2Ki 23:25 And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

This seems to be a contradiction. Why did God praise Josiah that “like unto him was there no king before him”, when the same commendation was said of Hezekiah, “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him” (2 Kings 18:5)? The answer is this: Hezekiah outdid Josiah in some things, but Josiah outdid Hezekiah in others. To Hezekiah was ascribed trust: “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel.……he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses” (2 Kings 18:5, 6). Whereas, to Josiah was ascribed his zeal for God: “And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might” (v.25). Hezekiah excelled in faith. Josiah, as we see in this chapter and in the previous chapter (2 Kings 22), excelled in works. Josiah’s whole life was one of activity – he repaired the temple and made sweeping reforms to purge idolatries out of Judah. He was fervent in weeding out idolaters, and all kinds and appearances of idolatry, not only in Judah, but also in Israel (v.4-20). Josiah also extended his reformation to Bethel and Samaria. He was the only king to completely demolish the altars for the golden calves erected by Jeroboam in Bethel, thus fulfilling the prophecy about him 300 years before he was born (1 Kings 13:2). Josiah was an amazingly unique king considering that he was only 8 years old when he became king, and his father (Amon) and grandfather (Manasseh) were the worst kings Judah ever had. One would expect Josiah to follow in the footsteps of his evil fathers. Yet, he didn’t! Amazing still, he was more zealous than the good kings that were before him. There were a few good kings before him but none that responded so thoroughly to God’s commands to remove idolatry. His dedication and zeal were unrivalled. Josiah lived in an evil day and managed to stay righteous. We too, are living in the evil days. The things that are happening around us serve to distract us from God. The internet, the smartphone, the sensual entertainment, the moral changes in society, and our work, are drawing us away from God. Sadly, many once faithful Christians have let the world take away their faith. Josiah was a king. A king would be very busy running the affairs of his kingdom. Yet, Josiah was able to be zealous in God’s business. This tells us that one is never too busy to serve God. It is a matter of will. When there is a will, there is a way. We have members who are very busy in their careers, yet they can be busy in the house of God. On the other hand, we have members who have lots of time on their hands but are not busy in the house of God. The issue is not about being busy but about attitude. Those who love God also love to serve Him: “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” (Luke 2:49b). I pray that all among us have the zeal of Josiah. God wants us to be “fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11b). The apostle Paul exhorts: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Are we a workman of God? Are we abounding in the work of God? Let us be about our Father’s business.