A survey through the books of 1 and 2 Kings will tell the story of the Jewish people’s love affair with idolatry. It is man’s sinful nature, what the Bible calls the flesh, to seek other objects of worship, objects that suit him and his lusts, anything but the one God. Gentlemen, each of us will, at best, be confronted with idols of one kind or another. At worst, if we’ve been negligent or at least ignorant, we will find ourselves having already allowed idols in our homes, with our families accustomed to their presence. Some of the Kings of Israel and Judah actively promoted the worship of idols in their kingdoms. Different kings inherited very different situations from their predecessors, but they each had a decision to make, in reference to the worship of idols.
In 1 Kings 15:12-14, Asa “removed all the idols that his fathers had made…And Asa cut down [his mother’s] obscene image and burned it…But the high places were not removed.” In 1 Kings 18:30 Elijah (not a king, but a prophet) “repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.” In 1 Kings 22:43, Jehoshaphat did not take a way “the high places, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.” In 2 Kings 10:25-29, Jehu killed the worshipers of Baal. “And they brought the sacred pillars out of the temple of Baal and burned them. Then they broke down the sacred pillar of Baal, and tore down the temple of Baal and made it a refuse dump… However Jehu did not turn away from…the golden calves.” In 2 Kings 12:3-16, Joash did not take away the high places; “the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.” He did however repair the temple of the Lord. In 2 Kings 14:4, Amaziah did not take away the high places, “and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.” In 2 Kings 15:4, Azariah did not remove the high places; “the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.” In 2 Kings 15:35, Jotham did not remove the high places; “the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.” In 2 Kings 18:4, Hezekiah “removed the high places an broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.” In 2 Kings 23:4-20, Josiah thoroughly cleansed Judah of idols, their places of worship, and their priests.
We see three responses to idolatry throughout these accounts. The first is acceptance. These kings accepted the worship of idols in their kingdoms. They neglected their responsibilities as leaders, and allowed the people to lead them. The second is half-hearted rebuke. These kings did away with some idol-worship, but stilled allowed some to persist. The third is utter annihilation. These kings (and a prophet) humbled themselves and wholly submitted to the one God. They took stands, pulled the trigger on some politically inexpedient decisions, and completely crushed the abominations from within their kingdoms. Too many fathers are permissive with evil in their homes. If you have already allowed it in, repent. Repent now. Call your sin what it is and turn in obedience to the Lord before it’s too late for your family. The war finds us, and if we deny it, or accept sin’s terms of surrender, we will only find ourselves and our children enslaved. We will render ourselves impotent to defeat it, because we will have forfeited the credibility and the standing to stop it. Take the Almighty God at His Word. Put your only hope in Him. There is no other way.