2Ki 23:1 And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.
2Ki 23:2 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.
2Ki 23:3 And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
2Ki 23:4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.
2Ki 23:5 And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
2Ki 23:6 And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.
2Ki 23:7 And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.
2Ki 23:8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.
2Ki 23:9 Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren.
In this section of the book of Kings, we will learn how corrupt Judah had become as a nation, and to what extent king Josiah, who is a type of Christ, was going to go to destroy all the idolatry and wicked practices that had become ingrained into their culture over the years.
For God’s elect this story typifies for us the order and progressive nature of judgment which is upon the body of Christ today (Luk 13:32). God is preparing the bride of our Lord through a process that is not going to be superficial but fiery in its nature (1Pe 4:12) so that the mind of Christ can be forged in each of His children, who will have their robes washed in the blood of the lamb first, before the rest of mankind (Rev 12:10-11, Heb 6:3, Jas 4:15). Another way to see this story is the judgment that God’s elect will bring upon the world after they have been judged and made ready in this life (Oba 1:21, 1Pe 4:17)
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death [Mat 16:25].
Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them [Rev 19:7]. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Josiah typifies Christ, who in type and shadow is demonstrating to all of Judah what God wants all the world to hear: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.” They will hear what the king has to say, and even conform to the changes that are brought about, but in the end the heart of the nation turns again to its idolatrous ways and another series of evil kings will follow after the reign of king Josiah [1Co 8:6, Eph 3:9, Php 3:9, 1Pe 1:5].
1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ [“The Lord our God is one Lord“], by whom are all things, and we by him.
Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God [Joh 14:20], who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time [Rev 20:6].
It is when we hear the voice of the true Shepherd that we tear down the idols and wickedness within our own lives, typified by the actions king Josiah took upon the nation of Israel. His actions typify how “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” When Josiah follows through and is zealous for the Lord to clean the land of all of its idolatrous ways, he typifies for those who have God’s spirit what Christ is able to do within His people. We learn from the actions of this King that when we “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment,” the result of those actions is that the second commandment (Mar 12:31) will be fulfilled as well because of the wholeheartedness being expressed in keeping God’s commands which demonstrates our love toward Him and our neighbor (1Jn 5:2, 1Jn 4:20, Mat 5:44).
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
2Ki 23:1 And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.
2Ki 23:2 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.
2Ki 23:3 And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
These first three verses are a shadow of the time when Christ will come back to this earth during the thousand-year reign (Rev 20:4-5), gathering the elect from the four corners of the world (Mat 24:31, Rev 11:15) typified by this statement, “And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.“
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Josiah will go “into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great:” and he will “read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.” Seeing these scriptures fulfilled in Christ’s time, found in Luke 4:21, did not change the hearts of the people any more than it did during this period with Josiah or during the thousand-year reign of the saints. No matter what measures are enforced to make “all the words of the book of the covenant” evident, without God’s power working in our lives, we will always come short and be found only with our own righteousness that can hear the word of God but not keep it in our hearts (Php 3:9). God always requires a witness to be given to the flesh that cannot fulfill His will without the power of God’s holy spirit as was the case with Peter (Mat 26:34). All of mankind will be shown in their appointed time and order that we can only read and hear the sayings of the prophecy (Rev 20:8), as opposed to God’s elect who will witness to the world that through Christ, who enters into our spiritual house, our temple (1Co 3:16), we can do all three – read, hear, and keep the sayings of the prophecy, which is to keep His commandments as we witness our love and discipleship to one another through Christ (Rev 1:3, 1Jn 5:2, Joh 13:35, Col 1:27-29).
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
When Christ returns the second time to this earth and is seen of all mankind, He will, like Josiah, stand by a pillar (Gal 2:9) which represents the elect bride of Christ. “And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.”
Gal 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
What will be required of the world is obedience and the keeping of God’s laws, and that law and order will be established, as typified with Josiah at this time in history. People will in turn learn of God’s righteousness we are being told because His judgments are in the earth (Isa 26:9). However, conversion is a miracle reserved for all of humanity in the lake of fire where those words and the witness of Christ will finally bring about the long-awaited later harvest that had its time of sowing seed during the thousand-year reign (Ecc 11:1, Isa 55:10-11, Jas 5:7-11).
Ecc 11:1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: [the bread is the word of God that has been cast upon humanity – (Php 1:15-19)] for thou shalt find it after many days.
Isa 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: (1Co 3:6)
Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.[…and has been doing just that from the foundation of the world – bringing the results that God wants to further His plan of salvation]
Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Jas 5:9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
Jas 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure (Rev 19:7). Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
2Ki 23:4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.
The cleansing process for the world begins with having God’s judgments in the earth (Isa 26:9, Jer 22:29) so that men can learn what is true righteousness before God.
Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Jer 22:29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.
Knowing what is right and being able to carry out a life of obedience are two different things. Regardless, there is always order in the house of God when Christ is present, and that order is being typified with this statement of events that were unfolding with Judah at this time: “and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.” These were the commands king Josiah made of Hilkiah the high priest and represents the elect ruling over all the kingdoms of this world, including the religious kingdoms that are filled with idolatry and lies. We go outside the camp with Christ today (Heb 13:13-15) in order to have every idle word and action in our own lives burned up (Mat 12:36, 2Co 10:5-6), and if we are blessed to endure that process in this life, then we will begin the same process with the rest of the world, symbolized by this statement: “and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.“
Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Heb 13:14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2Co 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
2Ki 23:5 And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
What Josiah put down at this time typifies for God’s elect what will be put down when they rule a thousand years under Christ. The basest of religious priests, “the idolatrous priests“, will be put down, and there will be an end to days, months, times and years, which days are connected to the celestials: “to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.“
The “idolatrous priests” represent the leaders of the churches of Babylon today and remind us that God can take the weak and base things of the world whom He ordained (Dan 4:17), and typify God’s elect (1Co 1:27) and have them [God’s elect, the weak of the world] become the true leaders of this world who will do away with all of these wicked practices that are in the earth until this day.
2Ki 23:6 And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.
Even the memory of the bones that carried out our former conversation in the earth (Eph 2:2) are witnessed against by taking “the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.” These actions of which we read in Malachi 4:1 are giving us the same message of how nothing of our past is to be kept, in order to become a new creation (2Co 5:17-18).
Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
H842 The Grove ‘ăshêrâh ‘ăshêyrâh ash-ay-raw’, ash-ay-raw’
From H833; happy; asherah (or Astarte) a Phoenician goddess [of love]; also an image of the same: – grove. Compare H6253.
H6939 Kidron qidrôn kid-rone’ From H6937; dusky place; Kidron, a brook near Jerusalem: – Kidron.
H6937 qâdar kaw-dar’A primitive root; to be ashy, that is, dark colored; by implication to mourn (in sackcloth or sordid garments): – be black (-ish), be (make) dark (-en), X heavily, (cause to) mourn.
2Ki 23:7 And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.
This verse (2Ki 23:7) typifies the defilement of God’s word via the churches of Babylon whose Laodicean spirit (Rev 3:14) rules over the laity with a control that is likened unto the perversion of sodomy in (2Ki 23:7). The sodomites’ houses are “by the house of the LORD” which symbolizes the closeness of this perversion and the effect and hold it has on the churches of Babylon “where the women [churches] wove hangings for the grove.” ‘Weaving’ in this case is the negative example of its use and symbolizes the intricate pattern of lies that is hung upon the groveH842 that is connected to a Phoenician goddess who symbolizes Mystery Babylon who is a spiritual whore in God’s eyes.
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
[Rev 3:14 and unto the angel of the church of the (people’s rights) write; these things saith the (truth) the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of god; (PNBkjv)]
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
2Ki 23:8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.
King Josiah’s actions symbolize for us today how we should feel about our former conversation in the churches of this world, who had promised us liberty but were not able to provide it having been bound to lies, false doctrine, and false worship (2Pe 2:19). We repent of being connected to those “weak and beggarly elements” (Gal 4:9) that had control over our heavens for so long. King Josiah’s actions demonstrate for us the zealous spirit we now have to cleanse the temple of God (Joh 2:15) from “Geba to Beersheba”, which is a distance of about 192 km (119 miles) [according to http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Beersheba/Geva%5D and “which were the northern and southern boundaries of the land of Judah” according to John Gill’s commentary]
2Pe 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Joh 2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
Breaking “down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city” is also symbolic language that tells us Christ and the elect will take away the power from the rulers of this world which power is “on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city” as opposed to being the power of God that is on His right hand where the elect will rule as kings and priests under our Lord as fishers of men (Joh 21:6).
Joh 21:6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
2Ki 23:9 Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren.
The priests were not converted at this time is what we are being told in this verse, but continued on in their traditions, not seeing the need to come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem which symbolizes the place where we lay down our life for Christ as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). Eating unleavened bread is just a show of our own righteousness and not a heart that is changed and displaying the fruits of sincerity and truth that unleavened bread represents (Amo 4:6-7, 1Co 5:8).
1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
As mentioned at the start of the study there is a progressive nature to God’s judgment that is upon the body of Christ, and we will continue next week, Lord willing, to look at that order with the second part of this chapter which covers (2Ki 23:10-18).
"His Branch" 