2 Chronicles 34:1-7

Josiah was only eight years old when he was made king of Judah. The Chronicler notes that he did right in the sight of the LORD, walking in His ways like David. He did, however, partly fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah about what would happen as a part of the judgment upon Judah.

“And I will make mere boys their leaders, And mischievous children will rule over them,” (Isaiah 3:4, NASB)

When Josiah was 16, he began to seek the LORD. When he was 20, he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the vestiges of idolatry. He tore down the altars of the Baals and destroyed the instruments of idol worship. He did something else that is unique. He ground the molten images into powder and spread it on the graves of those who sacrificed to them. He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 34:5). This is most fascinating because this had been prophesied 300 years earlier by a man of God to Jeroboam and the name of the person who would do this was given, “Josiah.”

“Now behold, a man of God came from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing at the altar to burn incense. And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, “Altar, altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall burn on you.’”” (1 Kings 13:1-2, NASB)

This is not the only prophecy of this kind. Isaiah names the Persian king, Cyrus, as an instrument God would use to give the captives the opportunity to return to Jerusalem a century before he shows up on the scene. Some might think that Josiah did these things because he had read about himself in the Kings. However, we will find later that the book of the Law had not been discovered nor read by Josiah at this point. There is no evidence that he even knew of the existence of this prophecy. The Chronicler doesn’t even note that these actions were the fulfillment of this prophecy. We have to go hunting to find this out.

This is what makes the Word of God so unique. Other religious writings have wisdom sayings, moral codes, poetry and narratives. Prophecy of this kind is unique to the Bible, because our God is the God who knows the future as well as the past.

“The LORD of armies has sworn, saying, “Certainly, just as I have intended, so it has happened, and just as I have planned, so it will stand, to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them, and his burden removed from their shoulders. “This is the plan devised against the entire earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. “For the LORD of armies has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”” (Isaiah 14:24-27, NASB, emphasis mine)

““Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My plan will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a distant country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, I will certainly do it.” (Isaiah 46:9-11, NASB, emphasis mine)