Joel Johnson | Biblical History & Theology

King Josiah stamping out idolatry by burning the bones of the false priests Today I’d like to take you back to the year 640 BC, to the city of Jerusalem - the royal city of King David. But by this time David had been dead for 330 years, and things had changed dramatically. A lot can happen in three centuries. If you want to compare it to Australia’s history, consider that the First Fleet arrived here in 1788, only 237 years ago. Think of how much has changed since then - both for good and for bad.  So it has been three centuries since the heyday of the combined kingdom under David and then under Solomon. The northern kingdom of Israel has been scattered and in captivity since the Assyrians invaded there 80 years prior. The largely desolate land to the north - where the nation of Israel used to be - stands as a stark reminder of God’s judgement. And yet the people living in Judah haven’t paid attention to this message; in fact, by this time they were living even more wicked lives th...