22:17 Jeremiah was prophesying during the reign of Josiah Jeremiah 1:1-2 so when mention is made of burning incense to other gods here in Kings we should not be surprised to see that almost all the other occasions when the phrase is used are to be found in the prophecy of Jeremiah 1:16 7:9 19:4,13 32:29 44:3,5,8,15 48:35. The prophet was a major support to Josiah in his reforms.

23:13 Here are all the references to 'Chemosh' in Scripture Numbers 21:29 Judges 11:24 1 Kings 11:7,33 2 Kings 23:13 Jeremiah 48:7,13,46 And these are the only mentions of 'Ashtoreth' and 'Milcom' in Scripture. 1 Kings 11:5,33 2 Kings 23:13
Whilst we may think that the false Gods of the nations are always the same Scripture indicates that Israel were fickle, changing their allegiance from time to time - but rarely to following Yahweh.

22:4 Hilkiah was Jeremiah's father see Jeremiah 1:1.

ch 23 - Josiah attempted to bring about a public reformation by getting the people to listen to the reading of the law (23:2). He reinforced this reading by removing the symbols of idolatry in the land. (23:5-22) however we realise, from the prophecy of Jeremiah that his reform had little effect on the people.

22:8 The finding of the book of the law indicates that faithful temple worship had not been kept up to this time, despite the fact that Josiah was a good king. They may well have felt it would have been better not to have found the law given the words of Huldah (:15-20). But the judgement of the prophetess confirms that the faithfulness stopped with the king. No one else seemed to follow his reforms with the right sort of enthusiasm. So the faithful collecting of the money (:7) did not indicate a faithful heart. Rather it was just an outward observance of people who were more interested in worshipping false gods.

23:13 The 'mount of corruption' was the Mount of Olives. But notice that the evil of Solomon is still present. We learn from this that the evil a man does can live on long after his death. We should, therefore, be very careful about what we do. We can never say 'it won't hurt anyone else'. The testimony of Scripture is that a man's evil influence does live on after his death.

It's possible to get so engrossed in the administration of ecclesial life, that we lose sight of the wonder of God's work and the beauty of His Word.

Is this what happen to Shaphan the scribe, as recorded in 2 Kings 22 / 2 Chronicles 34?

King Josiah was on the throne, and was busy repairing the temple of God. The people had given generously, and so Josiah sent Shaphan to tell Hilkiah the high priest to count up the money, and pay for the building work. But Hilkiah had his mind on other things...

"I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD".

This was momentous! So Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan to take to the king.

But when Shaphan came to king, what was foremost in his mind?

"Your officials are doing everything that has been committed to them. They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers".

He was preoccupied by the adminstration of the temple restoration. Almost as an afterthought, Shaphan said...

"Hilkiah the priest has given me a book."

A BOOK?!? Is that all it was - just another book? It was THE BOOK - the Book of the Law of the LORD, the commandments of God to His people. Josiah, at least, recognised the importance of this discovery, and tore his clothes in response.

Nothing further is mentioned about the temple restoration. When compared to the discovery of God's Word, the everyday things of the temple seemed less significant.

22:7 Faithfulness is such a lovely characteristic. When trust is present life is far easier. These men were manifesting the character of the God they served (Num 23:19, Deut 7:9)

23:21 We might have thought it was the work of the priest to ensure that the Law of Moses was upheld - but here we see the king taking the lead. This is a characteristic of Josiah at this time (2Kin 22:12, 23:4)

Manasseh reigned for 55 years, and his son Amon for 2.  Then came Josiah, a child of 8 years old, who reigned for 31 years.  The land again turned back to God, and today's chapters are almost equal to the good and godly days of yester-year. But Judah had gone too far, and God's anger was not to be turned away (2Kin 23:26-27).

22:2 Josiah was outstanding in purging the land of elements that offended Yahweh.  However, this was not enough to assuage the anger of Yahweh (23:26). 

22:13 Upon finding the Book of the Law, Josiah inquired of Yahweh.  Praying to Yahweh for guidance is a correct and essential act for anyone having a relationship with Him (Prov 3:5,6).  Unfortunately, it seems that Josiah did not do this before he went out and challenged Pharaoh-necho (23:29; 2Chron 35:20-24).  This cost him his life. 

The lesson for us is to always take it to Yahweh before acting on anything.  If we do not, then we are on our own and subject to the consequences of that omission.

22:1 Josiah, at eight years old, was only as good as the instruction he received from his advisors (Shaphan and Hilkiah probably played important roles).  It reminds us of the scripture: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Prov 22:6). 

So what happened to Josiah's children?  It seems they did not receive the requisite training.  Being busy doing Yahweh's work does not mean that children will learn by osmosis.  They must be actively taught. 

23:12  Josiah had been brought up by the faithful priest Hilkiah – but now he ‘commanded Hilkiah’ – he had come of age. He was now to take the responsibility himself for implementing the law of God. In like manner we once were babes but we cannot remain in that position. Maturity and responsibility must come and be taken.

23:24  Josiah ‘put away’ the wizards and the workers with familiar spirits. However Saul had done that at the beginning of the kingdom – 1Sam 28:3 – but here they are again! In resisting sin it is important that one does not feel that once a temptation has been resisted once that all will be well. If we can be tempted once with a particular thing then it is certain that the same temptation can and will come upon us over and over again.

23:25 Heart soul and might catches the exhortation that Moses gave the people just before entering the land of Canaan in Deut 6:4.

23:25,26 Yahweh is a forgiving God whose mercy endures for ever (Psa 106:1).  However, His patience can be exhausted to the point that His mercy is withdrawn.  Josiah did a commendable house-cleaning job, but Yahweh's anger was not appeased (2Kin 23:26). 

Once His mind is made up on a matter, He will not relent, as in the case of Jerusalem and Judah (Jer 4:28; Eze 24:14).  

We should be mindful not to provoke Yahweh with our inappropriate behavior, lest we reach that point with Him.

22:20 Yahweh told Josiah: you shall be gathered to your grave in peace (ESV).  How does that statement mesh with the fact that Josiah was killed by Pharaoh-necho?

Let us look at the sequence of events.  Judah was at peace with Assyria in the time of Josiah.  Pharaoh-necho moved against Assyria and had to pass by Judah to do so. 

Perhaps Josiah thought that he ought to challenge Pharaoh-necho, before he reached the Assyrians, in an attempt to protect Judah’s ally and preserve the peace.

Scripture does not tell us that Josiah consulted Yahweh on this matter, and it appears that Josiah acted independently of divine guidance.

Josiah intercepted Pharaoh-necho, but the Egyptian king killed Josiah in Megiddo (23:29).  

Actually, Josiah was mortally wounded in Megiddo but he did not die there.  Josiah’s servants brought their king back to Jerusalem, and he died there.  Josiah was then buried with the kings of Judah (2Chron 35:24).  Perhaps then Josiah’s dying in Jerusalem and being buried in the sepulchre of his fathers constituted being gathered to the grave in peace.

23:15 Jeroboam made two graven images, one he placed in Bethel and the other one in Dan (1Kin 12:29).  Josiah destroyed the one in Bethel because it lay in the territory of Benjamin, on the border with Israel.  Although Jeroboam used Bethel for the convenience of the Northern Kingdom, the town actually belonged to the Southern Kingdom (Judah and Benjamin).

Josiah did not destroy Jeroboam’s other idol in Dan, because Dan was in Israel.

23:30 As we have seen from the 2Chron 35:24 account Josiah did not die in Meggido.  It is always advisable to consult parallel accounts to discern the complete truth of an event.

22:18-20 The judgement inevitably would come but God, in His mercy, will spare the young king Josiah because of his youth and faithfulness.

2Kin 22:1 - "Josiah" [(2977) means "founded of Jah" or "whom Jah heals"] perhaps echos Christ in that he was descended from the "beloved" (both David and his mother) and also the sinful Manasseh, he did that which was right, he was prophesied (340 years before his birth 1Kin 13:2), silver was paid for a restoration of the temple, slain in his 30's before disaster came upon Jerusalem and his death was a blessing (2Kin 22:20); "Jedidah" [(3040) means "beloved"] was the daughter of "Adaiah" [(5718) means "Jah has adorned" or "Jah has adorned himself"].

2Kin 22:2 - Josiah "did that which was right in the sight of the Lord...and turned not aside to the right hand or the left" - such praise was spoken of no other king including David.

2Kin 22:4 - "Hilkiah" [(2518) means "portion of Jah, my portion is Jah"] was possibly Jeremiah's father - Jeremiah and Zephaniah both prophesied during Josiah's reign (Jer 1:1;Zeph 1:1).  

2Kin 22:4-5 - payment in silver for the temple restoration perhaps echos Christ's restoration (Matt 27:40,63;26:14-15;Zech 11:12).

2Kin 22:12 - perhaps some additional echos of Christ: "Ahikam" [(296) means "brother of rising, my brother has risen"]; "Michaiah" [(4320) means "who (is) like Jah, who is like God"]; "Asahiah" [(6222) means "Jah has made, made by Jah"].

 2Kin 22:14 - "Tikvah" [(8616) means "hope"]; "Harhas" [(2745) means "very poor" or "shining"].

2Kin 23:2-4 - a zeal to follow the law and purify the temple.

2Kin 23:9 - leaven symbolically referred to corrupt doctrine and wickedness (Matt 16:11-12;Mark 8:15;1Cor 5:6-8); they were to leave the wickedness behind in Egypt (Exo 12:39) and abstain from leaven (Exo 12:15,19).

2Kin 23:10 - "Topheth" [(8612) means "place of fire".

2Kin 23:14,15,17,20 - fulfilled prophecy of some 350 years ago from an  unnamed prophet (1Kin 13:1-3;1Kin 12:33).

2Kin 23:21-23,26-27 - an exacting letter of the law Passover - but the people's hearts were not inwardly changed.

2Kin 23:25 - like Christ, Josiah's heart was fully devoted to the Lord.

2Kin 23:29 - the KJV incorrectly interpreted "...Egypt went up against the king of Assyria..."; historians used to be perplexed why Josiah would fight against Egypt, an enemy of Assyria, and also an enemy of Judah but this confusion was resolved in 1923 by C.J.Gadd in 1923 who published the "Babylonian Chronicle" which notes Egypt went to the aid of Assyria as Babylon at that time (an opponent of Assyria) was more feared* - the NIV correctly renders V.29 "...Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria..."; V.29 Josiah was slain by Egypt (a land symbolic of bondage to sin and death) so perhaps we have an echo of Christ in that both deaths at the hands of sin represented a blessing (2Kin 22:20).

* paraphrased from an extract of Archaeology and the O.T. by Merrill F. Unger.

V.2 Ezekiel was a demonstrative prophet. Yahweh had him act out lively parables to show what would occur in the near future.  This is because the people would not be convinced by mere words. 

Ezekiel first demonstrated the action of Zedekiah as he tried to escape the clutches of the Babylonians (vs.7-13; See 2Kin 25:1-7). 

Vs.17-19 Ezekiel's second demonstration showed the fear and anxiety that the people of the Land would experience under Babylonian domination. 

12:15  The scattering was not to destroy Israel. Rather it was to cause them to ‘know’ God. God is a God of compassion, though human thinking would not see it as such when all the evils that have come upon the Jews re considered. We must not fall into the way that the world thinks and see God as vindictive. Rather we should see Him as wishing to forgive Israel.

12:2 The accusation that the people have eyes but seen not and ears but hear not echoes the words of the earlier prophet – Isa 6:9, 42:10

12:12 In speaking of ‘the prince’ (not king) Ezekiel is speaking about Zedekiah who he would later – Eze 21:25 – warn of his end. He is spoken of as ‘prince’ because he was not a direct father / son descendant of David. But was the third son of Josiah – 1Chron 3:15and was put on the throne by the king of Babylon 2Kin 24:17

12:4-6 The repeated use of ‘in their sight’ forces the point that whilst Israel would not listen to God’s words – their eyes did not ‘see’ God’s word – they could not help but see this outworking of God’s promise

V.22 The proverb that the people were saying was: The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing (ESV).  

Jeremiah was called into prophetic service in 628 BC, and he was still in Jerusalem in 588 BC when the city was taken by the Babylonians. 

Jeremiah’s long witness, and his prophetical warnings about the destruction of Jerusalem, wore thin with the population of Jerusalem after a while.  That’s because nothing happened.  Year after year Jerusalem still stood, and the population believed that it would always stand.  But, of course, Jerusalem did fall as promised, 40 years after Jeremiah started prophesying.

The same situation occurred with Noah.  He was preaching for 120 years that the earth (life on earth) would be destroyed by a flood.  And that warning was given in a time when rain had never been seen. The sceptics would have had a heyday.  Nothing happened for a long time, but the words of Noah did come to pass.

Jesus was met with the same initial disbelief when He told His disciples that the temple would be destroyed (Mark 13:1,2).  This temple had been under construction for 46 years, and it still was not completed (John 2:20).  It would be difficult to think that this magnificent structure would fall.  But fall it did, about 70 years after Jesus’ prediction.

Today, we have the same scepticism surrounding the return of Jesus to the earth.  The mantra of the scoffers in the last days is: Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation (2Pet 3:4) (ESV).

Let us remain confident in the promises of God.  And, let us be bold to peach and warn just as the faithful prophets of old did.  We might be considered strange, and we might even incur hostility.  But, if we witness we will be recipients of the pleasure of Our Heavenly Father (Matt 10:32; Luke 12:32).

12:3-6 The repeated use of ‘in thy sight’ contrasts with Israel’s view that God did not see what they were doing. – Eze 8:12, 9:9

v.8 - 15 The parable of the sower
8:8 hundredfold Genesis 26:12
8:10 that seeing ... not understand Isaiah 6:9
8:11 word of God Isaiah 40:8 etc
8:12 hearts ... saved Isaiah 6:10
8:13 these have no root Isaiah 40:24
8:13 in time of temptation Isaiah 40:24
8:14 that which fell among thorns Jeremiah 12:13

v.37 - 39 Jesus made a special journey across the Sea of Galilee o heal the man possessed whose name was 'legion'. As a consequence the man was left in isolation with a hostile people. Jesus left the area because the people of the area v.37 'sought him to depart'. The man wanted to go with Jesus but was prevented by the words of Jesus - v.39.
A 'bitter / sweet' experience. He was healed but left in a different sort of isolation from that which he was in when he was 'in the tombs'.
This is a parable of ourselves. In Adam we are 'in the tombs' In Christ we are 'made whole' but those of the country still want nothing to do with us, or our saviour, but as yet we cannot 'depart' with him but have to continue showing 'how great things God has done' for us. Reflect on the loneliness of that man.

Jesus had not mentioned salvation by faith (or belief) at all up to this chapter. All of a sudden he introduces it at the end of ch.7, to the woman who wanted so desperately to obtain his mercy: "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace". With the actions of this woman, the floodgates are opened to the poor and needy sinners. All of a sudden, they hear of someone who has hit upon another way to be saved, rather than being perfect by keeping the law! How eagerly this tale was told, and received in the ears of sinners. The utter sinfulness of the woman had driven her to such anguish and hopelessness that she had come to Jesus, desperately seeking for some other way than the law!

From now on Jesus preaches salvation by faith, but he does it secretly. Only those who are sinners like the woman will understand the true message (v10, 18). In v12 he lets out the secret to his disciples that only those who believed would be saved. It is not recorded that he had told them that before, and in fact, they didn't really hear it until he had risen from the dead.

8:56  One wonders whether Jairus and his wife did keep quiet. However even if they did the news of the raising of their daughter to life would have caused a great stir in Capernaum – where Jesus did much of his preaching.

V.39 Jesus has been told by the people to leave.(V37) However, we see here that he did leave the Gadarenes without one to publish the good news of the Kingdom of God. He left them one of their own people, the very one who he just healed. We see that the man went about the whole city telling all the things that Jesus had done unto him. He must have been successful in getting the people to listen, for we read in the next verse, that the people were waiting for Jesus when he returned and gladly received him.

8:20 Whilst the record says that Jesus’ mother and brethren wanted to ‘see him’ Jesus’ response, therefore, seems rather harsh. However there was another occasion – Mark 3:12 - when his friends came to see him in the hope that they could deter him from his work and take him home. On another occasion – John 7:5– we learn that his brethren did not believe in the work he was doing. So we may conclude that on this occasion their desire to se him was to deter him from his work.

8:13   Those who had ‘no root’ are likened to the idol worshippers of Isa 40:8

8:18 It is not just a matter of listening to what God says in His word. The way in which we listen is important also. Isaiah describes this way of listening as trembling at the word – Isa 66:2

V.2 The name Mary (Gr. Maria) is equivalent to the Hebrew name Miriam which means bitter or rebellious. Mary is mentioned seven times in the New Testament.  Five of them were involved directly with Jesus, and two were involved with the early ecclesia. 

 Those involved with Jesus were:

-His mother

-Mary Magdalene (v.2).

-Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 11:1).

-Mary, the mother of James (Mark 15:40).

-Mary, the wife of Cleopas (John 19:25).
 
Those involved with the ecclesia were:

-Mary, the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12).

-Mary from Rome (Rom 16:6).

V.41 Jairus came to Jesus pleading for Him to accompany him home to help his dying daughter. Jesus agreed but was interrupted by the woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. Jesus healed the woman (v.48).

However, during the delay in healing the woman, Jairus' daughter had died. Imagine the grief of Jairus. He might have thought: If only Jesus had attended to my daughter right away she would have been saved.

Subsequently, we know that the Lord brought the little girl back from the dead (vs.54,55). Jesus showed that He possessed the power of His Father (John 3:34).

The lesson for Jairus, and the onlookers, was in the parallel experiences of the healed woman and Jairus' daughter. Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, who represented the Law, would have banned the woman from attending worship because she was unclean.

The woman had been spiritually dead for twelve years.  Jairus' daughter of twelve years was now physically dead. The Lord Jesus, who fulfilled the Law, was able to make the woman physically and spiritually clean; and was able to resuscitate Jairus' daughter. Jesus gives life where the Law cannot (John 14:6).

8:35 ‘clothed and in his right mind’ likens the healing of the man to the reconciliation of Israel to God. Clothed echoes Gen 3:21and ‘right mind’ contrasts Israel when they were astray from God – Deut 28:34