What motivates our service of God?
2 Kings 23:28-37; 24:1-16
When a pastor who had a significant impact retires, there is inevitable change. A new leader may set a different tone, but the congregation also contributes to the emerging tenor of their community. Sometimes a former minister will so imprint their personality on a local church that the dissenting voices are silenced and certain attitudes go underground, only to resurface when that person leaves. In other congregations, the convictions are so deeply shared by the former leader and the flock that even a less gifted or experienced new pastor may be supported through the transition so that the changeover becomes relatively seamless. Thus, a change of leadership can reveal what the state of the people is, their convictions and attitudes, and this is what we see in our reading.
biblemapper.com [source]
What follows when a leader is no longer in place
Josiah’s death (2 Kings 23:29) is shocking when the king has been so faithful (2 Kings 23:25).[1] Unlike Chronicles, however, Kings is not focused on the reasons for this but simply gives the facts. Judah was caught between two superpowers: Assyria in the north and Egypt in the south, who at this point were allies. Babylon was growing into prominence in the north and Egypt was coming up to support Assyria in the fight against the new power. This is where Josiah intercepts the Egyptian forces and is killed as a result (2 Kings 23:29). The omission of what motivates the king and the silence over the people’s grief as a result (cf. 2 Chron 35:21-22, 24-25) suggest that the focus in not on his person, nor on the tragedy itself, but on what follows once Josiah dies.
The end of faithfulness
The people select one of Josiah’s sons, Jehoahaz, as king, but the criterion for their choice has nothing to do with godliness, since the new king quickly shows himself as evil as all his ancestors (2 Kings 23:30, 32). Jehoahaz probably followed an anti-Egyptian policy like his father (is this why he was the people’s choice?) hence his imprisonment by Pharaoh and his captivity in Egypt only after three months (2 Kings 23:34). The next ruler, another son of Josiah’s, is appointed as a puppet king by Pharaoh himself and renamed Jehoiakim (v.34). He, too, proves to be evil (2 Kings 23:37). Jehoiakim manoeuvres between alliances to gain independence but to no avail (2 Kings 24:1-2). God has decided the end because of all the evil previously done (2 Kings 24:3-4), and clearly, the people have not fundamentally changed during Josiah’s reform. Once the leader was removed, the faithfulness to God went with it. By the time Babylon besieges Jerusalem in repercussion for Judah’s rebellion, it is Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin, who surrenders the city and is deported along with the elite into Babylon (2 Kings 24:6, 10, 12, 14-16). He, too, is assessed as evil like the rest (2 Kings 24:9). The last king, another son of Josiah’s, will also turn out to be evil (2 Kings 24:19).
What motivates our service of God?
The wrapping up of Judah’s history with the last four kings (three sons of Josiah and one grandson) shows unrelieved evil in theological terms. No matter how hard Josiah worked to instil faithfulness to God in the people, the changes he brought about due to his own godliness and through the structures he put into place went only skin deep. The people’s choice for a king seems to have been based on political allegiance rather than commitment to God. Further, in all this sorry history, none of the kings stopped to consider that repentance towards God would have made a bigger difference than any political manoeuvrings. In our church contexts, selecting a pastor often involves a wishlist of skills and gifts with added expectations of certain theological convictions. Yet, Judah’s story suggests that trust in God and Christian character are as important as leadership skills or adherence to certain doctrines. On a personal level, this history also challenges us about our motivation in Christian commitment and service. Are we influenced by godly people who keep us on the straight and narrow? Are we propped up by structures that gently put pressure on us to do the right thing? These can be helpful as we grow into maturity, but may we aim for serving the Lord simply out of deep love for Him.
[1] The parallel version in Chronicles seems particularly concerned to explain theologically how a good king like Josiah could have such a tragic downfall (2 Chron 35:20-27). However, it is important that we do not conflate the two accounts but reflect on the perspective The Book of Kings gives.
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