Today in God's Word—March 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
March 17, 2 Chronicles 35
Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. - 2 Chronicles 35:22
Would you like to be remembered for some outstanding accomplishment, perhaps the best thing you ever did? Maybe a photographer captured the moment of success. Perhaps a writer described your achievement and published an account of your triumph.
We probably would not want our failures to be memorialized. We've all done things we probably hope and wish no one would know or remember. 2 Chronicles 35 records both the high and low points of Josiah’s reign. The chapter tells of Josiah's great Passover and his foolish Pride.
The Chronicler wrote that in all the days of Judah there had never been a Passover like the one Josiah kept. A combination of factors came together to make Josiah's Passover an outstanding success. The Passover was celebrated on a large scale, made possible by generous contributions of sacrificial animals by the king and his officials. This Passover was conducted with strict attention to and compliance with the instructions from the Law of Moses. The priests and Levites consecrated themselves in record numbers and performed their duties flawlessly. It was a resounding success and a spiritual mountain top moment for the nation.
The only odd thing I wondered about was this line from Josiah when he addressed the Levites about bringing in the ark: “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders." Surely there is something about that line that we don’t understand. As careful as the king and the priests had been in meticulous obedience to all the particulars of the Law for
this event, why did Josiah tell them not to worry about doing something that got a fellow named Uzzah killed back in the days of David? Maybe he meant that once the ark was moved to its place in the temple again, they would not need to transport it any more. But it seemed odd for the king to say such a thing, in a context marked by strict observance.
So the Passover was the high point of Josiah's reign described in this chapter. Now, consider the low point, also presented in stark honesty. We could call this part of the chapter Josiah’s Pride. When Neco of Egypt was on his way to Carchemish to join the battle that would change the balance of power in the ancient world, Josiah went out to meet (that is, to fight against) him. In that famous multinational confrontation, Assyria would lose to up-and-coming Babylon. It was not a fight that should have involved Josiah and Judah at all. Neco sent messengers to Josiah saying he was not there to fight with him. He told Judah's king that God had commanded him to hurry to Carchemish.
But Josiah insisted on fighting. Perhaps he had never heard the proverb his ancient ancestor Solomon wrote about such a situation: "Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears."
Josiah disguised himself and went into the battle. That old trick never seemed to work. Remember, Ahab tried it and got killed. So Josiah was wounded by the Egyptian archers. He said almost the same words that Ahab had spoken. He instructed his servants to carry him out of the battle because he was wounded. They loaded Josiah in Royal Chariot #2 and returned the wounded king to the capital city, where he died.
Why did Josiah go out to fight against Neco? Was he in some alliance with Assyria we don't know about? Did he doubt that God had really spoken to the pagan king? Or was he just too proud to turn around and go home? We don't know why he went out to fight at Megiddo, but
we can know why he died because he went. He did not listen to a word from God. When he listened and obeyed, he was blessed. But the promises of blessing (including a peaceful death for the king) were forfeited when Josiah refused to listen. Our pride makes us refuse to hear and obey God's word. We think we know better. We don't want to be told something that keeps us from doing what we want to do. And that pride always precedes disobedience and downfall.
The Chronicler made a big point about hearing and obeying God all through this book. Those who heard, trusted and obeyed God were blessed. Those who pridefully refused to listen and obey were punished. We should pay attention to this big lesson. It is as true for us today as it was for them long ago. As James put it in the New Testament, it is not the person who hears, but the one who does the word of God that will be blessed. Will you and I hear and obey? Will we be blessed?
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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