1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible. 4 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: I'm John Stangey, and today we're in Second King's Chapter 5 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: twenty three, and we're reading from the English Standard version. 6 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: Then the King sent, and all the elders of Judah 7 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: and Jerusalem were gathered to him. And the King went 8 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: up to the house of the Lord, and with him 9 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: all the men of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 10 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: and the priests, and the prophets, all the people, both 11 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: small and great, and he read in their hearing all 12 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: the words of the Book of the Covenant that had 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: been found in the house of the Lord. And the 14 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: King stood by the pillar and made a covenant before 15 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep 16 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all 17 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: his heart and all his soul, to perform the words 18 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: of this covenant that were written in this book. And 19 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: all the people joined in the covenant. And the King 20 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: commanded Hilkiah, the High Priest, and the priests of the 21 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,279 Speaker 1: Second Order, and the keepers of the Threshold to bring 22 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: out of the Temple of the Lord, all the vessels 23 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: made for bail for Ashira and for all the host 24 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 1: of Heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields 25 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. And 26 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: he deposed the priests whom the Kings of Judah had 27 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: ordained to make offerings in the high places at the 28 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: cities of Judah and around Jerusalem, those also who burned 29 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: incense to bail to the Sun and the Moon, and 30 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: the constellations, and all the host of the heavens. And 31 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: he brought out the Ashira from the House of the 32 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: Lord outside Jerusalem to the brook Kidron, and burned it 33 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and 34 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: cast the dust of it upon the graves of the 35 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: common people. And he broke down the houses of the 36 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: male cult prostitutes who were in the House of the Lord, 37 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: where the women wove hangings for the Eshira. And he 38 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah 39 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: and defiled the high places where the priests had made 40 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: offerings from Giba to bear Sheeba. And he broke down 41 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: the high places of the gates that were at the 42 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: entrance of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city, 43 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: which were on once left at the gate of the city. However, 44 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: the priests of the high places did not come up 45 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they 46 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: ate unleavened bread among their brothers. And he defiled Topheth, 47 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: which is in the valley of the son of Hinham, 48 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: that no one might burn his son or his daughter 49 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: as an offering to Molik. And he removed the horses 50 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: that the kings of Juwas had dedicated to the Sun 51 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: at the entrance to the House of the Lord, by 52 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: the chamber of Nathan Molek, the chamberlain, which was in 53 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: the precincts. And he burned the chariots of the Sun 54 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: with fire, and the altars on the roof of the 55 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, 56 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 1: and the altars that Manassa had made in the two 57 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: courts of the House of the Lord, he pulled down 58 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: and broke in pieces and cast the dust of them 59 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: into the brook Kidron. And the King defiled the high 60 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of 61 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon the King of Israel, 62 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: had built for Ashteth, the abomination of the Sedonians, and 63 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: for Chimash, the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom, the 64 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: abomination of the Ammonites. And he broke in pieces the 65 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: pillars and cut down the ashiram and filled their places 66 00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: with the bones of men. Moreover, the altar at beth Ethel, 67 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: the high place erected by Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, 68 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: who made Israel to sin. That altar with the high place, 69 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: he pulled down and burned, reducing it to dust. He 70 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:16,799 Speaker 1: also burned the Aeshira. And as Josiah turned, he saw 71 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: the tombs there on the mount, and he sent and 72 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: took the bones out of the tombs and burned them 73 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: on the altar and defiled it according to the word 74 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: of the Lord that the Man of God proclaimed, who 75 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: had predicted these things. Then he said, what is that 76 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: monument that I see? And the men of the city 77 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 1: told him, it is the tomb of the Man of 78 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: God who came from Judah and predicted these things that 79 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 1: you have done against the altar at Bethel. And he said, 80 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: let him be let no man move his bones. So 81 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 1: they let his bones alone with the bones of the 82 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: prophet who came out of Samaria. And Josiah removed all 83 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: the shrines, also of the high places that were in 84 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:04,559 Speaker 1: the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made, 85 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: provoking the Lord to anger. He did to them according 86 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: to all that he had done at Bethel. And he 87 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 1: sacrificed all the priests of the high places who were 88 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 1: there on the altars, and burned human bones on them. 89 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 1: Then he returned to Jerusalem, and the king commanded all 90 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: the people keep the passover to the Lord your God, 91 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: as it is written in this book of the Covenant. 92 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 1: For no such passover had been kept since the days 93 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the 94 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: days of the kings of Israel, or of the kings 95 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, 96 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: this passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem. Moreover, 97 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 1: Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers, and the 98 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: household gods and the idols, and all the abominations that 99 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 1: were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, 100 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 1: that he might established the words of the law that 101 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: were written in the book that Helkiah. The priest had 102 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:09,280 Speaker 1: found in the house of the Lord. Before him, there 103 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 1: was no king like him who turned to the Lord 104 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: with all his heart and with all his soul, and 105 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 1: with all his might, according to all the law of Moses. 106 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: Nor did any like him arise after him. Still, the 107 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: Lord did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, 108 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 1: by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of 109 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: all the provocations with which Manassah had provoked him. And 110 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: the Lord said, I will remove Judah also out of 111 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: my sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will 112 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and 113 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: the house of which I said my name shall be there. Now. 114 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: The rest of the acts of Josiah and all that 115 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: he did, are they not written in the book of 116 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 1: the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. His days Pharaoh Niko, 117 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: king of Egypt, went up to the King of Assyria 118 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him, 119 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: and Pharaoh Niko killed him at Megido as soon as 120 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: he saw him, and his servants carried him dead in 121 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: a chariot from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem and 122 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: buried him in his own tomb, and the people of 123 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: the land took Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, and anointed 124 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: him and made him king in his father's place. Jehoahaz 125 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 1: was twenty three years old when he began to reign, 126 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name 127 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libna. And he 128 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,239 Speaker 1: did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, 129 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: according to all that his fathers had done. And Pharaoh 130 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: Niko put him in bonds at Riblah, in the land 131 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and 132 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents 133 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: of silver and a talent of gold. And Pharaoh Nico 134 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: made Eliakim, the son of Josiah, king in the place 135 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. 136 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: But he took Jehoahas away, and he came to Egypt 137 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 1: and died there. And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the 138 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give 139 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: the money. According to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted 140 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: the silver and the gold of the people of the 141 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 1: land from everyone according to his assessment to give it 142 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: to Pharaoh Nico Jehoiakim was twenty five years old when 143 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 144 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: His mother's name was Zebedah, the daughter of Pediah of Rumah, 145 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: and he did what was evil in the sight of 146 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 147 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, and 148 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege of being able to 149 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: look at it today. And we're thankful Lord for the 150 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 1: privilege of being able to look at Josiah and to 151 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: see how passionate he was about you and the worship 152 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 1: of You and fidelity to your word. Lord. We know 153 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: that he was surrounded by many people who had gone 154 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: in a very opposite direction. But during the course of 155 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: his reign, you inspired him by your spirit to show 156 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 1: the people what it means to believe in you and 157 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 1: to live by faith in You. And Lord, we pray 158 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 1: that throughout the course of our lives that that would 159 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 1: be the case as well. We pray Lord that where 160 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: idols have crept in, that we would forcibly cast those 161 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 1: idols out of our lives. That our love for You, 162 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: that our faith in your son, Jesus Christ would be evident, 163 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:46,080 Speaker 1: and that a passion for your truth would be something 164 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: that people would be able to see is very evident 165 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: in our lives. As we testify to our love for you, Lord, 166 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 1: we're grateful that we have the privilege to express love 167 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: toward you because of the fact that you have shown 168 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: your love to us in your sae On Jesus Christ. 169 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 1: And Lord, we pray that throughout the course of this 170 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: day that we would bring you honor and glory in 171 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: all aspects of our lives. We thank you for your 172 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: presence with us, and we commit this day to your care. 173 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: And we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.