The Exchange

"The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings there." 2 Kings 12:3...."The Exchanged the truth of God for a lie." Romans 1:25....."The high places in our lives are often not what we zealously pursue but what we passively tolerate....We fall in love with unlovely things. We exchange truth for a lie." Chris Tiegreen

When Moses went up on the mountain to commune with God and receive His commandments, the people below grew impatient with the wait. After all, they had never really "seen" or experienced Him as had Moses. They had lots of information, but they had little or no reality of Him. Yet they wanted to, in their way. So they convinced Aaron, Moses' brother to construct an idol according to their idea of Him. Aaron the priest, was to have been by Moses' side on the mountain. Instead he chose to stay below, where the half-hearted people were. He yielded to their requests and constructed the calf. Moses was beholding His glory on the mountain. Aaron and the people were gazing at a flawed idea of who they thought God was. Scripture says that they exchanged the glory of God for a statue of a grass eating ox. Where, in some way or ways have we done the same? Where are we doing so now?

Joash was king of Israel. Scripture says of him that he was neither a fully good or bad king. The first part of his reign was marked by many good acts, but the last part by a host of bad ones. He had obeyed God in many places in his life, but not in the most important. All over the kingdom were "high places," locations where altars were erected to gods who were no gods at all. Gods who were worshiped by the people in addition to the one true God, or completely apart from Him. Joash was to destroy these. He never did and they remained to draw the hearts of both the people and Joash himself away from Jehovah God. Could we dare to allow Him to search our hearts in order to reveal where we too have allowed high places to remain? Places where we may not so much worship as tolerate. Places where we feel a bond with. A bond that will always draw our hearts from Him.

There are some searching questions for each of us. Where in our lives do we prefer the company of the half-hearted instead of the fully devoted? Where are we "constructing" a God who more closely resembles who we think He should be instead of who He actually is? Where are the "high places" located in our hearts, be they relationships, activities, habits, desires, and goals, that draw both our heart and our person from Him? Last, are we ready for the consequences of allowing any and all of these to continue? There is cost, deep cost in doing so. On that mountain with Moses, He declared that we should have no other gods before Him, yet somehow, we always find ways around that command. John Calvin said that we are born as "master craftsmen of idols." Where are yours and mine? Where have we exchanged His glory for a dumb ox? Where have we traded His truth for a lie?

Blessings,