Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the LORD, while Athaliah reigned over the land. 2 Kings 11:1-3 (ESV)
This passage always amazes me. It is clear evidence of how much the nation of Judah had spiritually deteriorated. Here was the future king hiding in the temple of the L-rd for six years and few knew about it. Though the temple complex had many rooms and chambers, you would think eventually someone would hear a strange sound, a child crying or screaming. Yet the child remained well hidden for many years.
Consider then the spiritual state of Judah at the time. A child and his nurse hide in the temple. No one seems to hear anything, no one bothers to look around, and apparently no guards making the rounds. For six long years this continues. Do you see the pattern? The temple, abandoned and ignored, gathering dust while the rest of the country does other things. It wouldn’t surprise me if the structures and neighborhood near the Temple were also abandoned and collecting dust.
This image should be familiar to anyone who lives in small towns that are dying or big cities with deteriorating neighborhoods. Though we live in a society that no longer seems to care whether a church or synagogue is abandoned or worse yet, that there are fewer religious institutions in general, we need to consider the consequences of not caring.
Ultimately, a society that ignores and abandons its churches and synagogues also abandon the L-rd. Like the scriptural example given at the top of this article, we would find our civilization replacing those churches and synagogues with a government hostile to religion in general and people in specific. Some people wish for a culture free of God, religion and the Bible. Yet, historically there are no examples of a society that, in the end, can survive with that belief. Eventually, all societies that abandon the Lord and Scripture end up self-destructing.
The next time you pass through a neighborhood with neglected and abandoned buildings, churches and structures, be concerned. It could also be a sign not only of physical poverty but also of spiritual poverty.
