Daily DevotionalNovember 26, 2024

Daily Devotional | True Repentance

2 Kings 23:1–25
True Repentance
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What events would cause you to change your behavior? A poor medical diagnosis? A life-threatening accident? Challenging events have a way of making us stop and reassess our priorities. Many times we see spiritual change prompted by a crisis.

Josiah, having heard the words of the prophetess Huldah, set out to clean house completely. The lengths to which he went are detailed for us and serve as a reminder of what true repentance looks like. First, he gathered the nation and as a community they made a covenant with God. Second, he purged the land of its idols. Like an alcoholic who removes every tempting beverage from his home, Josiah set out to completely eradicate anything that would draw the nation away from the Lord. In addition to these things, he removed those who were leading the people astray (v. 6). Finally, he desecrated the locations where idol worship took place (v. 8). Notice some of the wicked practices, including child sacrifice, that Josiah obliterated with these decisive actions (v. 10). He “smashed the sacred stones” (v. 14).

To fill the void left behind by this cleansing, Josiah returned Israel to celebrating the Passover, restoring things Israel had lost. More than just a trivial holiday, Passover was commanded by the Lord as part of the covenant. This feast remembered the power of God in delivering Israel from bondage in Egypt. Yet, the nation had not celebrated this event this way since the days of the Judges (v. 22).

We could make the case that the failure to celebrate Passover hastened their spiritual decline. It was not enough for Josiah to cleanse Judah from service to other gods, he needed to fill the vacuum by returning them to the worship of the true God.

Go Deeper

Are you finding it hard to stick to your commitment to repentance? Have you removed influences that draw you away? What people, places, or practices might you need to evaluate?

Pray with Us

Lord, thank You for the life of King Josiah who speaks to us through the ages. What a life of faithfulness to You, dedication to Your Law, perseverance, and trust! Show us how to turn to You, Like Josiah, even in anxious times.

The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD—to follow the LORD and keep his commands.2 Kings 23:3

About the Author

Steven H. Sanchez

Dr. Steven H. Sanchez is professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute. His specific areas of study include the Israelite monarchy, the Pentateuch, the Second Temple period, and biblical archeology.

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