II Kings 25

"And he burned the house of the Lord, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem ..." (v9). King Josiah had been a brilliant light of righteousness, but when he died, idolatry resumed (23:32). Josiah had destroyed the pagan altars and cleaned God's house, but the hearts of the people were not faithful. They had rejected God's ways and His covenant completely. So, just as the Assyrians had conquered Samaria in the north, now the Babylonians defeated and burned Jerusalem.

Righteous reformers like Josiah can open our eyes to truth, yet we must each choose to walk by faith.