was the infamous Manasseh (2 Ki 21:1-16). This King was responsible for loosening all restraints on morality and idolatry. Things are recorded about Manasseh that are horrible. Manasseh repented and tried to correct the evils, but Judah would not change (2 Chron 33:10-17). It was due to Manasseh’s evil influence that Judah eventually crumbled as a nation ( 2 Ki 24:3-4).

No doubt Josiah had witnessed the grossest acts that human depravity could imagine and perform. Every idol of the heathens was honored by Judah; the Temple was defiled; homosexuals were encouraged (2 Ki 23:7). Every form of wickedness was encouraged – violence, deceit, profane swearing, luxury, covetousness, oppression, injustice, treachery, and utter shamelessness. Within the Temple were idols to the idol god, Baal, etc.