He also tore down the living quarters of the male and female shrine prostitutes that were inside the Temple of the LORD, where the women wove coverings for the Asherah pole. [2 Kings 23.7]
I can imagine there is much more to this story than meets the eye.
We should explore the implications of 2 Kings 23.7 because, only when we do will we understand just how relevant it is to our current circumstances today.
The "state of the union" Josiah set out to reform was one of wanton idolatry. The problem, as seen above, was not that God's people had abandoned God altogether, but had, instead, included idolatry with their worship of God.
As appalling as the paragraph above is, God's people today should not be so quick to judge...
Idolatry is trusting anything other than, or in addition to God. As the Bible goes, this problem is THE problem of God's people that is repeatedly addressed throughout their history. In the case of 2 Kings 23.7, man's idolatry involved sex (big surprise, right?). Be that as it may however, the story is not about the sex, but about the brazen act of bringing that particular idol-practice (in this case, sex AND weaving coverings for the Asherah pole) into God's Temple. The prostitutes were literally living in the Temple!
Now we are getting somewhere.
In God's eyes, spiritual prostitution (idolatry) is the same whether it involves sex or not. When Israel depended on ally nations, God saw it as spiritual prostitution. When Israel called on Baal, God saw it as spiritual prostitution. In fact, anything or anyone Israel went to, trusted in, or called upon instead of, or simply in addition to God, was viewed by God as an idol. What we MUST understand is that God STILL views it that way.
“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7]
It should be noted here that in the context of today's One Year Chronological Bible reading we find Nahum's words:
The LORD is a jealous God... [Nahum 1.2]
What have God's people "brought into the Temple" today? What have God's people included in and with their worship of God invoking His jealousy? It will come as no surprise that this author will quickly reply: finance, insurance, medicine and technology. These are all idols by virtue of man's trust in them instead of, or in addition to God. The fact that these idol industries ALL employ "sex" to varying degrees in their advertisements only further makes 2 Kings 23.7 highly relevant to us today!
As uncomfortable as it makes us, Jesus' words should always be taken literal:
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]
Every need of man, including those allegedly met by finance, insurance, medicine and technology, are NOT the concern of a true Kingdom-Seeker as they are all provided exclusively by the King of the Kingdom.
Furthermore, Jesus more clearly indicated that for His followers to 'care for themselves' (understandably the way of man) is something that MUST be given up (even to the point of death):
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]
Any religious interpretation of Jesus' words that is less than literal is the same religious spirit found in those who hated and crucified Jesus.
Until we understand that even our simplest, most justifiable (in our eyes) idols are no different than the shrine prostitutes of 2 Kings 23.7, we effectively look upon Jesus as did the hyper-religious spiritual leaders who cried out for His crucifixion (thinking they knew more than God).
Father, may our eyes be opened to the spiritual adultery we justify every day as part of our "trust" in You. May we be found repentant - giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it.
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