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Bible Reading: 2
Chronicles 35:20-27
20 After
all this, and after Josiah had put the house in order, Neco,
king of Egypt, went up to make war at Carchemish by the river
Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him. 21 But he
sent representatives to him, saying, What have I to do with you,
O king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but
against those with whom I am at war; and God has given me orders
to go forward quickly: keep out of God’s way, for he is with
me, or he will send destruction on you. 22 However,
Josiah would not go back; but keeping to his purpose of fighting
against him, and giving no attention to the words of Neco, which
came from God, he went forward to the fight in the valley of
Megiddo. 23 And the bowmen sent their arrows at King
Josiah, and the king said to his servants, Take me away, for I
am badly wounded. 24 So his servants took him out of the
line of war-carriages, and put him in his second carriage and
took him to Jerusalem, where he came to his end, and they put
his body in the resting-place of his fathers. And in all Judah
and Jerusalem there was great weeping for Josiah. 25 And
Jeremiah made a song of grief for Josiah; and to this day Josiah
is named by all the makers of melody, men and women, in their
songs of grief; they made it a rule in Israel; and the songs are
recorded among the songs of grief. 26 Now the rest of the
acts of Josiah, and the good he did, in keeping with what is
recorded in the law of the Lord, 27 And all his acts,
first and last, are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel
and Judah.
The Scripture
does not condemn Josiah's conduct in opposing Pharaoh.
Yet Josiah seems to deserve blame for not inquiring of the Lord
after he was warned; his death might be a rebuke for his rashness,
but it was a judgment on a hypocritical and wicked people.
He that lives a life of repentance, faith, and obedience, cannot
be affected by the sudden manner in which he is removed.
The people lamented him. Many mourn over sufferings, who will not
forsake the sins that caused God to send them. Yet this alone can
turn away judgments. If we blame Josiah's conduct, we should be
watchful, lest we be cut down in a way dishonorable to our
profession.
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