Josiah Dies in Battle
December 23, 2019
Commentary
King Neco led his Army from Egypt to Carchemish on the Euphrates River and Josiah met his troops there (v. 20). Neco sent a message to Josiah that he was not attacking him but that God had told him to quickly attack my enemy (v. 21). He said that God is on my side, so if you try to stop me, He will punish you. But Josiah ignored Neco’s warning, disguised himself, and marched into battle against Neco in the valley of Megiddo (v. 22). During the battle Josiah was shot with an arrow from an Egyptian soldier (v. 23). He told his servants that he had been hit and for them to get him out of the battle (v. 23). They carried him out of his chariot and transported him quickly back to Jerusalem where he died (v. 24). H was buried beside his ancestors and everyone mourned his death.
Jeremiah the prophet wrote a funeral song in honor of Josiah, and since then anyone who mourns his deathsings that song (v. 25). It is included in the collection of funeral songs. Everything else Josiah did while he was king, including how he faithfully obeyed the Lord (v. 26) is written in the books of 1st and 2nd Kings (v. 27).
Application
Everyone is going to die physically unless the rapture of the Church comes first. “And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment (Heb. 9:27). However, everyone who repents of their sin (Lk. 13:3) and believeth in Jesus Christ payment for sin shall have everlasting life (Jn. 3:16).
2 Chronicles 35:20– 27 (NET)
20 After Josiah had done all this for the temple, King Necho of Egypt marched up to do battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. Josiah marched out to oppose him. 21 Necho sent messengers to him, saying, “Why are you opposing me, O king of Judah? I am not attacking you today, but the kingdom with which I am at war. God told me to hurry. Stop opposing God, who is with me, or else he will destroy you.” 22 But Josiah did not turn back from him; he disguised himself for battle. He did not take seriously the words of Necho which he had received from God; he went to fight him in the Plain of Megiddo. 23 Archers shot King Josiah; the king ordered his servants, “Take me out of this chariot, for I am seriously wounded.” 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot, put him in another chariot that he owned, and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors; all the people of Judah and Jerusalem mourned Josiah. 25 Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah which all the male and female singers use to mourn Josiah to this very day. It has become customary in Israel to sing these; they are recorded in the Book of Laments.
26 The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign, including the faithful acts he did in obedience to what is written in the law of the Lord 27 and his accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
Illustration: Billy Graham Being a Secretive Christian
Billy Graham used to tell a story of a professing Christian who got a job in a lumber camp that had the reputation of being very ungodly. When a friend heard that he had been hired, he said to him, “If those lumberjacks ever find out you’re a Christian, your going to be in for a very hard time!” The man responded, “I know it, but I really need the job.” After he had been working at the camp for a year, he met the friend who had predicted the ridicule and persecution he would receive from the other lumberjacks. “Well, how did it go?” he asked the friend. “Did they give you a hard time?” “Oh no, the man replied. They didn’t give me a bit of trouble, they never found out that I was a Christian!” (Windows on the Word).