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RUSSELL SANDERS
9-5-2022
GOD AND SEXUAL PERVERSION – LESSON 8
JOSIAH AND THE TEMPLE DOGS
The righteous King Hezekiah was dying after reigning 14 years, just as the prophet Isaiah had told him. He had pleaded with God to grant him more time to live. Isaiah brought the word that God would grant him another 15 years of life. Three years into that extension of time, his son Manasseh was born. Manasseh was the opposite of his father. He became the evilest of all Judah’s kings (2 Kings 21.) Following his death after ruling 55 years, his evil son Amon reigned for two years before being assassinated by his own servants. Amon’s eight-year-old son, Josiah, became king.
Josiah followed the righteous path of his godly great-grandfather, Hezekiah. At the age of 26 Josiah was busy setting God’s house in order by restoring the temple. The godly priests and scribes had discovered the scriptures that Manasseh had put away. When they read the scriptures to Josiah, the king was sorely troubled to know the gross disobedience to God’s law that had become the normal way of life. He rent (tore off) his clothes knowing God’s wrath would come upon the nation (2 Kings 22:13) for their rebellion against God.
The prophetess Huldah (2 Kings 22:15-20) confirmed God’s coming judgment but said that it would not come in Josiah’s life because 2 Kings 22:19 said his “heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD…”
Josiah made a covenant with Jehovah to keep all His commandments. He got rid of the groves of idols and the idolatrous priests and all pagan rituals. But it is noteworthy what was said regarding the perversion of homosexuality.
2 Kings 23:7 said Josiah “broke down the houses of the sodomites that were by (beside) the house (temple) of the LORD, (and where the women wove hangings for the (idols) grove.”
Under Manasseh, the sodomites had gained such power and prestige that they were allowed to build their houses next door to the temple. They were the “dogs” prohibited in Deuteronomy 23:18, male prostitutes. Now they literally had their houses of ill repute adjoining the holy temple. Not only that, but they also allowed a “cottage industry” of women in these houses to make the hangings or artifacts for use in the pagan groves of idols.
Josiah got rid of all of it. The houses were all torn down. He put a cease to all of it. He went a step beyond by eliminating and destroying many of the “high places” that had previously been left intact.
Yes, homosexuality had become so prevalent that the temple was filled with male and female prostitutes. Today, many “houses of God,” churches, are even led by sodomites who have been ordained as ministers. Can judgment of our nation be very far off in time? I think not. Judgment is about to fall hard upon America, indeed upon the world.
But, as seen in the examples of Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Josiah, God is merciful to those who love and obey him. He is our rock of salvation, our strong tower of protection. Let us keep both our minds and our hearts centered upon Him as judgment comes. He will see us through it.
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