2/4 Josiah
Josiah is one of the few exceptions among the parade of evil kings in Israel's history. As such, it did not surprise me that both his father and grandfather were evil kings and that he would be followed by another evil one. It seems that the default king thing to do when taking the throne is to create spaces for the worship of false gods. Wonder why, as I do? There is no more power in being an evil king; a case could be made that there is far less. I guess a king may think, better that my subjects put their belief in false gods as they represent no threat to me, rather than to have them follow the true God who does. Perhaps it is just that Satan is at the ready to greet each new king with lies that appeal to the basest instincts of pride and greed and lust, especially as these are no ordinary kings but kings of God's chosen people. Whatever the case may be, Josiah's weeping when he hears the words from the Book of the Law that Hilkiah had found demonstrate his Godly heart. We could use such leaders today.
I was also taken by the reward for his faithfulness: he is to be taken home before the horrible punishment comes upon unfaithful Israel! It stands as a powerful example of why, sometimes, "bad" things happen to good people. In this case, as in many I suppose, the "bad" thing is actually a blessing in disguise. I am so grateful for the Josiahs and for the biblical model of faithful obedience they provide us.