Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your
Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters
Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible.
Speaker 1: I'm John Stangey, and today we're in Second King's Chapter
Speaker 1: twenty three, and we're reading from the English Standard version.
Speaker 1: Then the King sent, and all the elders of Judah
Speaker 1: and Jerusalem were gathered to him. And the King went
Speaker 1: up to the house of the Lord, and with him
Speaker 1: all the men of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
Speaker 1: and the priests, and the prophets, all the people, both
Speaker 1: small and great, and he read in their hearing all
Speaker 1: the words of the Book of the Covenant that had
Speaker 1: been found in the house of the Lord. And the
Speaker 1: King stood by the pillar and made a covenant before
Speaker 1: the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep
Speaker 1: his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all
Speaker 1: his heart and all his soul, to perform the words
Speaker 1: of this covenant that were written in this book. And
Speaker 1: all the people joined in the covenant. And the King
Speaker 1: commanded Hilkiah, the High Priest, and the priests of the
Speaker 1: Second Order, and the keepers of the Threshold to bring
Speaker 1: out of the Temple of the Lord, all the vessels
Speaker 1: made for bail for Ashira and for all the host
Speaker 1: of Heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields
Speaker 1: of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. And
Speaker 1: he deposed the priests whom the Kings of Judah had
Speaker 1: ordained to make offerings in the high places at the
Speaker 1: cities of Judah and around Jerusalem, those also who burned
Speaker 1: incense to bail to the Sun and the Moon, and
Speaker 1: the constellations, and all the host of the heavens. And
Speaker 1: he brought out the Ashira from the House of the
Speaker 1: Lord outside Jerusalem to the brook Kidron, and burned it
Speaker 1: at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and
Speaker 1: cast the dust of it upon the graves of the
Speaker 1: common people. And he broke down the houses of the
Speaker 1: male cult prostitutes who were in the House of the Lord,
Speaker 1: where the women wove hangings for the Eshira. And he
Speaker 1: brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah
Speaker 1: and defiled the high places where the priests had made
Speaker 1: offerings from Giba to bear Sheeba. And he broke down
Speaker 1: the high places of the gates that were at the
Speaker 1: entrance of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city,
Speaker 1: which were on once left at the gate of the city. However,
Speaker 1: the priests of the high places did not come up
Speaker 1: to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they
Speaker 1: ate unleavened bread among their brothers. And he defiled Topheth,
Speaker 1: which is in the valley of the son of Hinham,
Speaker 1: that no one might burn his son or his daughter
Speaker 1: as an offering to Molik. And he removed the horses
Speaker 1: that the kings of Juwas had dedicated to the Sun
Speaker 1: at the entrance to the House of the Lord, by
Speaker 1: the chamber of Nathan Molek, the chamberlain, which was in
Speaker 1: the precincts. And he burned the chariots of the Sun
Speaker 1: with fire, and the altars on the roof of the
Speaker 1: upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made,
Speaker 1: and the altars that Manassa had made in the two
Speaker 1: courts of the House of the Lord, he pulled down
Speaker 1: and broke in pieces and cast the dust of them
Speaker 1: into the brook Kidron. And the King defiled the high
Speaker 1: places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of
Speaker 1: the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon the King of Israel,
Speaker 1: had built for Ashteth, the abomination of the Sedonians, and
Speaker 1: for Chimash, the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom, the
Speaker 1: abomination of the Ammonites. And he broke in pieces the
Speaker 1: pillars and cut down the ashiram and filled their places
Speaker 1: with the bones of men. Moreover, the altar at beth Ethel,
Speaker 1: the high place erected by Jeroboam, the son of Nebat,
Speaker 1: who made Israel to sin. That altar with the high place,
Speaker 1: he pulled down and burned, reducing it to dust. He
Speaker 1: also burned the Aeshira. And as Josiah turned, he saw
Speaker 1: the tombs there on the mount, and he sent and
Speaker 1: took the bones out of the tombs and burned them
Speaker 1: on the altar and defiled it according to the word
Speaker 1: of the Lord that the Man of God proclaimed, who
Speaker 1: had predicted these things. Then he said, what is that
Speaker 1: monument that I see? And the men of the city
Speaker 1: told him, it is the tomb of the Man of
Speaker 1: God who came from Judah and predicted these things that
Speaker 1: you have done against the altar at Bethel. And he said,
Speaker 1: let him be let no man move his bones. So
Speaker 1: they let his bones alone with the bones of the
Speaker 1: prophet who came out of Samaria. And Josiah removed all
Speaker 1: the shrines, also of the high places that were in
Speaker 1: the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made,
Speaker 1: provoking the Lord to anger. He did to them according
Speaker 1: to all that he had done at Bethel. And he
Speaker 1: sacrificed all the priests of the high places who were
Speaker 1: there on the altars, and burned human bones on them.
Speaker 1: Then he returned to Jerusalem, and the king commanded all
Speaker 1: the people keep the passover to the Lord your God,
Speaker 1: as it is written in this book of the Covenant.
Speaker 1: For no such passover had been kept since the days
Speaker 1: of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the
Speaker 1: days of the kings of Israel, or of the kings
Speaker 1: of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah,
Speaker 1: this passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem. Moreover,
Speaker 1: Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers, and the
Speaker 1: household gods and the idols, and all the abominations that
Speaker 1: were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem,
Speaker 1: that he might established the words of the law that
Speaker 1: were written in the book that Helkiah. The priest had
Speaker 1: found in the house of the Lord. Before him, there
Speaker 1: was no king like him who turned to the Lord
Speaker 1: with all his heart and with all his soul, and
Speaker 1: with all his might, according to all the law of Moses.
Speaker 1: Nor did any like him arise after him. Still, the
Speaker 1: Lord did not turn from the burning of his great wrath,
Speaker 1: by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of
Speaker 1: all the provocations with which Manassah had provoked him. And
Speaker 1: the Lord said, I will remove Judah also out of
Speaker 1: my sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will
Speaker 1: cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and
Speaker 1: the house of which I said my name shall be there. Now.
Speaker 1: The rest of the acts of Josiah and all that
Speaker 1: he did, are they not written in the book of
Speaker 1: the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. His days Pharaoh Niko,
Speaker 1: king of Egypt, went up to the King of Assyria
Speaker 1: to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him,
Speaker 1: and Pharaoh Niko killed him at Megido as soon as
Speaker 1: he saw him, and his servants carried him dead in
Speaker 1: a chariot from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem and
Speaker 1: buried him in his own tomb, and the people of
Speaker 1: the land took Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, and anointed
Speaker 1: him and made him king in his father's place. Jehoahaz
Speaker 1: was twenty three years old when he began to reign,
Speaker 1: and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name
Speaker 1: was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libna. And he
Speaker 1: did what was evil in the sight of the Lord,
Speaker 1: according to all that his fathers had done. And Pharaoh
Speaker 1: Niko put him in bonds at Riblah, in the land
Speaker 1: of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and
Speaker 1: laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents
Speaker 1: of silver and a talent of gold. And Pharaoh Nico
Speaker 1: made Eliakim, the son of Josiah, king in the place
Speaker 1: of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim.
Speaker 1: But he took Jehoahas away, and he came to Egypt
Speaker 1: and died there. And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the
Speaker 1: gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give
Speaker 1: the money. According to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted
Speaker 1: the silver and the gold of the people of the
Speaker 1: land from everyone according to his assessment to give it
Speaker 1: to Pharaoh Nico Jehoiakim was twenty five years old when
Speaker 1: he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
Speaker 1: His mother's name was Zebedah, the daughter of Pediah of Rumah,
Speaker 1: and he did what was evil in the sight of
Speaker 1: the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.
Speaker 1: Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, and
Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege of being able to
Speaker 1: look at it today. And we're thankful Lord for the
Speaker 1: privilege of being able to look at Josiah and to
Speaker 1: see how passionate he was about you and the worship
Speaker 1: of You and fidelity to your word. Lord. We know
Speaker 1: that he was surrounded by many people who had gone
Speaker 1: in a very opposite direction. But during the course of
Speaker 1: his reign, you inspired him by your spirit to show
Speaker 1: the people what it means to believe in you and
Speaker 1: to live by faith in You. And Lord, we pray
Speaker 1: that throughout the course of our lives that that would
Speaker 1: be the case as well. We pray Lord that where
Speaker 1: idols have crept in, that we would forcibly cast those
Speaker 1: idols out of our lives. That our love for You,
Speaker 1: that our faith in your son, Jesus Christ would be evident,
Speaker 1: and that a passion for your truth would be something
Speaker 1: that people would be able to see is very evident
Speaker 1: in our lives. As we testify to our love for you, Lord,
Speaker 1: we're grateful that we have the privilege to express love
Speaker 1: toward you because of the fact that you have shown
Speaker 1: your love to us in your sae On Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1: And Lord, we pray that throughout the course of this
Speaker 1: day that we would bring you honor and glory in
Speaker 1: all aspects of our lives. We thank you for your
Speaker 1: presence with us, and we commit this day to your care.
Speaker 1: And we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.