Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
2 Chronicles 34:3-5
3 During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. Then in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, destroying all the pagan shrines, the Asherah poles, and the carved idols and cast images. 4 He ordered that the altars of Baal be demolished and that the incense altars which stood above them be broken down. He also made sure that the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images were smashed and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the pagan priests on their own altars, and so he purified Judah and Jerusalem.
3 During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. Then in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, destroying all the pagan shrines, the Asherah poles, and the carved idols and cast images. 4 He ordered that the altars of Baal be demolished and that the incense altars which stood above them be broken down. He also made sure that the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images were smashed and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the pagan priests on their own altars, and so he purified Judah and Jerusalem.
Commentary:
34:3–7 Josiah’s decisive move against pagan worship is made as soon as he has come of age by turning 20 (see Num. 1:3). The reform includes both Judah and the territories of the former northern kingdom, where the decline of Assyrian power after the death of Ashurbanipal in 627 b.c. allowed Josiah to pursue his religious and political concerns.
Questions:
- Yes, Josiah was young, but he was obedient. When he was restoring God's temple, he found a book of the Law. He had it read to him and then he responded to God's Word in obedience. He renewed the nation's covenant with God. He removed idols and worship of false gods and remembered the God of his ancestor, David. He went against the established culture of the times and instead when God's way. This isn't an easy thing to do and takes great intentionality. Can the same be said of you? Have you made a stand to be counter-cultural in favor of living your life for the glory of God?
- God's Word is sharper than any two-edged sword and has the ability to cut between what is good and evil. Most people cherry pick verses that make them feel better about themselves. But as we've said, this results in shallow, weak, ineffective Christians. Have you seen your love for God's Word grow in the past couple of years as we've been teaching verse by verse? Has your own study of scripture increased? If so, what has the impact on your life been?
Pray:
- That you would live for God's glory.
- That you would fall in love with reading and obeying God's Word.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
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