COSTLY FIGHT
‘Pick your battles wisely’ is a widely used phrase. The Bible instructs no differently. The story of Josiah is interesting in this regard. Josiah was the last good king of Judah. He was in fact exceptional and sought God from an early age. His passion for God was unmatched as he worked to bring down idol worship, taught the Law of God, restored the temple and celebrated the Passover in a way that was unmatched in the history of Israel. Th Bible does not mention much about the latter part of his reign and we do not know if his zeal for God diminished. But in the 31st year of his reign, he made a costly mistake.
After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle.But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What quarrel is there, king of Judah, between you and me? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.”Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Neco had said at God’s command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo. Archers shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, “Take me away; I am badly wounded.” So they took him out of his chariot, put him in his other chariot and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him. (2 Chronicles 35:20-24)
For such a good king, this was a sorry ending. Some lessons can be learnt-
Always seek God’s will: This is especially true of major decisions in life. This clearly wasn’t God’s will. And he embarked on a major endeavor trusting in his own wisdom. Even though God warned him through Neco to stay away, his pride did not let him. When God’s will is sought, both wisdom and humility are in play protecting a disciple from harm. God’s will is often made clear with much waiting and when his will is in alignment, success is guaranteed. The process of seeking his will also brings in humility to one’s demeanor and makes one open to correction. Josiah neither had the wisdom nor the humility in this encounter.
Recognize your place: To have the wisdom to understand your limitations is not easy. Many of the strongholds in this world have spiritual foundations, making them stronger than apparent. While in Christ, disciples have the victory, they cannot presume to go recklessly forward in opposition as their strength might not be adequate. Jude talks of the archangel, Michael not directly rebuking Satan, but leaving that to God (Jude 9). Josiah was clearly not strong enough for Neco and paid for the recklessness with his life.
Josiah also reigned during a difficult time in the history of Israel, which was no more and Judah which was destined for destruction by God because of widespread and ongoing sinfulness. The present world is no different and on course for the end times with ever increasing wickedness and defiance against God. In such times, unlike the time of David and Solomon, the margin for error is smaller and window for success is less. Great care is needed to decide well. Josiah’s end was tragic and nothing like the rest of his life and we are left wondering if it could have been any different.
