How do you respond to a prophecy of judgment, a prophecy that threatens everything you have been working for?

Josiah, like Hezekiah, is placed on a par with David: he seeks the Lord while still young and is committed to doing what is right in the Lord’s eyes (2 Chronicles 34:1–3). He sets about removing all traces of idolatry from Jerusalem and Judah and does the same in the former territories of Ephraim, Manasseh, Simeon, and even Naphtali (vv. 1–7), taking advantage of waning Assyrian power to range far north of Judah.¹⁴

The next task is to restore the temple (v. 8), which has been neglected during the reigns of Manasseh and Amon. Money is collected, and workers and construction materials are assembled (vv. 9–11). Levites from the different clans oversee each part of the restoration (vv. 12–13).

Note that the money for restoration is collected not only from the people of Judah and Benjamin, but also from “the people of Manasseh, Ephraim and the entire remnant of Israel” (v. 9). True to his inclusive vision of Israel, the Chronicler always notes when “northern” Israelites share in the worship offered in the Jerusalem temple.

As the work in the temple proceeds, the Book of the Law is discovered (vv. 14–15). Like the temple, the Law of Moses has clearly been neglected during the reigns of Manasseh and Amon. When Josiah hears the Law read out, he takes what he hears seriously. We have not kept the word of the Lord! The Lord’s anger has been mounting up all these years! We must enquire of the Lord! (vv. 16–21)

Hilkiah the high priest and other officials seek out the prophetess Huldah (v. 22). Her response is grim: disaster is coming to Jerusalem. The people’s sins have been mounting up, and God is about to bring judgment (vv. 23–25). All the curses of the Law (see Leviticus 26:14–39; Deuteronomy 28:15–68) will soon fall. The only consolation for Josiah is that, because he humbled himself on hearing the Law, the disaster will not happen in his lifetime (2 Chronicles 34:26–28).

Josiah responds, not with apathy (“That’s it then, we’ve got no hope!”), but with determination. He summons the leaders and all the people to Jerusalem: king and people renew the covenant, committing themselves to follow the Lord’s words. The people do indeed follow the Lord during Josiah’s lifetime (vv. 29–33).

Is this a futile response? No.

For the Chronicler, it is always good to seek the Lord. If Josiah, having heard Huldah’s prophecy, could do that, then surely there is no situation when we should not seek God, no matter how bad things seem.

See also 2 Kings 22:1–23:20.

¹⁴ Y. Aharoni et al., Carta Bible Atlas, 4th ed. (Jerusalem: Carta, 2002), 120–121.