23:1, 2 For more about the importance and operation of the Temple, see 1 Kings 5–8 and 2 Chronicles 2–7.
23:4-8 When Josiah realized the terrible state of Judah’s religious life, he did something about it. It is not enough to say we believe what is right; we must respond with action, doing what faith requires. This is what James was emphasizing when he wrote, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). This means acting differently at home, school, work, and church. Simply talking about obedience is not enough.
23:6 This “grove” included the shameful idol of Asherah that the evil King Manasseh had set up in God’s Temple (21:7). Asherah is most often identified as a sea goddess and the mistress of Baal. She was a chief goddess of the Canaanites. Her worship glorified sex and war and was accompanied by male prostitution.
23:13 The Mount of Olives is here called the mount of corruption because it had become a favorite spot to build pagan shrines. Solomon built a pagan shrine, and other kings built places of idol worship there, too. But God-fearing kings, such as Hezekiah and Josiah, destroyed these pagan worship centers. In New Testament times, Jesus often sat on the Mount of Olives and taught his disciples about serving only God (Matthew 24:3ff). For more background on Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Milcom, see the note on 1 Kings 11:5-8.
23:16-18 The prophecies mentioned in this passage appear in 1 Kings 13:2.
23:21-23 When Josiah rediscovered the Passover in the book of the Covenant, he ordered everyone to observe the ceremonies exactly as prescribed. This Passover celebration was to have been a yearly holiday celebrated in remembrance of the entire nation’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12), but it had not been kept for many years. As a result, “there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges.” It is a common misconception that God is against celebration, wanting to take all the fun out of life. In reality, God wants to give us life in its fullness (John 10:10), and those who love him have the most to celebrate.
23:25 Josiah is remembered as Judah’s most obedient king. His obedience followed this pattern: (1) He recognized sin; (2) he eliminated sinful practices; (3) he attacked the causes of sin. This approach for dealing with sin works. Not only must we remove sinful actions, we must also eliminate causes for sin—those situations, relationships, routines, and patterns of life that lead us to the door of temptation.
23:29 Pharaoh-nechoh of Egypt was marching through Judah to Assyria. Egypt and Assyria had formed an alliance to battle Babylon, which was threatening to become the dominant world power. Josiah may have thought that both nations would turn on him after the battle with Babylon, so he tried to stop Egypt’s army from marching through his land. But Josiah was killed, his army was defeated, and the nation of Judah became a vassal state of Egypt (609 B.C.). A more detailed account of this story is found in 2 Chronicles 35:20-25.
23:31-34 The people appointed Jehoahaz, one of Josiah’s sons, to be Judah’s next king. But Nechoh was not happy with their choice, and he exiled Jehoahaz to Egypt, where he died. Nechoh then installed Eliakim, another of Josiah’s sons, king of Judah, changing his name to Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim was little more than a puppet ruler. In 605 B.C., Egypt was defeated by Babylon. Judah then became a vassal state of Babylon (24:1).
23:36, 37 Josiah followed God, but Jehoiakim, his son, was evil. He killed the prophet Urijah (Jeremiah 26:20-23) and was dishonest, greedy, and unjust with the people (Jeremiah 22:13-19). Jehoiakim also rebelled against Babylon, switching his allegiance to Egypt. This proved to be a crucial mistake. Nebuchadnezzar crushed Jehoiakim’s rebellion and took him to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:6), but he was eventually allowed to return to Jerusalem, where he died. The Bible does not record the cause of Jehoiakim’s death.
23:37 Many good kings had children who did not follow God. Perhaps it was because of neglect or preoccupation with political and military affairs or because these kings delegated the religious education to others. No doubt many of the children simply rebelled at the way they were raised. Being a strong believer as a parent doesn’t guarantee that your children will pick up your beliefs. Children must be taught about faith, and parents dare not leave that task for others to do. Make sure you practice, explain, and teach what you preach.