2 Kings 23-25Jehovah’s Word Is Alive

Highlights From the Book of Second Kings

CHAPTER 23*** w14 5/1 p. 5 Can Anyone See the Future? ***HUMAN BONES WILL BURN: Who would be so daring as to announce—300 years

in advance—the exact name and specific ancestry of a man who would burn human bones on an altar, as well as the name of the town where the altar would be located? If such an unusual prediction came true, it would surely make the forecaster famous. God’s spokesman announced: “A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David . . . , and he will burn human bones” on an altar in the town of Bethel. (1 Kings 13:1, 2) About three centuries later, a king named Josiah—not a common Biblical name—came from the family lineage of David. Exactly as foretold, Josiah had “bones taken from the graves and burned them on the altar” located in Bethel. (2 Kings 23:14-16) How could anyone foretell such specific details unless guided by a superhuman source?

*** w14 12/15 p. 28 pars. 4-6 Do You Appreciate What You Have Received? ***4 We can find Bible accounts of some who received a rich spiritual heritage but failed

to appreciate it. 5 It was similar with King Josiah’s sons. Josiah set a superb example in worshipping

Jehovah. When the book of God’s Law was found and read to Josiah, he made an earnest effort to apply Jehovah’s instructions. He worked to eliminate idolatry and spiritism from the land, and he encouraged the people to obey Jehovah. (2 Ki. 22:8; 23:2, 3, 12-15, 24, 25) What a rich spiritual inheritance his sons received! Three of his sons and one grandson in time became kings, but not one of them showed appreciation for what had been passed on to him.

6 Josiah’s son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king, but he did “what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes.” He ruled for only three months before an Egyptian Pharaoh imprisoned him, and Jehoahaz died in captivity. (2 Ki. 23:31-34) Then his brother Jehoiakim ruled for 11 years. He too lacked appreciation for what he had received from his father.

*** w09 6/15 p. 10 par. 19 Be Zealous for Jehovah’s House! ***19 When Josiah ruled as king, he too arranged for the Passover to be celebrated,

making extensive preparations for it. (2 Ki. 23:21-23; 2 Chron. 35:1-19) We also exercise special care to prepare well for district conventions, circuit assemblies, special assembly days, as well as for the Memorial. Brothers in some countries even risk their lives to gather together in order to commemorate Christ’s death. Zealous elders make sure that none in the congregation are overlooked. The elderly and the infirm receive help to be present for the occasion.

*** w09 3/1 p. 9 Did You Know? ***Among the measures taken by King Josiah to reform the religious practices of the Judeans was a ban on sacrifices “to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations of the zodiac and to all the army of the heavens.” The king took this step, says the Biblical account, because he wanted “to walk after Jehovah and to keep his commandments.” (2 Kings 23:3-5) That set a pattern even for people today who want to worship God “with spirit and truth.”—John 4:24.

*** w04 12/15 p. 15 par. 17 Jehovah Is Our Helper ***17 God’s written Word also helped to reveal his

will and purpose. Daniel, for example, discerned from Jeremiah’s writings how long Jerusalem would remain desolate. (Jeremiah 25:11; Daniel 9:2) Consider, too, what happened during the reign of King Josiah of Judah. By that time, the nation had strayed from Jehovah, and the kings had evidently failed to make a personal copy of the Law and follow it. (Deuteronomy 17:18-20) But while the temple was being repaired, “the very book of the law,” possibly by the hand of Moses, was found. This was perhaps the original text, which had been completed some 800 years earlier. After hearing its contents read, Josiah realized how far the nation had departed from Jehovah’s will, and the king took firm measures to do what was written in the book. (2 Kings 22:8; 23:1-7) Is it not clear that God’s people in ancient times were helped by the portions of the Sacred Scriptures that were available to them?

*** w01 4/15 p. 26 You Can Succeed Regardless of Your Upbringing ***Despite the negative circumstances of his early childhood, Josiah proceeded to do what was good in Jehovah’s eyes. So successful was his reign that the Bible states: “Like him there did not prove to be a king prior to him who returned to Jehovah with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his vital force, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him has there risen up one like him.”—2 Kings 23:19-25.

What an encouraging example Josiah proves to be for those who may have had to endure a terrible childhood!

*** w98 1/9 p. 23 Betel, città ricordata in bene e in male ***Infine Giosia, fedele re di Giuda, abbatté ‘l’altare che era a Betel, bruciò l’alto luogo, lo

ridusse in polvere e bruciò il palo sacro’. (2 Re 23:15, 16) Oggi gli anziani possono imitare il suo eccellente esempio eseguendo con zelo le istruzioni di Dio e prendendo la direttiva nel mantenere pura la congregazione.

*** w86 12/15 p. 27 Astrology in Synagogues? ***Later, the zealous reformer King Josiah cleaned out these false practices. “And the

king went on to command Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second rank and the doorkeepers to bring out from the temple of Jehovah all the utensils made for Baal and for the sacred pole and for all the army of the heavens. Then he burned them outside Jerusalem on the terraces of Kidron, and he brought the dust of them to Bethel. And he put out of business the foreign-god priests, whom the kings of Judah had put in that they might make sacrificial smoke on the high places in the cities of Judah and the surroundings of Jerusalem, and also those making sacrificial smoke to Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations of the zodiac and to all the army of the heavens.”—2 Kings 23:4, 5.

What are the lessons taught by these historical events? First, that there is no room for astrology, horoscopes, and other spiritistic practices in the worship of the true God, Jehovah. Second, that it is very easy to slip into these practices if one neglects one’s relationship with Jehovah and pays attention to human philosophy and so-called wisdom. Then it is easy to ‘venerate and render sacred service to the creation rather than to the One who created.’ The barrier to such practices is to ‘hold God in accurate knowledge,’ really to know the Sovereign Lord of the universe, Jehovah, and his Son, Christ Jesus.—Romans 1:20-25, 28; John 17:3.

*** g92 1/8 p. 19 What if My Parents Don’t Support Me in My Faith? ***How did Josiah develop such strength without

the help of a father? He got support from other spiritual men, such as high priest Hilkiah and his secretary Shaphan. Their positive spiritual influence on young Josiah helped him to “carry out the words of the law.” (2 Kings 23:24; 2 Chronicles 34:14-19) That Law required the kings to make a personal copy of it and to study it day and night. (Deuteronomy 17:18; Joshua 1:8) Doing so no doubt greatly contributed to Josiah’s spiritual growth.

CHAPTER 24*** w05 8/1 p. 11 par. 8 Highlights From the Book of Second Kings ***9:36, 37; 10:17; 13:18, 19, 25; 14:25; 19:20, 32-36; 20:16, 17; 24:13. We can be

confident that ‘the word that goes forth from Jehovah’s mouth always has certain success.’—Isaiah 55:10, 11.

*** w05 8/1 p. 12 par. 1 Highlights From the Book of Second Kings ***24:3, 4. On account of Manasseh’s bloodguilt, Jehovah “did not consent to grant

forgiveness” to Judah. God respects the blood of the innocent. We can be confident that Jehovah will avenge innocent blood by destroying those responsible for shedding it.—Psalm 37:9-11; 145:20.

*** g 11/12 pp. 24-25 Flaunting—Is It Worth the Price? ***Another problem associated with showing off wealth is well illustrated in the Bible account of King Hezekiah, who lived in ancient Jerusalem. On one occasion Hezekiah showed “all that was to be found in his treasures” to dignitaries from Babylon. Evidently, his great wealth impressed the visitors. However, it may also have excited their greed. After they left, God’s prophet Isaiah bravely told Hezekiah that one day all his treasure would “actually be carried to Babylon.” Nothing would be left. Those words came true! Years later the Babylonians returned and hauled

off all the riches that belonged to Hezekiah’s family.—2 Kings 20:12-17; 24:12, 13.

Likewise today, people who flaunt their wealth may risk losing it, or at least some of it. A report on crime and safety in Mexico stated: “Ostentatious displays of wealth are magnets for thieves in Mexico City. Wearing expensive jewelry, watches, and displays of large amounts of cash draw unwanted attention.” How much better to heed the Bible’s advice not to “brag about” one’s riches. (Jeremiah 9:23) “Wisdom is with the modest ones,” says Proverbs 11:2.

CHAPTER 25POINT TMS – How has archaeology confirmed the existence of the

two kings mentioned at 2 Kings 25:27-30? [Sept. 28, w12 6/1 p. 5 pars. 2-3]

AN EXAMPLE: The Bible reports that “Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon . . . took [Judean King] Jehoiachin into exile to Babylon.” Later, “Evil-merodach the king of Babylon, in the year of his becoming king, raised up the head of Jehoiachin the king of Judah out of the house of detention.” Furthermore, “an allowance was constantly given him [Jehoiachin] from the king, daily as due, all the days of his life.”—2 Kings 24:11, 15; 25:27-30.

WHAT ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE DISCOVERED: Among the ruins of ancient Babylon, archaeologists uncovered administrative documents dated to the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II. They list rations given to prisoners and others dependent on the royal household. The lists include “Yaukin [Jehoiachin],” who was the “king of the land of Yahud (Judah),” and his household. What about the existence of Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, Evil-merodach? An inscription on a vase found near the city of Susa reads: “Palace of Amil-Marduk [Evil-merodach], King of Babylon, son of

Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.”