Christian Religious Studies · Lesson 5

Josiah’s reforms, the fall of Jerusalem, Ezra, Nehemiah and Daniel

JAMBWAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

JAMB: 3 Religious reforms in Judah (2 Kgs 22; 23:1-30); 4 Concern for Judah (fall of Jerusalem; condition of Judah; response: Nehemiah and Ezra); 5 Faith, courage and protection (Dan 3; 6); also A6 Three Hebrew youths (obedience)

WAEC: 9 Religious reforms (Josiah); 10 Concern for one’s nation; 11 Faith in God (faith and courage, Dan 3; faith and power, Dan 6)

NECO: 9 Religious reforms (Josiah); 10 Concern for one’s nation; 11 Faith in God (faith and courage, Dan 3; faith and power, Dan 6)

What you will learn

Analyse Josiah’s religious reforms, the reasons for renewing the covenant and their significance.
Identify reasons for the fall of Jerusalem and describe the condition of Judah during the exile.
Analyse the responses of Nehemiah and Ezra and distinguish how they handled opposition.
Analyse the stories of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel and the effects of their faith on the Babylonians.
Apply lessons on reform, patriotism and courageous faith to Nigeria.

Key points

Josiah began to reign at eight; in his 18th year the book of the law was found by Hilkiah; Josiah tore his clothes and consulted Huldah.
Josiah read the covenant to the people, stood by a pillar and renewed it; purged Baal and Asherah, idolatrous priests, Topheth, Bethel’s altar; kept the Passover.
Josiah died at Megiddo fighting Pharaoh-nechoh.
Jehoiakim rebelled; Jehoiachin surrendered; 10,000 deported; Zedekiah rebelled; his sons killed, he was blinded; Nebuzaradan burned the temple and broke the walls.
Fall caused by Manasseh’s sins, innocent blood, idolatry, rejection of prophets, rebellion against Babylon.
Nehemiah, cupbearer at Shushan, wept, fasted, confessed and prayed; Artaxerxes sent him with letters and timber.
Opposed by Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem; responded by praying and setting a watch day and night (4:9); builders worked with weapons; wall done in 52 days.
Cyrus’ decree; Zerubbabel and Jeshua rebuilt altar and temple; adversaries stopped work; Haggai and Zechariah encouraged; finished under Darius.
Ezra: ready scribe who prepared his heart to seek, do and teach the law.
Daniel and friends refused the king’s food and were ten times wiser.
Furnace: “our God… is able… But if not”; four men in the fire; king blessed God and promoted them.
Lions’ den: Daniel prayed three times a day; angel shut the lions’ mouths; Darius decreed reverence for Daniel’s God.

Start here: Josiah and the book of the law (2 Kings 22)

Background

Josiah’s grandfather Manasseh had filled Judah with idolatry; his father Amon continued it and was assassinated (2 Kgs 21).

“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.” (2 Kings 22:1-2, KJV)

The discovery

In his eighteenth year Josiah sent Shaphan the scribe to Hilkiah the high priest to pay the workmen repairing the temple (22:3-7).
“And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.” (2 Kings 22:8, KJV)
Shaphan read it to the king, who tore his clothes (22:10-11).
Josiah sent Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan and Asahiah to “enquire of the LORD… for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened” (22:12-13).
They went to Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum, keeper of the wardrobe, who lived in Jerusalem in the college (22:14).
Her message: God would bring evil on Judah because they had forsaken him and burned incense to other gods (22:16-17); but because Josiah’s heart was tender and he humbled himself, he would be gathered to his grave in peace and not see the evil (22:18-20).

What Josiah’s response shows

Humility and fear of God (tearing his clothes); respect for God’s word; seeking guidance from a true prophet, even a woman; concern for the whole people (“for me, and for the people, and for all Judah”).

Worked example 5.1 (JAMB-style)

The book of the law was found in the temple by A. Shaphan B. Hilkiah C. Huldah D. Ahikam

Answer: B. Hilkiah the high priest found it and gave it to Shaphan the scribe (2 Kgs 22:8).

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Practice questions

1. What did Hilkiah the high priest find in the house of the LORD in Josiah’s reign?

The book of the law
The ark of the covenant
The golden calf
Solomon’s crown

Show answer

A: The book of the law
2 Kings 22:8.

2. Which prophetess did Josiah consult about the book?

Deborah
Miriam
Anna
Huldah

Show answer

D: Huldah
2 Kings 22:14.

3. Josiah’s reign was praised because he

made peace with Assyria
rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem
turned not aside to the right hand or to the left
built many high places

Show answer

C: turned not aside to the right hand or to the left
2 Kings 22:2.

4. Which feast did Josiah command the people to keep after the reforms?

Pentecost
The passover
Tabernacles
Purim

Show answer

B: The passover
2 Kings 23:21.

5. Which king of Babylon besieged and took Jerusalem?

Nebuchadnezzar
Cyrus
Darius
Belshazzar

Show answer

A: Nebuchadnezzar
2 Kings 24:10-11; 25:1.

Key words

Reform: A change to remove abuses and restore right practice; Josiah’s religious reforms purged idolatry.
Book of the law: The scroll found in the temple in Josiah’s 18th year (2 Kgs 22:8), widely identified with (part of) Deuteronomy.
Huldah: The prophetess consulted by Josiah’s officials (2 Kgs 22:14).
Topheth: A site in the valley of Hinnom where children were sacrificed to Molech; Josiah defiled it (2 Kgs 23:10).
Exile: Forced removal of Judah’s people to Babylon (the Babylonian captivity).
Nebuchadnezzar: King of Babylon who besieged and destroyed Jerusalem.
Zedekiah: Last king of Judah, blinded and taken to Babylon (2 Kgs 25:7).
Cupbearer: A trusted royal official who served the king’s wine; Nehemiah’s office (Neh 1:11).
Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem: Opponents of Nehemiah’s rebuilding (Neh 2:10, 19).
Cyrus: Persian king whose decree allowed the Jews to return and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1-4).
Zerubbabel and Jeshua: Governor and high priest who led the rebuilding of the altar and temple (Ezra 3:2, 8).
Scribe: An expert in copying and teaching the law; Ezra was “a ready scribe” (Ezra 7:6).

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