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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 26 December 2025:
2 Chronicles 34:1 — Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
Josiah begins his reign as a child, highlighting that God’s work is not limited by age, experience, or perceived readiness. Josiah’s early faithfulness was not the product of isolated youthful genius but of godly formation. Scripture consistently shows that God works through faithful people shaping leaders long before those leaders understand the weight of their authority. Jedidah, Josiah’s mother (2 Kings 22:1), would have been his earliest and most formative influence, especially given the spiritual vacuum created by his father Amon’s wicked reign and assassination. A faithful mother matters profoundly in the covenant story. Alongside her influence stood Hilkiah the high priest, whose stewardship of the temple and discovery of the Book of the Law became catalytic in Josiah’s reform, and Shaphan the secretary, who faithfully read God’s Word aloud to the king rather than softening or filtering it. These men did not merely advise Josiah administratively; they anchored him spiritually.
What is striking is that an eight-year-old king was teachable. That is the real lesson. Youth can listen more readily than power-hardened adults. Josiah had authority but not arrogance. He had a throne but not yet a calcified heart. He received counsel, submitted to Scripture, and acted decisively. Scripture repeatedly warns that wisdom is not about age or position but posture. Many older leaders fail precisely where Josiah succeeded because they outgrow correction. Josiah shows that righteous leadership is less about personal brilliance and more about surrounding oneself with faithful counselors — and, crucially, heeding them.
This principle scales to every domain of life. No one walks faithfully alone. Godly counsel is a gift, but only to those humble enough to receive it. Josiah’s early success stands as a rebuke to self-made leadership and a quiet endorsement of spiritual community, faithful mentors, and a heart that trembles at God’s Word.
2 Chronicles 34:2 — And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
This is the evaluative summary of Josiah’s life. He is measured not against his immediate predecessors but against David, the standard of covenant faithfulness. “Did not turn aside” speaks of consistency, not perfection. Faithfulness is directional perseverance. Josiah’s righteousness is deliberate, sustained, and uncompromising. In a lineage filled with drift, his obedience stands out as intentional alignment with God’s revealed will.
“And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord…, and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” Let this be said at your funeral.
2 Chronicles 34:3 — For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the carved images, and the metal images.
Josiah’s reform unfolds in stages. Seeking precedes purging. Internal devotion comes before external action. He does not start by tearing things down; he starts by turning his heart toward God. This sequence matters. True reform flows from genuine seeking. Once Josiah knows the Lord, he cannot tolerate what dishonors Him. Spiritual clarity leads to moral courage.
Revival involves a return to obedience, and when God brings revival, he also calls the revived to mission.
Discipleship involves constant, diligent seeking and purging.
2 Chronicles 34:4 — And they chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved images and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
Josiah’s actions are thorough and symbolic. Idols are not merely removed; they are desecrated and reduced to dust. Scattering the remains over graves exposes the emptiness of false worship. Idolatry promises life but leads to death. Josiah ensures there is no ambiguity about where these gods stand. Half-measures leave room for relapse; decisive obedience closes the door.
2 Chronicles 34:5 — He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
This severe act fulfills earlier prophecy and demonstrates how seriously God views corrupted worship. Sin is not neutral. False religion defiles communities. Josiah’s reforms are costly and confrontational, but they are necessary. Cleansing requires confrontation with what polluted the land.
2 Chronicles 34:6-7 — And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around, he broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
Josiah’s obedience extends beyond his immediate jurisdiction. His faith is not tribal or political; it is covenantal. Though the kingdom is divided, Josiah acts as if the land still belongs to the Lord. Faithful leaders think generationally and geographically. Obedience is not confined to what is convenient. We are called to make disciples of all people in all nations. How are you doing on the mission?
– Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
– Mark 16:15 — And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
– Luke 24:47 — …and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
– Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
2 Chronicles 34:8 — Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.
After cleansing comes rebuilding. Destruction alone is not reform. God’s house must be restored as a place of worship, instruction, and covenant remembrance. Josiah invests resources to strengthen what sin had weakened. Obedience does not end with removal of evil; it restores what is holy.
2 Chronicles 34:9-11 — They came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God…. And they gave it to the craftsmen and builders to buy quarried stone and timber….
The integrity of this process stands in sharp contrast to earlier corrupt administrations. Funds are handled honestly. Work is done faithfully. When hearts are aligned with God, stewardship follows. Spiritual renewal produces ethical leadership.
2 Chronicles 34:12-13 — And the men did the work faithfully…. Over them were set Jahath and Obadiah… of the Levites… and all who were skillful with instruments of music.
Worship and work coexist. In fact, all work should be done as worship. Builders and musicians serve side by side. God’s restoration integrates skill, diligence, and praise. Faithfulness is not only about tearing down idols; it is about building a culture where obedience and worship flourish together, not just in church environments but everywhere where Christians seek to live out “Thy will be done”.
2 Chronicles 34:14 — While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord given through Moses.
This is one of the most tragic and hopeful verses in Scripture. God’s Word had been lost in God’s house. Reform was underway, but revelation was missing. External obedience without Scripture can only go so far. True renewal requires rediscovery of God’s Word.
2 Chronicles 34:15-16 — And Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law….” And Shaphan brought the book to the king….
The Word of God moves from neglect to proclamation. When Scripture is rediscovered, it must be delivered to leadership. God’s Word confronts authority before it confronts the people. Renewal always begins with hearing, then submitting, then obeying, then spreading and expanding.
2 Chronicles 34:18-19 — Then Shaphan the secretary told the king…. And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes.
Josiah’s response is immediate and overwhelmingly repentant. He does not rationalize or defend. He grieves. Tearing garments reflects a heart pierced by truth. When God’s Word is truly heard, it humbles before it instructs.
Right relationship with God starts with repentance. This is not what most churches preach today. God uses His Bible as His primary instrument for repentance, revival, and sanctification. Repentance starts with humble sorrow in response to the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin through the word of God, then confident submission and wholehearted commitment to reconciliation based on God’s gift of forgiveness, which cannot be earned, only received, believed and retrieved. Faith is not opposed to effort only earning.
Discipleship and sanctification involve discovery of God’s word, diligent study of God’s word, being continually humbled by the Holy Spirit through God’s written word, and obeying God’s word, one day at a time.
2 Chronicles 34:20-21 — And the king commanded… “Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah….”
Josiah understands the weight of accountability. Knowledge demands response. He does not delay. He seeks God’s interpretation of God’s Word, the counsel of those who know God’s will, word, and ways and who truly walk with Him, not merely intellectuals. True humility drives us to prayer, not panic, dependence upon God, and interdependence among true followers of God, not independence.
God expects you to follow His word which reflects His character and His perfect will.
2 Chronicles 34:22-23 — So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect…. And she said… “Thus says the Lord…”
The Spirit of God is not a respecter of position. In this case, the high priest knew that Huldah, who kept the wardrobe, would know God’s word through the Holy Spirit – not a scholar or theologian, a humble person in right relationship with God. Are you a person people know to seek when they need to understand God’s word and will?
2 Chronicles 34:27, 28 — Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.
God confirms the judgment and affirms Josiah’s heart. Consequences will come, but mercy surrounds obedience. God distinguishes between national guilt and personal humility. Repentance may not erase all consequences, but it changes how we experience them.
Even through corporate punishment and judgment, God will honor your humble obedience. However, you will likely stand out in the crowd as faithful before the Lord when everyone else isn’t, likely persecuted by most around you for your fidelity to God and rejection of the ungodliness aggressively defended by those who have made it their lifestyle and, perhaps, identity. You will be set apart.
2 Chronicles 34:29-31 — Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders…. And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord….
Josiah does not keep repentance private. He leads publicly. Covenant renewal involves the whole community. Obedience is reinforced through collective commitment. Leaders shape culture by modeling submission to God’s Word.
2 Chronicles 34:32-33 — Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin join in it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 And Josiah took away all the abominations from all the territory that belonged to the people of Israel and made all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.
Josiah’s influence produces sustained obedience. While hearts cannot be forced, righteous leadership can remove obstacles and set direction. The chapter closes with a rare outcome: reform that lasts as long as the faithful leader lives.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 26 December 2025: Seek the Lord before you act, submit fully to His Word when it is revealed, and remove anything in your life that competes with wholehearted obedience. Let Scripture confront you, humble you, and reshape your commitments.
Pray: “Father, awaken my heart to seek You early and earnestly. Restore in me a love for Your Word that humbles, convicts, and transforms. Give me courage to remove what dishonors You and faithfulness to rebuild what obedience requires. Make my life a living covenant of devotion to You, grounded in truth and marked by repentance. I want to walk straight before You, not turning aside to the right or to the left. Amen.”
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 