As we traverse the final chapters of II Kings and later in the 34th chapter of II Chronicles, we discover a boy king that has come to power in Judah, ascending to the throne at the age of eight. Eight years later, he began to earnestly seek the face of the Lord. Shortly there after, he began to purge Judah of what many of his predecessors had failed to do…false worship. The Word describes several kings that please God, yet their desire and fervency never extended to that of young Josiah. By the age of 26, there had been a complete elimination of the markings and tools of idol worship throughout the land.It is at this time that Josiah sets about the restore the temple of God. In the process of accounting the sums of silver that had been brought to the temple in order to pay the workers for their effort in the restorations, the high priest Hilkiah happens upon an old scroll. Imagine as he wipes away the cobwebs and dust. Imagine as he felt upon its tattered, faded and wrinkled parchment, the questions that must have gone through his mind. How long has this been here? Who has left these old writings in here to waste away? Imagine the shock on his face when he realized what he was holding.
This cylinder of mere paper was not some ordinary record of the temple or some document with a simple register of the temple’s events. It was the Book of the Law; sometimes referred to as the Book of Moses or the Book of the Covenant. This was something that had once been precious. Evidently, even as the priests had been occupied with the business of the temple, it had simply been put on a shelf…designated as a bookend or something of lesser value for the present time. However, there is something magnificent about the Word of God. It has resilience. It has a lasting durability. Even in times where idolaters had occupied the temple, it had not been destroyed. In fact the inspired Word of God had proven to be indestructible.
Things had changed after Solomon built that temple. The protectionism of its entry had been compromised. Alternate beliefs and men of false doctrine had infiltrated and cast a shadow in its doorway. Now that which had once been held in high regard, was cast aside. An item that had shown how to live a life in accordance to the will of God had simply been tossed away. It was replaced with feign worship practices, empty offerings and a rejection of what was held dear…and the keepers of the temple just let it go.
Once Josiah was made aware of the discovery, it wasn’t long before he understood the repercussions. He set out the make things right. He instituted the old paths. He grasped the significance of returning to what had been taught so many generations before. He guided the people of Judah, with the assistance of prophets, back to the letter of the Law. But it was too late. Even Josiah’s humble repentance and realization of what had been lost could not save Judah from the captivity of Babylon.
Jump ahead to present day. The attacks on the church and on the apostolic movement are not too different from what we saw in Jerusalem in the days of Josiah. We now live in era where things that have been precious, things that have been held fast and that which we once held close to our heart are now relegated to a shelf in the back of our mind. They have been replaced with feign worship, empty offerings and a rejection of what was held dear. It was subtle. We didn’t see it coming, yet they have crept into our sanctuaries and occupy our pews. And as watchman, we did not see it. In going through the motions of our church prep, studying our oratory eloquence and making sure we made everybody feel good and comfortable…well, you know…we misplaced book.
The trappings and accoutrements of this world have somehow found their way in the church. They masquerade as love, peace, harmony and acceptance. As they linger, the dust begins to accumulate and the foundation starts to show its cracks. The light doesn’t penetrate the windows like it used too. The baptismal tank’s waters remain still as not to create a stir. The old paths are still in there somewhere. Occasionally, one stumbles upon it, but its words don’t seem too important or relevant. And generations are being lost in the process…but it’s not too late.
There are still watchmen on the wall…still those who realize the great treasure that can be found it the simple texts and writings. Yeah, it is old fashioned. The persons and description of heroes gone by are relics to many, but the watchman gains a realization of the riches that are contained within. The commandments are too stern for some, but the watchman sees its protection. It is offensive because it cuts into the nature of man, but the watchman sees the removal of sin. It calls out that which we have forgotten to hold on to, but the watchman sees to it that we never lose our grip.
Let’s not have to “rediscover” what has been there all the time.
