King Josiah

King Josiah is such a fun lesson for kids! There are some really great things to learn, too! King Josiah was young and faithful to God.

King Josiah is found in the Old Testament in 2 Kings 22-23. His father, King Amon, was killed when Josiah was 8 years old. So, Josiah was 8 years old when he became the king of Judah! He was a king for 31 years in Jerusalem. He was faithful to God.

During the 18th year of King Josiah's reign, he told Shaphan the scribe to go to the temple. King Josiah wanted the money counted that was brought into the temple by the people. King Josiah wanted the money to be given to the workers that were working on the temple. There were carpenters, builders and masons that were doing repairs to the temple. King Josiah told them not to worry about counting the money the workers were taking, because they were all honest.

Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.”  After they read it, Shaphan took the book of the law to King Josiah. He told the king that they had gathered the money for the temple and delivered it to the workers doing the repairs.

Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.  When the book of law was read to King Josiah, he tore his clothes! King Josiah told several people to ask about this Book of the Law that they found. He said God has a lot of anger because we have not obeyed His words in the book. 

They went to see Huldah the prophetess, and she told King Josiah's men that God has said that He would bring a disaster on this place because they were not following God and they were worshipping idols.

But, because King Josiah was so upset and humble towards Me when he read the book of law and King Josiah is trying to find God's answers, God said He would not send the destruction during King Josiah's time. God would send the destruction of Judah after King Josiah died.

King Josiah had everyone assemble at the temple. He read the whole Book of the Covenant to all the people that had been found in the temple. 

Then King Josiah stood by a pillar and made a promise to God. King Josiah said he would follow the Lord and keep His commandments and God's laws with his whole heart and soul. King Josiah said he would follow and do the laws that were written in the book. All the people agreed to follow the Book of the Covenant from God.

King Josiah commanded that the idols that were in the temple to be brought out and he burned them in the fields outside of Jerusalem. He removed the priests that worshipped the idols.

King Josiah had all the shrines, altars, everything that had to do with idols taken down and burned or broken so it couldn't be used ever again. Not just in the temple, but everywhere that he could! There were a LOT of idols!

Our Bible verse today: Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him. (2 Kings 23:25)

This lesson just seemed like it need a scroll to do! I decided to make the scroll a fill-in-the-blank that we can use with the lesson. After the lesson, we will roll them up and use a ribbon to tie it up. You can glue dowel rods to each end to make it more like a scroll if you'd like, and I glue them on before class because of the drying time.

Click here to print the first choice using the plain background onto whatever paper you like, although I use paper like the above.

 Click here to use the second choice and print it with the background already there.

Click here to print the third option that is a teacher's scroll with the answers to use as a visual.

Click here to download King Josiah's worksheet.

Click here to download the updated visuals.

Not all are shown.

Click here to download the pictures to color.
(These are the same as the visuals but are black & white.)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Used by permission.