Shot To The Heart

The year was 609 BC. King Josiah had set the temple in order. The sons of Israel had celebrated the Passover. The land was rid of idols. Life was beginning to look better. But something happened that no one could have foreseen.

Pharoah Necho II of Egypt gathered his armies to go Carcemish, to aid the failing Assyrian kingdom in their wars against the upcoming Neo Babylonian kingdom. To get there, they had to pass through the Kingdom of Judah. Josiah heard that Pharoah and his armies were marching through his land, so he gathered his men to come against Pharoah Necho. The King of Egypt did not have time to deal with this small king of a small nation. He had a bigger war to fight, so he sent a message to Josiah to back off and stand down. 

Josiah heard the message. ‘What have we to do with each other, King of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not destroy you.’ Josiah foolishly ignores the warnings. He did not turn away, but disguised himself in order to make war with Necho. He did not listen to the words of Necho from the mouth of God, but came to fight on the plains of Megiddo.

Archers shot King Josiah. He commanded his servants to take him away for he was badly wounded. His servants took him out of his damaged chariot, placed him in a second chariot, and brought him back to Jerusalem. He bled out from his injuries and died. Then he was buried in Jerusalem in the tombs of his fathers. Jeremiah chanted the book of Lamentations over him and the coming destruction of Jerusalem. Male and female singers joined with Jeremiah as he sung over the least good king of Judah who died too early.

Thus the kingdom passed to Jehoahaz, son of Josiah. He reigned three months in Jerusalem. He was an evil king. Pharaoh Necho returned from the Battle of Carcemish, imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah in Hamath and imposed a fine on the land of 100 talents of silver and one talent of gold. Eliakim, son of Josiah, was made king by Pharoah Necho in his brother’s place. His name was changed to Jehoiakim by Pharoah. Jehoahaz was taken to Egypt, where he would die in captivity. Jehoiakim exacted the fine from the people of the land and paid Necho off, but Judah was never free again. The land had fallen, just as the kingdom of Samaria had fallen to the Assyrians. 

King Josiah should have listened to the warnings of the prophets and of Pharoah Necho. He was never promised long life, only that he himself would not see the destruction of Jerusalem and Judah. He would die before that happened, just as the Word of the LORD had told him. And die he did, for the judgment against Judah for their sins was coming swiftly.