Jun
25
Forgetting God’s Law
June 25, 2008 |
Imagine not knowing the law - especially the law as passed down by God.
In today’s first reading (2 Kings 22), King Josiah sent his aide, Shaphan, to the temple to collect some money owed the royal treasury. When he got there, Hilkiah, the high priest, lets him know that he found the ”book of the law.” In other words, he found the Pentateuch and the other scripture that God had given the Israelites to show them how to live always in his favor.
Shaphan was pretty much clueless as to what he was carrying back to Josiah. But, upon reading it, Josiah knew exactly what it was. I can just imagine a big old “uh-oh” (or something a little more explicit) coming out of his mouth. He had to immediately realize that his people were nowhere near following these laws from God.
To his credit, Josiah gathered his people, read them the law, and reaffirmed their covenant with God. For the time being, he was recommitting his people to following God’s path.
What I can’t understand is how did they forget the law to begin with? How did they get so far off the reservation that they didn’t even know the law existed?
But, then again, that’s how I feel sometimes about my lack of catechist training growing up. How come I didn’t learn all of great things I’m learning now about our faith?
Have too many of us forgotten too much of the law? And what do we need to do to rededicate ourselves to God’s covenant with us?
