Reform in Religion

KEY VERSE: “The remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.” —II Kings 19:30

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: II Kings 18:1-8

OUR lesson for today is based on the actions of the good king Hezekiah in bringing his people back to God. The Israelites were surrounded on all sides by heathen nations that engaged in every abominable form of idolatry, even to offering their children to false gods as human sacrifices. Although they were God’s covenant people and were specifically admonished against engaging in such worship, Israel had adopted many of the idolatrous practices engaged in by their heathen neighbors.

As a nation, Israel was a type of God’s special people, the church of this Gospel Age who, like Israel of old, are in this world, but are admonished to keep themselves separate from it. (Lev. 20:24,26; I Kings 8:53; Ezra 10:11; John 15:18,19; 17:13-16) Thus it is instructive to notice just where Hezekiah directed his attention in returning the backsliding nation to Jehovah. He reminded them of the terms of their covenant with God, particularly as it related to recognizing Jehovah as the one and only true God whom they had solemnly promised at Sinai to worship and obey.—Exod. 19:5-8

Certainly, all can see that this present evil world is over-charged with injustice, hunger, and oppression which all good people, especially Christians, deeply deplore. Surely, none can close his eyes, or his heart, to the suffering and sorrow that sorely afflict every corner of this troubled planet. These conditions have plagued mankind in one degree or another since sin first entered the world in the Garden of Eden, and have steadfastly resisted all efforts by reformers, statesmen, humanitarians and philanthropists down through the ages to eradicate them. And they will continue unabated until, in the wise and orderly outworking of his loving plan of salvation for all mankind, Jehovah God says it is enough, and establishes Christ’s thousand-year kingdom on earth for the blessing of all the families of the earth.

Hezekiah realized it was not his task to undertake the religious and social reform of the heathen nations surrounding God’s chosen people. His task, as he saw it, was to remind the Israelites that they were God’s special treasure, that they were in covenant relationship with Jehovah, and that they were to love and worship him only and keep his commandments. So it is with God’s special people of this Gospel Age.

True, Jesus healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, made the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. And he fed the hungry multitudes on the shores of Galilee. But Jesus’ mission at his first advent was not to reform this present evil world; it was to give himself as a ransom for the sins of the world, and to call out of the world during this Gospel Age a little flock of those who would be his footstep followers and who, if faithful would later live and reign with him for a thousand years. Neither is reformation of the evils of the world the work of the church at the present time. The work of the church in this present Gospel Age is a work within herself. The present mission of the church is the perfecting of the saints for the future work of service; to develop in herself every grace; to be God’s witness to the world; and to prepare to be the kings and priests in the next age. (Eph. 4:12; Matt. 24:14; Rev. 1:6; 20:6) It is then that hunger, sickness, injustice, suffering, sin in all its awful forms, and death will all be forever banished from the face of the earth! The Scriptures refer to this coming time of reformation as “times of restitution,” which God has promised through his holy prophets since the world began.—Acts 3:19-21

The changes for good that shall then be wrought in the lives of resurrected humankind will be beyond the fondest hopes of the most dedicated reformers, social and religious, that this poor world has ever known! There shall be no more poverty; no more need for doctors or hospitals; no more wars. And best of all, there will be no more grieving bereaved ones, “for there shall be no more death.”—Isa. 65:21,22; 33:24; Mic. 4:3; Rev. 21:4

For the consummation of every one of these promised blessings we have the solemn pledge of Jehovah God himself. “He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write; for these words are true and faithful.”—Rev. 21:5

| Home Page | Table of Contents |