2 Chronicles 34:3–5—If Josiah demolished idolatry, then why does it say Manasseh did it earlier?

Problem: Here we are informed that Josiah destroyed the altars and idols, but earlier (in 2 Chron. 33:15) Manasseh had destroyed them.

Solution: No human king can root out the depraved human desire for idolatry. Therefore, Josiah had to redo the same work that his predecessor had done. A good human king can destroy idols, but not the love of idols. And, as long as this love exists, idolatry will live to rear its ugly head again and again.

This excerpt is from When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1992). © 2014 Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Click here to purchase this book.