And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.”(2 Kings 22:8)

The Book of the Law – God’s instructions for how his people were to live before him as recorded by Moses – was found in the Temple. Which meant it had been lost in the Temple, abandoned and forgotten in the midst of all the altars built and ceremonial vessels collected for the worship of Baal and Asherah and the gods of the sun, moon, and stars. Not to mention “the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah.”(2 Kings 23:7)

Thankfully nothing like that could happen today. Among God’s people. In the church. Could it?

As surely as the idolatry of the place and people occupied by Judah infiltrated and influenced Judah, so can the idolatry of the place and people occupied by the church infiltrate and influence the church. And when it does, the Word of God is marginalized, watered down, even abandoned. After all, who wants to hear the clear concise commands of God while breaking them?

So, what does the placement of God’s Word in your church and your life reveal about the God or god(s) you are serving?