February 8th - Reflection

2 Kings 23:1-8, 21-25 (NRSV)
King Josiah keeps the law

Then the king directed that all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem should be gathered to him. The king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him went all the people of Judah, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, keeping his commandments, his decrees, and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. All the people joined in the covenant.


The king commanded the high priest Hilkiah, the priests of the second order, and the guardians of the threshold, to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. He deposed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who made offerings to Baal, to the sun, the moon, the constellations, and all the host of the heavens. He brought out the image of Asherah from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem, to the Wadi Kidron, burned it at the Wadi Kidron, beat it to dust and threw the dust of it upon the graves of the common people. He broke down the houses of the male temple prostitutes that were in the house of the Lord, where the women did weaving for Asherah. He brought all the priests out of the towns of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beer sheba; he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on the left at the gate of the city. ...

The king commanded all the people, "Keep the passover to the Lord your God as prescribed in this book of the covenant." No such passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah; but in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem.

Moreover Josiah put away the mediums, wizards, teraphim, idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, so that he established the words of the law that were written in the book that the priest Hilkiah had found in the house of the Lord. Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.

Reflection
When the Bible opens up and  the great Light of God shines forth from the pages in fanning and moving rays through your face to the heavens, your life will change. God permits us to join in relationship with him through the Word made flesh exposed in the words of the Bible. In relationship with Jesus, even the words of the Old Testament take on meaning. You will change.

Josiah changed his ways once the word shone upon him. He destroyed all of the cult places and their objects. And celebrated this change by God with the Passover.

Change and the Passover...how we move from one way of life to a new way of life. Change and a new relationship. Turn from sin...see the radiance spring forth from the pages of the Bible...join in relationship with Jesus. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, as you come to me this day...as I open the Bible...enlighten me with relationship with you...send me changed into a world where my words can bring forth glory to you. I know you and you teach me daily. --- Amen