READ: 2 Kin. 23:1–30: … the king … read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant … and all the people took a stand for the covenant … he burned everything outside Jerusalem … removed the idolatrous priests … broke down the high places … no such Passover had been held since the days of the judges …
Now that King Josiah has the Book of the Law in his hands, he decides that all the people must enter into a renewed covenant with the LORD. For this purpose all the inhabitants, of every age, together with the priests and the prophets, assemble at the temple.
First the entire Book of the Law is read. The covenant that is made means that everyone will follow the LORD and keep and perform with all their heart and soul all that is written in His Book of the Law—His commandments, testimonies, and statutes.
After this, all idolatrous images and objects are removed from the temple and destroyed. Idols are burned, high places and the place of the Molech fire sacrifice are demolished, and all idol priests are deposed. Even the altar in Bethel (outside Judah), which Jeroboam the son of Nebat had made, is destroyed together with the high place there.
The bones in the graves there are dug up and burned, except for the bones of the man of God and the prophet from Samaria. Finally, Josiah kills all the priests of the high places. Mediums and spiritists are also removed.
Then, in the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah ensures that the Passover is kept, entirely according to the law. In verse 22 it is stated that since the days of the judges, the time of Samuel, no such Passover had been held.
In 2 Chr. 35 it is described in detail how carefully and extensively this Passover celebration is prepared and carried out with thousands of animals. It is followed by the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread.
About the faith and deeds of faith of Josiah the Bible speaks just as positively as about Hezekiah (v.25). Yet the LORD does not forget what Manasseh had done. He will reject Judah and Jerusalem.
What must we remove from our lives?
Singing: Ps. 85:1