2 Chronicles 35:20-27
Josiah Dies in Battle (2 Kings 23:28–30)
20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him. 21 But he sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.” 22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo.
23 And the archers shot King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded.” 24 His servants therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had, and they brought him to Jerusalem. So he died, and was buried in one of the tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
25 Jeremiah also lamented for Josiah. And to this day all the singing men and the singing women speak of Josiah in their lamentations. They made it a custom in Israel; and indeed they are written in the Laments.
26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his goodness, according to what was written in the Law of the LORD, 27 and his deeds from first to last, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
Josiah let his success in the LORD cloud his judgment and hearing from God when the Egyptian king Necho spoke as from the mouth of God for him to not interfere in the battle with Carchemish. This Carchemish was the Hittite capital lying northeast of Israel on the Euphrates river. It was captured by Pharaoh Necho and then later taken from him by Nebuchadnezzar. The Pharaoh was not attacking Josiah or the people of God, yet Josiah still refused to listen to God speaking through him and interfered to his own demise of pride. This is a warning to us all that some battles are not ours to engage in and may have consequences if the word and will of the Lord are not heeded. Too often we rush in like spiritual fools instead of seeking the direction we should take (Isaiah 30:21) from the word of God and prayer, along with godly (Proverbs 20:18, 24:6, Romans 11:33-34) counsel. Josiah lunged headlong into a war he was told not to fight and his deaf meddling led to his destruction from the LORD at the hand of an archer who hit his mark in the Valley of Megiddo. The man of God, Jeremiah, mourned the death of the king who did so well until that moment of pride (Psalm 16:8, 1 Corinthians 10:12) refuted in his fall. We also may miss the mark in our sinful pride of left unchecked by God’s word and wise counsel delivering it through a word of counsel, a sermon, or even a study in the scriptures. May we learn to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6-7, 8-9) instead to serve as we ought to work God’s will (1 Peter 5:10-11) through our calling and gifting as we aim to glorify the Lord and not ourselves. He will then work through our humble obedience to perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us in His grace as we acknowledge the battles belong to the Lord as we follow Him to fight the good fight in His wisdom and might as led by His Spirit and word (2 Timothy 2:2, 3:16-17) through prayer and godly counsel. Hearing the word and will of God is humble obedience to fight the good fight with.
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