2 Kings 23:15-20 ESV

15 Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, that altar with the high place he pulled down and burned, reducing it to dust. He also burned the Asherah. 16 And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mount. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar and defiled it, according to the word of the LORD that the man of God proclaimed, who had predicted these things. 17 Then he said, “What is that monument that I see?” And the men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted these things that you have done against the altar at Bethel.” 18 And he said, “Let him be; let no man move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. 19 And Josiah removed all the shrines also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made, provoking the LORD to anger. He did to them according to all that he had done at Bethel. 20 And he sacrificed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

WHAT IS THAT MONUMENT THAT I SEE?

In his cleansing campaign in Samaria, King Josiah was determined to destroy every pagan edifice, including tombs. He took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar and defiled it, according to the word of the LORD that the man of God proclaimed, who had predicted these things

But he saw a tomb and asked, “What is that monument that I see?” What prompted him to ask is not clear. Clearly, he was careful to destroy shrines which were verified. Interestingly, the men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted these things that you have done against the altar at Bethel.” He had died many years earlier, yet the specific king he mentioned, Josiah, came to fulfill his words. His words were recorded in 1 Kings 13:1-2, “And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. 2 And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.” Was this a coincidence?

King Josiah was quick to honor him, saying, “Let him be; let no man move his bones.” He was an obscure prophet but having a popular message. Apparently, people did not remember his name but his words had lingered in their minds. He died but his words lives. Similarly, it doesn’t matter whether people will remember our names as long as they won’t forget the message we bring – the gospel.

Are we passionate to elevate the name of Christ alone? As Paul had declared for himself, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” [1 Cor 2:2] Sadly, today’s norm is when a popular preacher said it that makes it worth considering, is it not? May we be like John the baptizer, the greatest prophet [Luke 7:26-28] who said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”[John 3:30]

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