Scripture: 2 Kings 23:1-27
Observation: Josiah took great effort to cleanse Judah of all of it's sinful idols, and to restore God to his proper place. It is easy to look a this list and say "I don't worship Baal." The name Baal however is translated "lord" or "owner" And can be applied to anything that is your number one priority in life.
Application: Some very good things can become idols. Family, work, children, financial security, education, happiness, and fitness are just some examples of where we should be good stewards. All of these things however should be subservient to God. When I work to leave my children "Better off than I am" their "better off-ness" should be measured strictly by their relationship with God. Nothing else counts in the long run.
It seems to me that most sin is justified because one of these good things is in place of God. While some sin is rooted in outright rebellion and disobedience, the vast majority is a simple failure to do what God is calling you to do. Judah forgot to observe the passover for hundreds of years. What more do we forget when we elevate the "good life" above the Godly life?
Prayer: I pray Hebrews 12:1-3. That I can fix my eyes on Jesus and cast off anything that is weighting me down from pursuing Him with all of my heart.
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2 comments:
Thanks Josh for the great reminder. I will look of the "idols" in my life today and "destroy" them! God wants my whole heart!
Going out on a limb here...
I wonder if the Kidron Valley has some pretty deep symbolic meaning.
David fled from the forces of Absalom through this valley. Perhaps this is the valley of death he refers to in Psalm 23?
The valley is a very popular place to be buried.
Jesus crossed the Kidron valley on his way to be betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Some maps show the garden as being right in the bottom of the valley. Perhaps Josiah disposed of these Idols in the same location that Jesus later prayed "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done."
Interesting idea, but there is no way to know if it is true. I enjoy exploring the symbolic though, because It helps pull Jesus back to the forefront of some of these passages where you could very easily miss him.
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