DCLM Daily Manna 2025: DCLM Daily Manna 10 June 2025: Josiah’s Peculiar Reforms
Text: 2 Kings 23:4-14 (KJV)
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5 Then he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, and those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. 6 And he brought out the wooden image from the house of the Lord, to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, burned it at the Brook Kidron and ground it to ashes, and threw its ashes on the graves of the common people. 7 Then he tore down the ritual booths of the perverted persons that were in the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the wooden image. 8 And he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; also he broke down the high places at the gates which were at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were to the left of the city gate. 9 Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brethren.
10 And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech. 11 Then he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech, the officer who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 The altars that were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, the king broke down and pulverized there, and threw their dust into the Brook Kidron. 13 Then the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, which were on the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the people of Ammon. 14 And he broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images, and filled their places with the bones of men.
KEY VERSE: “And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.” – (2 Kings 23:12)
Jonathan Edward once said, “When God has something very great to accomplish for His Church, it is His will that there should precede it, the extraordinary prayers of His people… when God is about to accomplish great things for His Church, He will begin by remarkably pouring out the Spirit of grace and supplication.” There cannot be true spiritual awakening without realization of our spiritual state, uncompromised teaching of the word of God, a conviction for sins and wholehearted repentance and prayers. Revival comes when we acknowledge our emptiness and sinfulness and turn from all unrighteousness. The world cannot be transformed without a revived and awoken church. A cold, lukewarm, bland and lethargic church cannot contain God’s move and outpouring of heavenly torrential rain. The rain that bathed the earth after three and a half years of famine in Samaria was precipitated by the long importunate supplications of Elijah, the Prophet of fire.
God remains the same and is ever willing to do what He did in years gone by, but His people are unwilling and unprepared. If we are willing, God will rend the heavens (2 Chronicles 7:14). Josiah’s significant reverence for God and his unalloyed dedication to doing God’s will, given the horrible legacy left behind by his ungodly predecessors, indicate that believers can live above board no matter how corrupt and decadent our environment and vicinities are. There can be no excuse for sin.
Josiah’s courage in carrying out these reforms shows that where there is a will, there will always be a way. His bold steps in confronting the decadent and corrupt national idolatrous practices are inspiring. Christians and ministers of God must not fold their hands and watch the forces of darkness proliferate our communities with all forms of satanic and ungodly activities. As a matter of urgency, we must, through prayer, spiritual warfare, and power-evangelism resist the devil and bring spiritual awakening and sanity to our world.
There is no better time than now. Fascinating musical concerts, fundraising projects, and powerful motivational speeches cannot bring the long-awaited revival to the Church. They cannot replace genuine repentance and confession of personal or congregational sins. People must also return to the secret place of prayers, weeping, and mourning for hypocrisy, rebellion, and wickedness. Only these will hasten the reformation we all need.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Revival comes through repentance, humility and prayer.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 13-14
Daily Manna 10 June 2025
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