Josiah-Smashing Idols

By Mary Vee
II Chronicles 34

From the Journals of the Josiah

Photo Courtesy

I turned sixteen at my birthday party, yesterday. For eight years I have ruled the people of Judah with the help of advisors. No one expected a kid to rule a kingdom.

At sixteen, though, I started to put the pieces together of what had been happening in our city. The prophet Zephaniah taught me about the history of our people. He told me stories of some amazing people like Moses, David, and my great grand father, Hezekiah. These men worshipped God and lived their lives honoring Him.


And think, I am related to all of these men. Wow. I'd like to be like them.

As I grew, Zephaniah taught me the commandments God wanted us to obey. I may have been a kid, but I could still see the people of Judah were not following God's laws, and this bothered me. 

Now that I could understand more of what Zephaniah said, he spent more time with me, teaching me about God's love, what He has done for us, and what we should do to worship God.

When I turned twenty-years-old, I couldn't take the idol worship any more. I understood how very wrong this was. How could the people do that to the very God who made them and loved them? I went throughout Judah and Jerusalem to the high places and ripped down the Asherah poles, destroyed the carved idols and the images made by our people.

Energy flowed through my muscles. I really enjoyed smashing those idols. I took the pieces and threw them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. I got rid of the priests who worshipped the idols.

I didn't stop there. Something inside me bubbled, an energy to destroy more idols. Everyone needed to know God was the only one to be worshipped. I led the army north into Ephraim, Simeon, Manasseh and as far as Napthali in the far north and the ruins around them. I tore down every altar and Asherah pole I saw. 

My muscles grew stronger each day. When I saw an idol I took and crushed it to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. That's right. I even went into Israel to clean up the idol worship. 

I tell you, my insides were warm, like the sun shining in my heart. May the Great God, the Lord Almighty be the only one we worship. Praise God for His mercy and kindness to us.

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1. What happened when Josiah turned sixteen?
2. Who taught Josiah the stories of great men of God?
3. Why did this mean so much to Josiah?
4. When Josiah turned twenty, what did he do?
5. How far did Josiah travel to do this job?
6. Why did Josiah feel good in the end?