In the history of the kings of Judah, it is astonishing to note how frequently a godly man is succeeded by an ungodly son, who is then succeeded by a godly grandson, who is succeeded by an ungodly great-grandson. Back and forth it goes. Hezekiah was a revival king, but his son Manasseh led the people into unprecedented evil. Though Manasseh was converted before he died, his son Amon was evil in the sight of the LORD. Amon suffered a violent death while still in his twenties, so the crown is passed on to his son Josiah, who will take his place as one of the godliest of all the kings of Judah. 2 Chronicles 34 records with unusual precision the spiritual journey of Josiah. He came to the throne at the age of eight, and eight years later, as a sixteen-year-old boy, he begins to earnestly seek the LORD. With the cares of the kingdom on his shoulders, this teenager sensed his desperate need for God. Four years later, at the age of twenty, he sets out to reform the spiritual life of the kingdom, rooting out all false gods. This thorough purge extended to the northern tribes as well, and it included not only the idolatrous buildings and altars, but also the priests who were in charge of them (v 1-7). At age twenty-six, Josiah embarks on his temple restoration project. Needed funds are found in storage areas of the temple, probably going back to Hezekiah’s reign, when so many people brought their contributions for the ministry (31:11-12). With pagan shrines removed throughout the land, long overdue repairs are thus completed in the house of the LORD (v 8-13). Hilkiah, the high priest, clears out one area—possibly his office—and finds a large scroll. A closer look reveals that it was the Torah, the book of God’s Law. Hilkiah hands it to the king’s secretary Shaphan, who must have already had an appointment with Josiah. After reporting on the state of the finances, Shaphan mentions that Hilkiah had run across a book. Shaphan reads a few passages out loud, and the king reacts with genuine terror. Why? Because he recognizes how far the kingdom has strayed from God, and how the nation will surely be punished for their violation of His laws. So Josiah appoints a new committee, headed up by Hilkiah, to find out from the LORD what might happen (v 14-21). The committee seeks out a prophetess named Huldah, who confirms that Josiah’s dread is well-founded. The nation will indeed by punished by exile and slavery. But because of Josiah’s efforts to lead a spiritual awakening, the national disaster will not come until after his reign (v 22-33). For further meditation: