Friday Faithfuls Two: 2 Chronicles

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

If 1 Chronicles is a tedious read of lists and genealogies,  2 Chronicles is a roller coaster of reversals...this king served God, this one didn't...that one didn't...this one did until (something happened) and then he walked away...violence, murder, revival, apostasy...it's a wild ride.

So much in it caught my attention as I was skimming through; the construction and dedication of the temple made me want to weep.  So much good effort!  Such honor given to the Lord!  And...he responded with fire falling on the altar, just as it had in the wilderness when the tabernacle was dedicated. Can you imagine what that was like? And yet...Solomon lost his focus as he aged and allowed pagan worship into the country.  The nation divided and never again achieved the level of prosperity and favor it had under the prime years of Solomon.

But the verse that jumped out at me and made me pause is 2 Chronicles 31:1:

When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.  They destroyed the high places and the altars through out Judah and Benjamin and Ephraim and Manesseh.  After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned their own towns and to their own property.

'This' that 'had ended' was actually an over-the-top celebration of Passover that went beyond its required time; they had an extra seven days of worship and consecration.

Y'all, they had a spontaneous revival meeting.  A REAL, Holy-Ghost revival meeting... and we know that because afterward, the people went out and destroyed their idols.

And as I read that, I realized that idol destruction is a hallmark of a changed life.  We can have incredible meetings where the atmosphere is electric and signs are manifesting and the prophetic word is flowing...but if we don't go out and destroy the idols, it was just a wild church service.  

The idols must be destroyed...not put away, not covered up, DESTROYED.    An idol cannot be toyed with...one can't tell oneself it's not that big a deal, keep it around because there are some fond memories of something associated with it or there has been too much money invested in it or it's popular or whatever; it will regenerate from whatever root left to it.

Was it a real revival?  Or just a good service?  

Are the idols gone?

Can I say...ouch?