Cleansing the Altars of Our Hearts
"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
In 2 Kings 23:12, we observe a pivotal moment in the reign of King Josiah, who undertook a radical reformation in Judah. The verse states, "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." This act of destruction against the altars signifies much more than just a physical renovation of Judah’s worship practices; it illustrates the deeper, spiritual call for every believer to cleanse their hearts of anything that stands against God.
At the time, Judah was plagued by idolatry and unrighteousness—idols established by previous kings had turned the hearts of the people away from God. Josiah’s actions signify his strong disapproval of these practices. He did not simply conceal the altars or leave them in ruins; he actively dismantled them and cast the debris into the brook Kidron, which served as a symbolic rejection of all that those altars represented. Josiah understood that worshiping the God of Israel demands exclusivity and purity. He knew that every king, prior to him, had significantly contributed to Judah's spiritual negligence, and now he had to rectify these transgressions.
As followers of Christ, we are often confronted with the metaphorical altars in our lives—those things that compete for our devotion and distract us from our primary relationship with God. Possessions, relationships, habits, and our own ambitions can become altars in the upper chambers of our hearts. To cleanse our hearts, we must identify these altars and dismantle whatever stands between us and our devotion to the Lord.
What do the altars in your own life look like? Perhaps it's an unhealthy relationship that erodes your peace or an addiction that whispers false promises of comfort. Maybe your altar is the distraction of busyness that steals precious time away from prayer and intimacy with God. Josiah teaches us that acknowledging the presence of these altars is only the first step—it takes courage and conviction to dismantle them.
Josiah's approach was not merely destruction; he ‘beat down’ these altars, indicating a willingness to confront what was wrong passionately and with purpose. The act of beating down these altars is a reflection of the urgency with which we should approach sin in our lives. God desires to purify our hearts and remove every trace of allegiance to false gods. When we engage with God’s word and allow it to penetrate our hearts, we can better understand how to identify and dismantle these idols.
In casting the dust into the brook Kidron, Josiah not only removed the altars but also symbolically dismissed any lingering influence they might have had over the people. In our lives, once we have identified and dealt with our altars, we too must ensure there is a complete severance from those influences. This is where repentance comes into play; it is not enough to merely turn away from our sins; we must walk in newness of life, allowing the cleansing blood of Jesus to purify us completely.
As we reflect on this passage, let us ask ourselves: What needs to be beaten down in our hearts? Are we ready to appraise our lives honestly and cast away all that does not glorify God? In doing so, we not only honor Him but also liberate ourselves to worship unhindered. Let us remember that Jesus is the ultimate King who desires a pure heart, and He gives us the strength to break down every altar that stands in opposition to Him. May we take up the call to cleanse the altars of our hearts and follow the example of King Josiah, committed to worshiping God in truth and purity.
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2 Kings 23:12 Artwork
2 Kings 23:12 - "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."
"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
2 Kings 23:23 - "But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem."
Genesis 1:2 3
2 Kings 8:23 - "And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"
2 Kings 23:22 - "Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;"
2 Kings 23:28 - "Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"
2 Kings 3:23 - "And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil."
1 Kings 12:23 - "Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,"
2 Kings 23:1 - "And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem."
2 Kings 21:23 - "¶ And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house."
2 Kings 12:19 - "¶ And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"
2 Kings 9:23 - "And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah."
"But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem." - 2 Kings 23:23
2 Kings 12:14 - "But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD."
2 Kings 25:12 - "But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen."
2 Kings 23:37 - "And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done."
2 Kings 23:32 - "And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done."
2 Kings 23:11 - "And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire."
2 Kings 12:16 - "The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD: it was the priests'."
2 Kings 23:21 - "¶ And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant."
2 Kings 23:7 - "And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove."
2 Kings 12:12 - "And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it."
2 Samuel 23:12 - "But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory."
2 Kings 12:2 - "And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him."
2 Kings 10:12 - "¶ And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,"
2 Chronicles 9:23 - "¶ And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart."
2 Kings 13:12 - "And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?"
2 Kings 14:12 - "And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents."
2 Kings 15:23 - "¶ In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years."