No man is born in a cultural vacuum. This mean that we are born into and grow up in an environment with a set of social behaviours, institutions and norms found in human societies as well as knowledge, beliefs, arts, customs, capabilities, attitudes and habits of the individuals in these groups. To make any cultural changes, is to reconstruct human habits and to challenge existing set behaviours of a group of people. This process can be uncomfortable for any community, especially if you are making changes to practices that are already heavily entrenched in the community.

For the people of Judah during king Jehoshaphat’s time, they had already been worshipping Baals for an extended period. Despite king Jehoshaphat’s father, King Asa’s attempt to make spiritual reforms to the nation in his time, he could not fully removed the worship of other gods. King Asa failed to remove the high places and the Asherim in his forty one years of reign over his people (2 Chronicles 15:17).

The scriptures described King Jehoshaphat as a man with a heart courageous in the ways of the Lord (verse 6). He chose not follow the cultural norms of his time to worship Baals, but instead sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments (verse 4). He did the unthinkable by boldly taking down the high places and the Asherim out of Judah. One can only imagined the kind of resistance he faced in the reformation process. There might have been worshippers of Baals who were angered by these unpopular decisions, or even resisted the king’s order. It would have been easier for King Jehoshaphat to go with whatever was familiar with his culture, but his conviction to obey Yahweh led him to make drastic changes to turn people back to Yahweh.

He made changes through teaching the Book of the Law to his people. He sent his trusted leaders: the officials, Levites and priests to teach the Book of the Law to all the cities of Judah and this brought fear upon the kingdoms of the land and there was peace. Notice the author did not say that he placed forces in the fortified cities of Judah and the fear of the Lord fell upon the kingdoms. It was the teaching of the commandments that brought the fear of God that led to such peace.

Jehoshaphat understood that the reestablishment of the Worship and Word of God was foundational for the people to know who Yahweh is. He focused on getting it right, even if some of the decisions were not pleasing to the people in the culture. He was reshaping the nation with a God centred culture. The scriptures tell us that the Lord was pleased with him and God established the kingdom in his hand, and blessed him with much honour and riches.

Dear brothers and sisters, are the cultures we are in today Christ centred? Is there the Worship and Word of God present in your family today? Are there chances of gathering with your colleagues for time of prayers and worship during your lunch break? Are there opportunity for gospel conversations with your classmates in school or work? Even in “doing” church, are we focused on drawing people back to the Worship and Word of God? Focus on doing what is pleasing to God, and trust that He will provide for you.

My dad is not a believer (yet), and for a big bulk of my life, giving thanks openly on dinner table for the food God has provided was a luxury. Dad used to say in jest that I ought to thank him for the food since it was him who gave us food to eat. I would often smile and say, “I thank God for providing such a wonderful father who put food on the table.” Many years later, he now allows us to give thanks publicly for the meals. Dear brothers and sisters, I am not asking you to do something out of your capacity. Right in the area of influence which God has given to you, what is one thing you be asking God to reestablished the culture in your immediate environment? Would you ask God for a heart of courage in the ways of the Lord like King Jehoshaphat to make a difference in shaping your culture to centre around Christ today?

Prayer: Dear God, would you give us the clarity of King Jehoshaphat vision, the conviction in our own hearts to be right with you and the courage to take steps of faith to redeem the culture we are in to be centred around you. Help me to see what you have given to me and help me to make that yours. In Jesus name I pray, amen.