the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 2 of 5
2 Kings 23:12-23
Josiah pursues his bold work of purification. And here, in the midst of the tombs of the heathen priests, he notices another tomb. It is that of the man of God who had foretold the events which are now being accomplished. Bones of the dead were lying there, next to one another, but their eternal destiny differed. The Lord, at His coming, will distinguish and will raise from among the dead the bodies of believers who "are asleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:13 . . .). The others will be left for the resurrection of damnation.
Josiah understood that before celebrating the LORD’s passover in a worthy way, all pollution had to be taken out of the land. There can be no agreement between the worship of the holy God and anything associated with idols (2 Corinthians 6:16-17). If he desires worthily to name the Name of Christ, the believer is urged to separate himself from iniquity, and to purify himself from "vessels to dishonour" (2 Timothy 2:19). It may be painful to be separated, to refrain from, to purify oneself, and no doubt will result in our being accused of pride and narrowness. But it is what God requires from us before any service is undertaken for Himself. See what is the blessed consequence for Josiah and all the people: "Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges" (v. 22).
