Josiah’s arrival has been long anticipated. Back in 1 Kings 13, the man of God from Judah arrived in Bethel, and with the highly unusual disclosure of a proper name hundreds of years ahead of time, prophesied that this son of David’s house would obliterate the altar of this northern shrine. Given such advance billing, there is a sense of great expectation when Josiah’s reign begins after he is installed by the people of the land (22:1–2). His father and grandfather were the worst royal tandem ever, and so it is against the odds that Josiah earns the unique commendation of not turning “to the right or to the left” (see Deut. 5:32) as he does what is upright in God’s sight.

Like Joash before him, Josiah sponsors renovations of the temple (22:3–10). Just after the halfway point of Josiah’s …