We saw last time that Manasseh is best described as "an idolatrous Solomon on steroids." We saw last time that when Manasseh made Judah to sin God declared that it was time to pull the plug on the house of David. We've been seeing for the whole series that the message of the book of Kings is that Israel and Judah must die. Tonight we see very poignantly that there is nothing that can save Judah from death. All of God's blessings to Israel are found in the reign of Josiah in 2 Kings 22-23: - a reforming king, - a faithful priest, - a true prophetess, - a cleansed and properly functioning temple, - and renewed obedience to the law. But the story of Josiah makes it abundantly clear that none of these things is enough: - A reforming king cannot save them. - The temple cannot save them. - A prophet cannot save them. - A faithful priest cannot save them. - Even obedience to the law cannot save them. Israel's hope is not that they will escape death - Israel's hope is that there is life beyond the grave. Israel's hope is that God will raise them from the dead...