Looking Back to Move Forward

OT: 2 Kings 23
NT: Matthew 1

2 Kings 23:21-23 — The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had any such Passover been observed. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem.
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It's amazing to me how we tend to forget many of the good things of the past. I'm not talking about vinyl records or bell bottom pants here, but the many spiritual things we have forgotten in the name of moving forward. Many churches have forgotten about educating their people in Sunday schools or mid-week classes. They instead pour their efforts into Sunday morning sermons. Other Christians have decided to forget about studying church history, choosing instead to overlook 2,000 years of the Holy Spirit's work in and through the Church.

King Josiah knew that the Law of Moses mandated that the Passover be observed, so he made sure that the nation of Judah had a celebration unlike any other in the past 500 years. He went all out because he must have realized that the celebration of the ancient feast was not meant to hold his nation back from growth but instead to refocus his nation towards its identity as God's chosen people and direct it towards a brighter spiritual future. The Passover was obviously a good thing. Just as many of the spiritual elements of the Church past are good things to be carried into the future. Just like fellowship meals (maybe even pot lucks!) and prayer meetings. Just like the public reading of Scripture and corporate worship. Sometimes it's good to look back if you want to move forward.

Be God's!