Thoughts on Josiah

I am preparing for my class next Sunday with the middle school kids since I am going out of town this week. The topic is looking at King Josiah at the end of 2 Kings. I have been reading through his story and thinking of some different things as I reflect on his life and work.
Josiah has an interesting encounter with God. His is unlike any other I have encountered in the text. He is born to a line of kings who, for the last two generations, have seriously disrupted the religion in Israel. Manasseh and Amon ruin Judah and their relationship with YHWH. For all we know, Josiah may have ended up the same way but, fortunately, Hilkiah the priest finds the scriptures and reads them to Josiah. Josiah is ashamed and angry at the way that things have been done thus far. He orders that the priests begin officiating according to Torah and that the people begin to follow what it says. He holds a major reformation and gets rid of everything his forefathers had failed to rid Israel of. So Josiah is a great guy. 23:25 says: "Before him there was no king like him, who turned to YHWH with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him." Obviously the writer holds Josiah and his works in a great light.
But, after this, it says that YHWH is not pleased enough. He is still going to punish Judah greatly and allow them to be overtaken into captivity. He at least allows that, because of his great works, Josiah will not have to live through it. Yet, in the next section we hear that Josiah goes to meet an enemy (Egypt) in battle and is killed. So much for YHWH apparently taking care of Josiah. One would think that a king of such high character might have YHWH's power on his side when going into battle.
History tells us that Pharoah Neco was headed up to meet the Babylonians head on at Megiddo. Babylon has beaten Assyria and is taking over the region. Josiah wants to stop Neco for some reason. Perhaps Josiah's actions were in conflict with the works of YHWH to raise up Babylon to take Judah captive. This seems like an alright assumption.
It seems that the people hold much regard for Josiah as a leader and reformer. But we hear little about what YHWH thinks about Josiah. He allows him not to be part of the destruction of Judah but it seems that this is as far as YHWH's mercy goes for Josiah. I think this is an interesting view of YHWH's feelings toward Judah at this point and the way that the people see YHWH working among them.

Shalom