Changes in my life have felt like a dark cloud was hanging over me. I remember how God is the cloud the Israelites followed. We must praise Him for our victories and our defeats, in our joys and in our sorrows.
The skies outside my office are overcast and rain has been falling throughout the morning. We live in a desert, so rain is a blessing.
Then, knowing God is always my comfort and my hope, today we read 2 Chronicles 29-31. What a great passage to focus on.
King Hezekiah
There are only five kings who did not either start out as evil, or fell and became evil. We have already discussed David, Asa, Jehosophat and Josiah. Some lists will include Solomon, though he slipped up along the way.
Today, we will talk about Hezekiah. History remains to be seen, but my hope for our current administration is that they will resemble Hezekiah when their days are over.
Israel had been sinning and Ahaz had hired the Assyrians to help them (see 2 Chron 28:16).
The prophet Isaiah was active during this time, telling them of their past, their present mistakes, and foretelling the coming of Jesus.
Then Hezekiah becomes the king, and he isn’t taking years to get started, like Solomon had done. This twenty-five-year-old opened the doors of the temple and had them repaired in his first month! (v29:3).
Then he gives orders to the Levites to consecrate themselves (v29:5) and remove all the defilement from the sanctuary.
After I read my Bible verses today, I was looking at a list of all the sinful waste DOGE has found in our government. It isn’t about the money savings, though that will help our country, but what they were funding. We cannot support activities or groups who are promoting sin.
These agencies and organizations, both those in the United States and others overseas, have been doing the equivalent of “shutting the doors of the portico and putting out the lamps”. Their actions, in direct conflict with the scripture, were causing God’s anger to fall on our country (compare to v29:7-8).
By prompting deviant lifestyles, they have caused sin to proliferate. When they make sin seem mainstream and acceptable, it takes the innocent into captivity (see v29:9).
In our country, the Administration cannot do this alone. They will need approvals from Congress. There will be challenges in the courts, and they will need the Supreme Court.
For these changes, we see to take root and come to fruition, they will all have to assemble, as did the Levites (v29:15)
If God is with us, they will prevail to purify our country, the way the priests did the sanctuary in v29:16. Removing everything that is unclean.
Not Only Sunday
After Hezekiah accomplished this, they had a feast. The king had them sacrifice seven bulls, as well as seven rams, goats and lambs. A subdued sacrifice compared to the opulent spectacle Solomon had overseen.
It was not about the size of the sacrifice, but where their hearts were. They were seeking the Lord and following His commandments.
Then they sang and prayed and worshipped the Lord (v29:30). This lit the fire that started a revival.
The people gave more to the offering without provocation. Six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats (v29:33).
So many that the priests who were sacrificing them could not keep up. Their relatives consecrated themselves and joined the labor. (v29:34)
It is my dream that righteousness catches fire in our land. That our churches can’t hold all the people who want to praise the Lord.
We will need to add preachers and music leaders, and add service times. That would show God’s acceptance of our repentance.
We read the people rejoiced because it happened so quickly (v29:36). Change does not have to be slow. When God is behind it, miracles can happen.
The king knew it was not the time of Passover, but it seemed right for them to have the feast.
We can’t wait for Sunday to decide in our hearts to worship God. Every day is the right day to praise Him.
Faith Grows
The celebration in Israel became a revival and everyone contributed. They could not praise God enough. So King Hezekiah extends the celebration for another week (v30:23).
They were rejoicing because the “Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.” (v30:20)
People will come to church and worship the Lord, but before they get home, it’s over. They return to living as if God didn’t matter.
Not these people. When genuine revival happens, the people keep it going. They went to the towns of Judah and smashed the idols (v31:1). From there, they went to Benjamin and Ephraim.
They were doing all of this in the third month, a hundred days into the reign of Hezekiah. They completed it within four months. (v31:7).
Because of this growth of righteousness, they needed more priests and we see them adding to those numbers throughout the rest of chapter 31.
This was when God will speak to the prophets Isaiah and Micah. Those who will tell of the coming Messiah.
Hezekiah was the fifth righteous king. Like the others, he had sins. But he did not cause God’s people to sin.
The Sixth King
There was still one King remaining. The list of Old Testament kings omits him, although every page mentions him (1).
I am talking about the King of Kings, the Lord of Lord. The one who hung on a cross with signs written in three languages describing Him as King of the Jews.
His name is Jesus.
He is my King. Is He yours?
Tomorrow we will read 2 Chronicles 32-34
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Murray, D. P. (2013). Jesus on every page: 10 simple ways to seek and find Christ in the Old Testament. Thomas Nelson.
