Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.
Josiah also got rid of all the people who talked to spirits of the dead, fortune-tellers, household gods, idols, and every other disgusting practice that could be found anywhere in Judah and Jerusalem. He did this to obey the words of God's law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the Lord's temple.
King Josiah completely cleaned out all forms of false worship and occult practices from his kingdom to obey God's law that had been rediscovered in the temple.
📚 Historical Context
During the reign of King Josiah in the 7th century BC, Judah had fallen into widespread idolatry and pagan practices, heavily influenced by surrounding nations that promoted such customs. When the Book of the Law, likely Deuteronomy, was discovered in the temple during renovations, it revealed God's commands against these abominations, prompting Josiah to enact sweeping reforms to purify the land and restore faithful worship. This effort included removing wizards, idols, and other forbidden elements to align the nation with the covenant requirements outlined in the scriptures.
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