King Josiah was the godliest of the Israelite kings. “Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all he Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him” (2 Kings 23:25).
Josiah restores God’s neglected temple, eradicates long-established idolatry, and reinstitutes the forgotten Passover. And most importantly, he finds the Book of the Law, humbles himself before God, and teaches God’s word to the people. (The account of his reign is found in 2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-45.)
The Bible put him forth as an example of humility and godliness. And because of this godliness, God promises Josiah he will die “in peace”:
“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel…because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord…Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place” (2 Kings 22:18-20)
A Peaceful Death
As you’re reading about Josiah, it is impressive how much good he does. Paragraphs are devoted to his restoration, good works, and repentance. So it comes as a surprise when the story describes his death, especially in light of the promise of being “gathered to your grave in peace.”
How does Josiah die “in peace”? He goes to meet Pharaoh Neco in battle. Then, even after disguising himself, he gets shot by archers. Then, wounded by the shots, he says to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” And finally he dies and is buried.
Now, that’s not the worst way to die. But is that how we’d expect the life of the best king in all of Israel’s ancient history to end? In battle, shot, carried away in pain unto death. Would we choose to describe that as “to your grave in peace”?
What Is Peace?
Probably not. But the Bible describes this twice as dying “in peace” (2 Kings 22:20; 2 Chronicles 34:28).
Perhaps, then, we have a misunderstanding of biblical “peace” and what it means for someone to “die in peace.”
Personally, when I hear “die in peace,” I think of someone dying in their sleep, after an extra long life, apart from immense pain, possibly even knowing that death was immanent due to health conditions. I bet you think similarly. But clearly we’re a tad off in our picture of a peaceful death.
In our idea of “peace” we miss that according to the Bible—both in the Old Testament and New—true peace is different than mere absence of severe pain. A small amount of physical or even emotional pain is by no means the main barometer of peace.
God’s shalom is more robust than just the avoidance of pain. It’s the result of being restored to a right relationship with the God of peace. It’s securely knowing you are loved deeply by the God of the universe. It’s living in God’s world in light of that forever relationship.
A person who dies in true “peace” dies while treasuring and tasting that. And compared to that, what does mere physical painlessness compare?
Peaceful Deaths for Us Too
This was the case for Josiah’s dying “in peace.” He wasn’t perfect, but he genuinely trusted and loved his God. He lived for his God. And so when God’s time for him to die came, there was abundant shalom.
So will it be for any genuine Christian. For Josiah, his dying “in peace” was not on a deathbed apart from pain or even violence. It was in battle, being unexpectedly shot with an arrow, carried away in pain unto death. But it was genuine “peace”—a peace we know Josiah is still experiencing with Jesus at this very moment.
What will it be for you and I?
As Christians, we could have a very long life then die on our deathbed in our sleep. But we may not. Our “dying in peace” could be cancer. It could be an accident. It could be some other sudden diagnosis. Only God knows. Only God is in control of it.
But that’s the beautiful point: our God knows, and not only knows, but he’s planned each of our deaths long ago. The same God who died on the cross for us will bring us safely home—a process that, unless he returns first, must include our deaths. “The Lord will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18).
We can take heart that, because of Christ and the reality of the gospel, when that time comes, we will die “in peace.”
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A Personal Note: On Contemplating Death
As a personal aside: Meditating on this topic and writing this post was and is weighty; I want to make that clear. Sometimes when we (especially pastors) read, teach, or apply the Bible, we can do so with ungrounded or inexplicit applications. Meaning, we subtly avoid being personally blunt and applying it. But I want to here, even though it’s difficult: I admit that I’m frightened when I truly contemplate dying (not so much death itself, but dying—what it will be like). I’m terrified when I think about the death of my spouse, (God forbid before I die) my kids, my other family members, or friends. Even as a Christian with many of them as Christians, it still is scary and indescribable.
But I also know it will happen. And it’s true that God will give abundant grace in those moments, but it’s also true that in his word our God has shown us that it’s best not to brush death aside from our thoughts just because we know he’ll be gracious when it shows up. Instead, he includes the topic of death over and over in the Old Testament and New Testament for our comfort and preparation. In other words, to think about death, to realize it’s reality, and to address it in Christ is the path God sets forth for us in his word.
That’s what I tried to do here, and what I’m trying to do more and more (the next post will be about death as well). I want to think about my death, and even the death of those I love, because I truly do believe what I believe: that there is an infinitely greater peace than just being alive, and that for those of us in Christ (like me, my spouse, certain family members and friends), death is not the end. It is a doorway to enter glory. And as terrifying, difficult, and heart-wrenching-even-to-think-about it is, Christ has truly conquered for our communion and joy forevermore. Or to say it using the idea that was presented in this post: For those of us in Christ, no matter how or when it happens, praise his name, we will die in peace.
