Verify Podcast

On more than one occasion, I’ve heard people imply that the study of the bible is an academic activity best left for those in seminaries and bible schools and that expecting every Christian to study their bible is unrealistic, especially with busy schedules and deadlines, and yes, in our fast paced world, there’s often little time for anything that isn’t priority… but then that’s the thing; To a Christian, isn’t the matter of our faith, priority?

There’s a story in 2 kings 22 (it’s repeated in 2 Chronicles 34 as well). The story is of an Israelite King named Josiah. Even though Josiah was righteous, he was king at one of the times when the people of Israel as a nation had fallen deep into idolatry and departed far from God’s intentions for them, choosing instead, to copy the abominable practices and cultures of surrounding nations. One day, King Josiah asked his subjects to renovate the temple which had fallen into disrepair. In the process of preparing to do the job, they stumbled on the scriptures in the temple. They took their find to the king and when the scriptures were opened and read to him, he tore his clothes in despair. Why? Because he suddenly realised that what they had been doing, the way they had been living as a people, was worlds apart from what God had directed in His word. King Josiah realised the difference between what was, and what ought to be, and this led to repentance and unprecedented revival in the land of Israel.

Today, like in the days of King Josiah, many Christian lives are governed by modern forms of idolatry; by unashamed obsession with self and substance. To many, contentment is dead and material things have become idols to be obtained at all costs, yet, the bible addresses this so clearly in Col 3:5b where it says “Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world”.

Today, like in the days of King Josiah, many Christians choose what is popular and current, over what is scriptural and believe it doesn’t matter, yet Rom 12:2 says we should not copy the behaviour and customs of this world.

In King Josiah’s day, the scriptures were kept in the temple and read aloud from time to time. Today however, we are called to have a more personal relationship with scripture (2 Tim 2:15). If we are to live lives that honour our maker, we must constantly check to see if what we endorse and the values we live by, are compatible with scripture. If we will please God, then reverting to scripture should be our default setting. There’s simply no other way.

I pray for myself and you my listener, that we will always see the necessity to open up the scriptures. That none of our life choices, whether lofty or little, will escape the light that the entrance of God’s word brings. And that as we defer to the prescriptions of scripture, we will experience liberation, revival and life. I pray in Jesus name, amen.