idol smashing

Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession.

2 Chronicles 31:1

Under king Hezekiah’s godly influence, a revival swept through Judah to impact a generation. Hezekiah restored the temple, supported the priests, and urged the nation to return to the Lord in repentance. The people once again began worshiping the Lord in His temple in Jerusalem. They obeyed the covenant, prayed to the Lord, and kept the Passover. There was a spirit of renewed obedience throughout the kingdom.

As love for God and obedience to His Word spread, the idolatry that had infiltrated Judah became detestable to the Jews. The people spontaneously went on idol smashing patrols. No edict from the king motivated them as much as the real worship of God now fueled them and a remorse over their past sin was felt. Real repentance demonstrated itself in specific actions. They rid the land of idols and temptations. The text reads like they didn’t rest until every last idol and place of idolatry was torn down.

Idol smashing is hard work. It doesn’t just mean a quick prayer and a promise to be better. It is backed up by breaking down stone pillars, cutting down shrines, and dismantling altars of false worship. It means leaving no vestige of idolatry as we seek God wholeheartedly. It is rewarded in the true, undistracted worship of an almighty and holy God!