2 Chronicles 34:1-33

The story of Josiah's reign is full of brightness. The conditions around were very terrible, but in this boy king, especially as he developed to manhood, testimony to the government of God was unmistakable. Ascending to the throne when eight years old, at the age of sixteen he began to seek after God. Four years later he set himself to the actual work of reformation, and there is terrific force in the story of his methods. There was no pity in his heart for the evil things about him, and with the strongest hand, so far as he was able, he swept out the abominations.

At the age of twenty-six he set himself to repair the house of God, during which a remarkable thing happened. While the Temple was being cleansed the book of the Law was discovered. It is impossible to tell whether Hilkiah had known of it, but the story would certainly lead us to suppose that Josiah was quite ignorant of it. When by comparison with its ideals he learned the facts concerning his people, Josiah gathered them together, and publicly made a covenant with God and insisted that the people should abide by it.