Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since. Even so, the Lord was very angry with Judah because of all the wicked things Manasseh had done to provoke him. For the Lord said, “I will also banish Judah from my presence just as I have banished Israel. And I will reject my chosen city of Jerusalem and the Temple where my name was to be honored.” (25-27)
The greatest quality of a leader is integrity, which simply put means doing the right thing whether it benefits you or not. Josiah was this kind of a king. Josiah was the third king to follow Hezekiah. Hezekiah was a good man and a good king who ruled in a Godly way for most of his life. At the end of his life, though, he let his pride get the best of him and he committed a grave error in bragging to the Babylonians. When he was confronted by Isaiah for this misstep, he was informed that the kingdom would fall to the Babylonians, but not in his lifetime. His response was disappointing, “At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime.” His concern was not for his sin or the coming destruction; it was only that things would be okay while he was alive.
The pragmatism of good Hezekiah resulted in a total spiritual reversal through his son Manasseh, which continued through his grandson Amon. It wasn’t until his great-grandson Josiah is born that we see righteousness return to the throne. 8-year-old Josiah inherits a kingdom that is overwhelmed by paganism and evil. As a young boy, he seeks the Lord and turns his heart to God. He ends up being the Godliest king to ever live and he sets out to enact the greatest reforms that had ever been seen. Yet, God tells Josiah that his reforms will not be enough; judgment is coming and there is nothing that can avert it. However, because of his repentance and Godly leadership, the coming judgment will be delayed until after Josiah’s reign.
This is where we truly see Josiah’s mettle. Like Hezekiah, Josiah receives a reprieve based on the quality of his leadership, but he does not just sit back and enjoy the grace of God while there is still work to be done. He sets out on a reformation unrivaled in the Bible, and he does it because it is the right thing to do. He knows judgment will still come and he knows that he will never be able to completely solve all the problems, but he cannot just enjoy the peace without enacting the necessary changes. Yes, he is “rearranging the deck chairs on a ship that is sinking,” but he does it anyway because it is the right thing to do and it glorifies God. This is quality leadership. A true leader does what is right regardless of the opposition, without any regard for personal gain, and with no expectation of appreciation. Be that kind of leader.
