Cosmetic Changes



2 Kings 23:24-30
24 Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. 25 Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.
26 Still the Lord did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. 27 And the Lord said, “I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.” 28 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 29 In his days Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him, and Pharaoh Neco killed him at Megiddo, as soon as he saw him. 30 And his servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s place.

The last good king of Judah, Josiah, never wavers in his fervor for the ways and laws of the Lord. His reign is spent adhering to the Word of God and trying to bring his subjects into alignment with God’s commands. There is no doubt that Josiah himself loved God and sought to restore the people to true worship of God. But while the people went along with their king, the changes for them were only on the outside. They were still committed to idolatrous ways in their hearts. (see verse 26) Had the people as a whole turned their hearts toward God, He could have relented from His wrath and brought restoration. Instead, they just went back to their wicked ways after the death of Josiah. God’s punishment was going to have to take place.

The prophet Joel speaks of those actions of faith that take place only on the outside, but never really reach into our hearts.  “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Joel 2:12-13

While Josiah knew what it meant to “rend the heart”, his people did not and that is the take home point for us today as well. Are we concerned with the external aspects of the faith only, so that we look good; or are we willing to let those practices touch our heart? The phrase “rend the heart” actually means to tear the seat of the will. That indicates that I need to turn away from my sinful will and be subjected instead to the will of God. That’s easier said than done for our will is strong. Josiah allowed those faithful practices to impact his character and informed who he was in the Lord. We can do the same. Our faith practices can be just an outward show for those around us, or they can actually impact our hearts and change who we are, how we think and how we behave.

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