Summary:
Hezekiah Purifies the Temple
Verses 1 - 36
King Hezekiah: 25 years old when he became king
- reigned in Jerusalem for 29 years
- mother: Abijah daughter of Zechariah
- did right in God's eyes, as David had done
The first month in the first year of his reign:
- opened the temple doors and repaired them
- assembled the priests & Levites on the east side of the square
- gave them these instructions: consecrate themselves and the temple of the Lord, removing all defilement
Their fathers had been unfaithful and evil; they had forsook God. They turned their backs on God, shutting the portico doors and putting out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present burnt offerings in God's sanctuary. Therefore, God's anger had fallen on Jerusalem and Judah. They had become objects of dread, horror, and scorn. This is why their fathers had been killed by the sword and their sons, daughters, and wives were now in captivity.
King Hezekiah intended to make a covenant with God, to turn His anger from them. He told the priests and Levites, calling them sons, to not be negligent, because God had chosen them to stand before Him, serve Him, minister before Him, and to burn incense.
These are the Levites that went to work: [s. = "son of"]
- from the Kohathites - Mahath s. Amasai, Joel s. Azariah
- from the Merarites - Kish s. Abdi, Azariah s. Jehallelel
- from the Gershonites - Joah s. Zimmah, Eden s. Joah
- descendants of Elizaphan - Shimir & Jeiel
- descendants of Asaph - Zechariah & Mattaniah
- descendants of Heman - Jehiel & Shimei
- descendants of Jeduthun - Shemaiah & Uzziel
They assembled their brothers, consecrated themselves, then went to purify the Lord's temple in obedience to the king and the Lord. The priests went to the sanctuary to purify it. They brought to the courtyard everything unclean from within the temple. The Levites, then, carried them out to the Kidron Valley. By the 8th day of the 1st month, they reached the portico. By the 16th day, they finished consecrating the actual temple.
They reported to King Hezekiah that they had purified the entire temple, the altar of burnt offerings and its utensils, the table for the consecrated bread and its articles. They consecrated all of the articles King Ahaz had removed and placed them in front of the Lord's altar.
Early the next morning, King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went up to the Lord's temple. They brought 7 bulls, 7 rams, 7 male lambs, and 7 male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, sanctuary, and Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer them on the Lord's altar. They slaughtered the bulls and sprinkled their blood on the altar. They did the same with the rams, then the lambs. The goats for the sin offering were brought to the king and assembly. They laid their hands on the goats. The priest slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar, to atone for all Israel. They did as the king had ordered for the burnt and sin offerings.
Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the temple, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, as prescribed by David, Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet. The Lord commanded this through His prophets. The Levites stood ready with David's instruments, and the priests with their trumpets. Hezekiah ordered the burn offerings sacrificed on the altar. As it began, so did singing to the Lord, with the trumpets and instruments. The whole assemble bowed in worship, while music went on, until the burnt offering was complete. Then, the king and everyone present knelt down and worshiped God. Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord, with the words of David and Asaph the seer. They sang praises with gladness, bowed their heads, and worshiped.
Hezekiah said that they'd dedicated themselves to the Lord. He invited the people to bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the Lord's temple. The assembly did so, and those with willing hearts brought burnt offerings. The number of burnt offerings from the assembly: 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 male lambs. The number of animals consecrated as sacrifices: 600 bulls; 3,000 sheep and goats.
There were too few priests to skin all the burnt offerings. So, their kinsmen, the Levites, helped them until the task was done or until the other priests had been consecrated. The Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been. There were burnt offerings in abundance, as well as the fat of the fellowship (peace) offerings, and drink offerings with the burnt offerings.
The service of the Lord's temple was reestablished. Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for His people, because it was done so quickly.
Lori's Thoughts:
The Israelites wouldn't have been able to turn things around without God. As we have read, without God, they destroy themselves. Instead of sacrificing their children and worshiping idols, they sacrificed animals and worshiped the living God.
Sometimes, worshiping God is tedious. It took hard labor to restore the temple and to atone for their sins. Sometimes, Bible studies are tedious. But, I guarantee you that they're worth it. No one ever became physically fit or achieved a doctorate degree without hard work. So, we become spiritually fit by obeying God's instructions. The end results more than compensate for the work required. And God will never overwhelm us.
Just as the temple was purified, so are our hearts. "For out the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." (Matthew 15:19) The Holy Spirit does the purging. Jesus is our sacrificial Lamb, and we are at one with God. If that doesn't put a song in your heart, nothing will.
Praise Him! "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)
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