Prophets I Catholic Bible study Lesson 26

Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets

Volume I: A Kingdom Divided

Lesson 26 Josiah Institutes Reforms
the Second Book of the Kings 23:1–30
the Book of Habakkuk 1:1–3
the Book of Habakkuk 2:1–4
the Book of Habakkuk 2:18–20
the Book of Habakkuk 3:16–19a

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for Thus Says the LORD—Volume I
cross references in Thus Says the LORD—Volume I
next lesson: Jeremiah: The Weeping Prophet

This material coordinates with Lesson 26 on pages 158–163 in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.

“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, and I showed myself their Master, says the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”—the Book of Jeremiah 31:31–34

welcome to Volume I of our in-depth study of the biblical prophets
We invite you to check out the sample first lesson and video from Volume I of this Turning to God’s Word two-part Catholic Bible study. Our online pages link to the free related lesson videos, a glossary, and cross references in the biblical text, and include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided contains 28 lessons and has been granted an imprimatur. It may be purchased from our website shop. The companion 23-lesson Volume II: Restoration & Redemption also is available for purchase. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the Second Book of the Kings 22:1–20, the Book of Zephaniah 1:7—2:3, the Book of Zephaniah 3:8–9, and the Book of Zephaniah 3:11–15
In Lesson 25 Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law, Josiah ascends to the throne of Judah at the age of 8, succeeding his father Amon. Josiah is praised in the biblical text for being like David, and it’s during the 31-year reign of Josiah that the book of the law is found when the Temple at Jerusalem is undergoing repairs. Most scholars think this scroll contained at least a portion of the first five books of the Old Testament known as the Torah or Law of Moses. When Josiah hears the words of the book, he repents for the sins of his people, tearing his clothes. The prophet Zephaniah foretells that the day of the LORD is near, and he encourages the people of the southern kingdom of Judah to repent. Zephaniah also prophesies that a remnant of humble and lowly people will be saved by the LORD.

map notes—Megiddo & Armageddon
The Second Book of the Kings 23:29–30 records that Josiah, king of Judah, is slain at Megiddo by the Egyptian Pharaoh Neco. The Egyptians traveled some distance to come to the aid of the Assyrians, whose dominance in the region was being challenged by the Babylonians. Josiah led the forces of Judah north in support of the Babylonians and consequently was killed by the Egyptians at Megiddo, the site of many ancient forts built to guard trade routes linking Egypt and Syria. The hill of Megiddo was a rise built up by Ahab as a fortification to protect the Jezreel Valley. Neco went on from Megiddo to cross the Euphrates River but was unsuccessful in preventing the capture of the Assyrian empire by the Babylonians. He returned to Egypt but retained interest in Judah. Josiah’s death at Megiddo serves as a foreshadowing of the apocalyptic battle between the forces of good and evil described in the book of Revelation 16:16 occurring at Armageddon, a name that means “hill at Megiddo.” Click on the map (above right) to enlarge it. The original map is on page 162 in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.

the king leads the people (55:49)
In the video overview for Lesson 26, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps looks at what’s implied by Josiah’s re-institution of the feast of the Passover described in the Second Book of the Kings 23:21–23. This major religious feast hadn’t been kept by God’s people since the days of the judges, who predated any of the kings who ruled over all of the descendants of Jacob. The implication that even David didn’t keep the Passover is a gigantic indictment of the institution of the kings. From this point of view, Josiah is held up as the one and only king who models kingship in anything resembling the way that the LORD understands it. David was a man after God’s heart; Josiah proves to be a king like God desires to have ruling in his own place. Josiah’s mortality, however, remains a serious issue.

The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the ranges for the sets of questions in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. You can follow along with the video as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 26, “Josiah Institutes Reforms,” on pages 158–163 in the study book.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about Josiah proclaiming the book of the covenant?
In the Second Book of the Kings 23:1–3, several important insights underlie Josiah’s reading the book of the law to the people. Can you figure out what these are before you consider the following questions?

? What might explain why the author of the Second Book of the Kings refers to the document found in the Temple at Jerusalem as the book of the covenant instead of the book of the law?
? Whom does Josiah gather in Jerusalem to hear the book of the covenant read aloud?
? What’s suggested by the location where Josiah chooses to have the book of the covenant read?
? What might explain why Josiah decides to read the book of the covenant himself instead of having Hilkiah, the high priest, read it?
? Compare the covenant that Josiah makes with the LORD and the covenant God makes with the people through Moses at Mount Sinai. If necessary, refer to the twentieth chapter in the book of Exodus.
? While it’s obvious in both covenants that adherence to God’s law is the essential thing required of the people, consider what the people can expect from God if they comply.
? Although there seem to be definite behaviors assigned to priests, prophets, and kings, in the cases of Moses and Josiah the lines are blurred. What might explain why this is?
? What’s the shared purpose and goal of all priests, prophets, and kings?
? How do Moses’ actions point toward the LORD as king?
? How do Josiah’s actions point toward the LORD as king? The Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King offers an in-depth looks at God’s institution of the earthly kings Saul, David, and Solomon.
? What might explain why the people so readily fall in line behind Josiah and agree to join the king in renewing their ancestors’ covenant with the LORD?
? The covenant made through Moses occurred at a time when the people were in exile. What does this suggest might be about to occur next in salvation history?
? How might a strong dedication to the law of the covenant have served God’s people in exile in the past?
? What advantages might such a strong dedication to the law provide for God’s people in the future?

religious law—you could look it up in our archives
The long disappearance of the book of the law, rediscovered in the Temple at Jerusalem during the reign of Josiah, indicates widespread ignorance among God’s people concerning their responsibilities in connection with the Mosaic covenant between the LORD and their Israelite ancestors. Josiah demonstrates interest in obeying God’s law and leads the people to do the same. Whether religious law is being followed is one of the key themes woven throughout the Old and New Testaments. You can learn more about the relationship between “religious law” and reality—and especially about the root of the idea that law can change reality—by reading Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

Josiah starts with the first commandment
When Josiah begins his campaign to restore proper worship of the LORD, he concentrates on getting rid of all of the other gods that the people have been placing above the LORD. In this way, Josiah honors the first of the Ten Commandments found in the book of Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before me.” The sheer quantity of things that Josiah gets rid of points toward how lax worship practices in the southern kingdom of Judah have become. You can learn more about the importance of the first commandment in Lesson 17 The Ten Commandments in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study You Shall Have No Other God: The book of Exodus.

read the Catechism—how well do you know your faith?
Consulting the likes of fortune tellers, soothsayers, astrologers, etc. interferes with humanity’s relationship with God and flies in the face of well-established Church teaching, yet many Catholics seem to be unaware of the dangers involved in attempting to see into the future.

Explain how such behavior constitutes sin. If necessary, refer to paragraphs 2110–2117 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

the clean-up process isn’t limited to Judah
In the Second Book of the Kings 23:15, Josiah leaves Jerusalem and Judah to venture into Samaria, the geographical region of the former northern kingdom. Josiah’s actions at Bethel fulfill the prophecy recorded in the First Book of the Kings 13:2–3: “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and he shall sacrifice upon you the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and men’s bones shall be burned upon you.’ And he gave a sign the same day, saying, ‘This is the sign that the LORD has spoken: Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.'” Josiah’s actions at Bethel effectively eliminate the possibility that any of the people of Judah might be tempted to worship there instead of at the Temple in Jerusalem. This is important since some inhabitants of the former northern kingdom undoubtedly migrated to Judah to avoid assimilation with foreign nations when the Assyrians conquered Israel.

moving on to another commandment
The Second Book of the Kings 23:21–23 records that Josiah commands the people to begin keeping the feast of Passover, noting that this feast hadn’t been kept in the northern or the southern kingdom since the days of the judges, which predate any of the kings—including Saul, David, and Solomon. This represents Josiah’s sincere attempt to honor the commandment recorded in the book of book of Exodus 20:8: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The Passover is the most important sabbath day in Hebrew religious tradition. That all the people had so long abandoned it indicates to what extent they’ve fallen away from their ancestors’ worship practices. The twelfth chapter in the book of Exodus contains God’s instructions to his people to commemorate the feast of the Passover as a way of remembering the LORD’s saving action in leading them out of slavery in Egypt. Consider what might have prompted the people during the time of the judges to suddenly decide to stop observing this mandatory feast. Learn more about the institution of the Passover in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study You Shall Have No Other God: The book of Exodus.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about the words used to praise Josiah?
The Second Book of the Kings 23:25 describes Josiah’s holiness this way: “Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.” This verse seems intentional, describing Josiah with similar language to that used at the beginning of the Old Testament prayer known as the Shema, the name of which is taken from its first word found in the book of Deuteronomy 6:4–5: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”

? The first word of the Shema often is translated as “Listen,” focusing attention on God’s expectation that his people will worship him as an active rather than passive endeavor. How does Josiah’s behavior conform to the LORD’s expectation?
? What might the author of the Second Book of the Kings have been suggesting by recording that Josiah did everything possible to establish God’s law before the author then recorded reasons to praise Josiah’s piety?

read the Catechism—listening is tied to obedience
Paragraph 144 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers a clue about what it means to listen whenit links listening with obedience. This suggests that listening requires more than merely acknowledging that we’ve heard sounds. Obedience of faith entails acting in faith. If we’re asking God to listen on our behalf, this implies that we have the expectation that God also will act on our behalf.

144 To obey (from the Latin ob-audire, to “hear or listen to”) in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard, because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is Truth itself. Abraham is the model of such obedience offered us by Sacred Scripture. The Virgin Mary is its most perfect embodiment.

Habakkuk—a prophet foretelling certain doom for Judah
While history views Josiah as one of the three best kings to reign over God’s people (the other two are David and Hezekiah), the prophet Habakkuk arises during the reign of Josiah to announce coming doom, gloom, and destruction. Habakkuk’s mission is to prepare the people of Judah for imminent exile, which he does by focusing attention on the direction in which things are headed. Through Habakkuk, God is showing the people what to do when their Temple in Jerusalem later will be destroyed and they wind up exiled from the Promised Land.

a prophecy about faith that’s often quoted in the New Testament
In the Book of Habakkuk 2:2–4, the prophet switches from writing about destruction and violence to take up a cry of hope. It’s significant that Habakkuk is told to write down his vision. During exile, God’s people won’t be able to worship or offer sacrifices in the Temple at Jerusalem, and they’ll be conscious of having been deported from the land promised to their ancestor Abraham. What they will have are the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament)—the book of the law rediscovered by Hilkiah and the writings of the prophets. Through the prophet Habakkuk, the LORD promises: “For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” As comforting as it is to know that patience will be rewarded, the key thought that’s picked up in the New Testament is that the righteous shall live by faith. This important theme directly shows up in Paul’s Letter to the Romans 1:17, his Letter to the Galatians 3:11, and the Letter to the Hebrews 10:38 (which, based on literary style, a vast majority of present-day scholars don’t think was written by Paul).

how many commandments are there?
Christians are used to the idea of the Ten Commandments found in the twentieth chapter in the book of Exodus. By the time of Jesus, the religion of Judaism (which developed during the Babylonian Captivity) had identified 613 additional commandments rooted in the Torah. Based on Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel According to Matthew 22:37–39, the Catechism of the Catholic Church subdivides the section on the 10 Commandments into love of God and love and neighbor. In the Gospel According to John 13:34, Jesus reduces all of the commandments to one—that people love one another in the same way that Jesus loves. Learn more about Jesus’ teaching about the commandments in Lesson 16 A New Commandment I Give to You in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth.

The Old Testament prophets also issued shortened versions of the LORD’s commandments. The Book of Micah 6:8 edits them down to three, while the Book of Isaiah 56:1 reduces them to two. The Book of Habakkuk 2:4, however, reduces them all to one principle: “The righteous shall live by his faith.” This faith that the prophet is talking about is active and life-changing, not mere intellectual assent to the idea that God exists. It’s best understood as placing our full and complete trust in God.

biblical vocabulary—who is anointed & for what purpose?
Although Saul, David, and Solomon all were anointed, there are surprisingly few anointed kings in Israel or Judah. The Second Book of Kings mentions only three instances of kings being anointed, an act of consecration that sets an individual apart for a specific purpose ordained by God. It can be assumed that in most cases the kings in the south don’t need to be anointed since they’re part of the royal Davidic dynasty promised by God in the Second Book of Samuel 7:8–13. In the eleventh chapter in the Second Book of the Kings, however, the 7-year-old Joash, a descendant of David and heir to the throne of Judah, is anointed king in the Temple. This anointing, performed by the people and not by a prophet, appears to be symbolic of the people’s recognition that Joash is the rightful ruler instead of the acting queen, Joash’s grandmother Athaliah, a granddaughter of the northern king Omri. In the ninth chapter, Hazael is anointed ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel by one of the sons of the prophets, and this is done in accordance with the will of God for the express purpose of destroying the line of Ahab. The Second Book of the Kings 23:30 records that after Josiah’s death, his son Jehoahaz is anointed king by the people of Judah. The reason for this anointing isn’t entirely clear, but it undoubtedly is significant that no prophet is involved. Perhaps the people are hoping that anointing Jehoahaz will lead him to want the same kind of relationship with the LORD that his father had.

what’s happening when & where
Click on the timeline for Lesson 26 to expand it. It also appears on page 161 in the study book. (Jehoiachin is referred to as Coniah or Jeconiah in the Book of Jeremiah.)

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic Bible study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including the passages in this lesson from the Second Book of the Kings 23:1–30, the Book of Habakkuk 1:1–3, the Book of Habakkuk 2:1–4, the Book of Habakkuk 2:18–20, and the Book of Habakkuk 3:16–19a.

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun in the primary biblical text for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following links are to readings from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, open one of the links and click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV readings provide an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical texts. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the Second Book of the Kings 23:1–30 (NIV)
the Book of Habakkuk 1:1–3 (NIV)
the Book of Habakkuk 2:1–4 (NIV)
the Book of Habakkuk 2:18–20 (NIV)
the Book of Habakkuk 3:16–19a (NIV)

close with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on this lesson’s biblical texts.

O God, throughout salvation history
you’ve encouraged your people
to love you with all of our hearts, souls, and might.
Long before Jesus arrived to teach us to love this way,
you sent the king Josiah to model what such love looks like.
Grant us the grace and the strength
to turn to you with all of our hearts, souls, and might.
We ask this in the name of Christ the King,
who shows us the perfect example of love. Amen.

you also may like our study of the Gospel According to John
The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth, a 25-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines the Fourth Gospel’s view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, with special emphasis on the institution of the sacraments of the Church as the means by which Christians are purified and made holy. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary, and takes a closer look at the way in which Jesus relates to individual men and women. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets— Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. Information about beginning this or one of our other Turning to God’s Word Bible studies can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I always are available to answer your Bible-study questions or concerns. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Scripture on the online study pages for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided links to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE). The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. A handful of significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.