Sunday 14th April
Read 2 Chronicles 35:20-27
“After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Necho king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle. 21 But Necho sent messengers to him saying, ‘What quarrel is there, king of Judah, between you and me? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.’
22 Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Necho had said at God’s command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo. 23 Archers shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, ‘Take me away; I am badly wounded.’ 24 So they took him out of his chariot, put him in his other chariot and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him.
25 Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the male and female singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments. 26 The other events of Josiah’s reign and his acts of devotion in accordance with what is written in the Law of the Lord – 27 all the events, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.” (NIVUK)
We may never know what motivated Josiah to march out to battle the Egyptian Pharoah at Megiddo all those years ago. A misplaced sense of loyalty to allies, a desire to prove himself? It will remain a mystery. But lonely and unrecognised to the end, even in his final battle, he was mourned greatly.
Josiah renewed the covenant, found the law, restored the temple and celebrated the Passover like none before him. Before his death God spoke to him through Huldah the wardrobe keeper’s wife and Pharoah Neco of Egypt (v22), but Jeremiah’s verdict was not revealed until the end. We have some of his verse recorded, if not the many laments he seems to have written (v25).
“He did what was right and just,
so all went well with him.
16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?’
declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 22:15b-16) (NIVUK)
A better epitaph would be hard to find.
