Cleaning House!

No one probably expected much from Josiah.  His grandfather had lead a great massacre of innocent blood and his father was murdered by his own trusted officials.  At the tender age of eight, when boys in our time are still stumbling in their reading and have not yet conquered long division, Josiah was made king of Judah; a whole nation entrusted to the rule of a boy who was from a line of kings that had long been leading Judah down a path of destruction.  What could we expect from a child, but to follow in the examples laid before him?  How could he know any better?

But somehow he did.  It was said of Josiah in 2 Kings 23:25, "Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did- with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses."  I find it fascinating.  During Colette's school time this morning, we read the story of Josiah and it lead me on a cross-referencing search for more on this king, but the answers I sought, I did not find.  What caused Josiah to live so differently than those that had come before him?

Here is what we do know.  In the eighteenth year of his reign (so when he was about 26!), Josiah ordered that the Temple of the Lord, which had long been neglected and desecrated by idol worship, be cleaned and repaired.  We do not know what inspired this; whether it was an earnest seeking of God or a shallow desire of aesthetic pleasure.  While cleaning the temple, The Book of Law was found and brought to Josiah.  Apparently, this book had been long-forgotten as a result of a disregard to lead God-pleasing lives.  Upon it being read, Josiah was gripped with emotion because it clearly brought to light God's justice in dealing with a nation that had long turned from Him.  Josiah rightly feared for his nation because the law clearly warned of what would happen if Israel turned from God and worshipped idols.  Josiah did everything within his power to turn the nation around, and began by renewing his nation's commitment to God and then he started cleaning house.

There was a lot of work to do.  Within the temple there were idols for the stars, sun, and moon, as well as for the false gods, Baal and Asherah.  In the very Temple of God, male shrine prostitutes were living and women had a station for weaving gifts for Asherah.  Horses and chariots had been dedicated to the worship of the sun.  Israelites sacrificed their own children in fire to Molech!  There were altars throughout the land of Judah to various pagan gods.  There was a booming business for mediums and spiritists.  Idol worship was so commonplace and widely accepted that few places went untouched.  So Josiah went on a destructive, but righteous rampage against the evil that infiltrated his nation.

And it all started with a little housekeeping.

How's your temple looking?  "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20  What about your "Jerusalem", the city that is home to the temple?

I would venture to guess we could all do a little housekeeping.  How many of us have lost the Book of the Law?  Collecting dust on a bookshelf somewhere?  Let's talk about our temples.  Josiah found idol worship right on the doorstep.  How are your doorsteps looking?  What kind of garbage do you let pass through the thresholds of your eyes and ears?  Maybe you need to consider what is coming out of the temple by way of your mouth.  If people were to come to the temple to seek God, is your tongue giving them the wrong direction?  What kind of idols do you find in your appearance?  Do you spend more time showering than you do in prayer?  How about exercise over studying the Bible?  Do your wardrobe needs exceed your charitable expenditures (don't forget to include all of your body products, hair cuts and makeup in that figure)?

Is your home a place you would expect to find a godly temple?  Is it a place that welcomes prayer, praise and worship?  Is it a refuge to the weary?  A reflection of holy conduct?  Is it a place that can balance mercy with justice?  Does it offer instruction in the ways of righteousness to its citizens?

I wonder what it would look like if we followed Josiah's example and called a meeting of our household to instruct them in renewing their covenant with God.  What if we went on a symbolic journey of removing the idols that have made their way into our homes?  What if we smashed to bits and burned to ashes those things that have lead us away from worshipping our God?  And what if in the midst we found the ability to love and obey our God with all of our heart, soul, and strength?