2 Chronicles 35:20-27--Josiah Killed in Battle

2 Chronicles 35:20-27
English Standard Version
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Josiah Killed in Battle
20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. 21 But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” 22 Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. 23 And the archers shot King Josiah. And the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his good deeds according to what is written in the Law of the LORD, 27 and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

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We have been waiting for this day to come ever since the prophecy that was given to Josiah and the people that the LORD's judgment would come after Josiah's death.  We didn't know how he would die, but today we learn that Josia died in battle against the king of Egypt.  Necro, king of Egypt, sent messengers to Josiah saying that he didn't want to fight with Judah--he was there to help bring the LORD's judgment against the king of Assyria (and Necro believed that it was the LORD who called him into battle against Assyria to punish them for the wicked things they had done).

Josiah would not listen to Pharoah Necro's messengers, and he continued with the army to go to war against Egypt that day.  In fact, he disguised himself in battle to try to make it harder for them to assassinate him (he would be an easy target if he was in his royal robes and had a crown on his head).  But the archers of the Egyptian army shot King Josiah so that he had to leave the field fo battle telling his men, "Take me away, for I am badly wounded."

They transferred him to another chariot (probably a faster one) and took him back to Jerusalem where he died and was buried.  At his death there was a great time of mourning by all the people and led by Jeremiah the prophet (see the book of Lamentations to see how Jeremiah mourned over these historical events).  While we read much about Josiah here, we can gather a few additional details by cross-referencing with the book of 2 Kings, but the important point here in this passage is that everything is happening as God said according to God's timetable.  The people have not escaped punishment, even by last-minute revival, for the LORD knows their hearts.  The people will be removed from the Land for 70 years to let it have its Sabbath rest that it never received, and the wrath of the LORD will be poured out on Judah (as it was on Israel) in the following chapters because Judah did not listed to the prophets sent to Israel nor did they watch how the LORD dealt with the idolatrous kings and people of Israel when he let them go into captivity to Assyria.  Instead, they became just like their brothers and sisters to the north so that the LORD would cast them out of the Land as well and let them once again live in captivity for a time, but this will almost lead to "second Exodus" for the people--as we see stories like the story of Esther that happened around this time.  Even in the midst of judgment, the LORD is working for the good of His people.