2 Kings 23:4-5 - The
king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the
doorkeepers to remove from the temple of
the LORD all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts.
He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took
the ashes to Bethel. He did away with the pagan
priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of
the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem--those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all
the starry hosts.
Josiah had just finished reading the entire
book of the law to the priests….the prophets…all the people of Judah. He called them all to the temple…and read to
them every word that was written down. And
after they had listened to the words God gave to Moses on the mountain…they
renewed their love for God…by making a promise …to keep the laws that were read
to them all.
It was a pivotal point in Josiah’s faith….for
he had absorbed the words so deeply into his heart that they lit a fire in his
soul. …to reform not just the appearance of the temple…but the way his people
worshiped God in it. The feet he put to the passionate faith in his heart…began
to purge the land of Judah from any evidence that anyone had ever worshiped
anyone else but God….even to the point of burning the idols of other Gods….turning
them into ash.
Josiah modeled for us the deepest level of
faith…that James spoke of in the new testament. He used real examples of the Bible…like Rahab…who
turned her life of harlotry into the life of a princess by helping the spies
Joshua sent to search out the new land. His words from James 2:14-17… ring so strong in my heart… “ What good is
it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?
Can such faith save him? Suppose a
brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish
you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical
needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied by action, is dead.”
It is a reminder for me this morning to deepen my own faith
to a level that not only sees the needs of others...but goes out to share the
love of God with them. And I can’t stop
there…I must help them find the resources and supplies they need to change
their lives. Like Josiah…as God reveals
the things I am doing that displease him…I need to remove them….and replace
them with the things he requires of me to do his will. My faith will become so strong that I am able
to put feet to my love…and not just change my life…but become a vessel for
others to change as well.
Father… I thank you for the love that you showed Josiah …that
taught him how to search for you...and purge the things form his life that kept
him from the purest worship of you.
Instill in me the same sense of humility and reverence for who you are….so
I can transform my selfish heart into a heart that thinks of others first. Put feet to my love…so that I can share who
you are with others…and share the great blessing you have given me. Stretch my
understanding of the faith you gave me …to include all the people you place
around me. Amen.
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