We are reading the Bible-In-A-Year (capitalized because it must surely be a trademarked property), and yesterday’s reading was fascinating. It felt almost frantic, hurried, urgent – the story as well as the way it was written. The monumental shift in direction happened in relatively few paragraphs, it is jarring, and set against the tone and content of the rest of the books of the Kings, almost shocking to read.

Earlier this week, I wrote about the seeming inability (or rather, unwillingness) of either of the split kingdoms of Israel and Judah to fully eliminate the idolatry of the pagan shrines and asherah poles. Even the most faithful of the kings stop short of total obedience.

In 2 Kings 22-23, the story of Josiah begins quietly, with the proper counting and allocation of the people’s offerings. Then, the record scratches as Hilkiah, the high priest, declares that he has “found” the Book of the Law. At that time, there weren’t Bibles in hotel room drawers (I guess that’s a dated reference because they aren’t there anymore, in our time, but you get the point). There weren’t Bibles for every niche, translated into all different languages, for all ages. There was one hand-written scroll, as far as we can tell. And it was lost. And judging by everyone’s actions & reactions, they had neither seen nor heard it. These spiritual leaders have no idea what they’re reading and what it means, so they seek out the guidance of the prophet Huldah (A WOMAN! Gasp! I wonder what many modern church denominations make of this passage. Anyway…)

Once they hear it and understand, they tear their clothes and weep. They can finally see their intended path, just how far they have strayed, and their hearts are loudly broken. Josiah has it read to the people and commits to actually doing what the Bible says. It’s extraordinary, isn’t it? He makes no excuses, even though he has a good one – he truly didn’t know what it said. But now he did, and was faced with the question with which we all are faced, in the Scriptures, “Now what?”

Josiah answered, quickly, decisively, with his actions. Immediately, he started the process of destroying any and all shrines, poles, and altars. He tore down all avenues of idolatry all over his kingdom, not stopping until all “detestable practices” were demolished. Until “finally, he returned to Jerusalem.”

“Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since. (2 Kg 23:25)”

Now what? We all have excuses for living beneath our divine call to love, peace, patience, joy, self-control, righteousness, excuses for living beneath our divine call to really, truly, fully live. So, now what? The Bible tells us exactly who we are and what we’re worth, truths we too often seem to be bent on ignoring. Now what? Will we take our example from the kings of the divided kingdoms and do some, take some steps, move a little, just leave a couple of asherah poles behind? Or from 1 particular king of Judah and dive into becoming who we have been created to be?

[What it looks like for each of us is different, unique. Each of our asherah poles is different. And usually, tearing down the No means saying Yes to something else, something more fitting to our beautiful creation. That’s why relationship WITH God is so important, we hold His hand and He leads us into our own new story.]

Today is our country’s Independence Day, maybe it could be ours, too?