The Weekly Perspective
by TJ Draper, Deacon
While Martin Luther may have kicked off a reformation in the 1500s with the 95 Theses, the pattern of reformation is all over scripture and all over history. God is a God who re-creates, and re-forms. Consider King Josiah of whom scripture says, “And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” (2 Kings 22:2). King Josiah enacted a reformation in the kingdom tribe of Judah on the following fronts:
1. He returned Judah to the word. Hilkiah the priest and Shaphan the scribe delivered the word of God to him and he repented of Judah’s unfaithfulness (2 Kings 22:10–13).
2. He returned Judah to the right worship of Yahweh. The people were engaged in syncretistic worship with unclean things made for Baal and Asherah having been brought into God’s house. This was liturgical sin. Josiah put these things out (2 Kings 23:4) and made sure the people observed the covenant meal (vv. 21–24).
3. He removed unfaithful priests (2 Kings 23:5). Judah could not be faithful if her minsters were unfaithful.
4. He removed the idols (2 Kings 23:6–8). God has commanded His people not to engage in the worship of him (or anything else) by means of idols. Josiah rid the land of the idols.
5. He removed the high places used to worship false gods (2 Kings 23:13–15).
On this Reformation Day, we should consider this example set for us by Josiah. We should seek to elect good leaders like Josiah, make the word of God preeminent in our lives, worship, and the public square like Josiah did, we should engage in right worship and not liturgical paganism, we should not follow unfaithful ministers (and be thankful for faithful ministers like pastors Joe and Burke), we should remove idols in our lives and in the culture, and we should remove high places that keep us from worshipping God with all our heart.
Consider this Reformation Day how you can live a reformational life — re-fashioned, re-created, re-formed by our great God. Pray for the Holy Spirit to spark once again a reformation in us and our culture!