2 Chronicles 33:1-9 English Standard Version Manasseh Reigns in Judah 33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6 And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of the idol that he had made he set in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever, 8 and I will no more remove the foot of Israel from the land that I appointed for your fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the statutes, and the rules given through Moses.” 9 Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel. I think it's fair to say that Hezekiah's son rebelled against his father's way of doing things when he came to the throne at the age of twelve. That seems young to us, but Jewish boys became adults at the age of 13 and did everything adults did at that point like marrying and having children of their own. Even though Manasseh was an evil king, he was allowed to reign for fifty-five years (until Manasseh was sixty-seven years old). That's well-advanced in years for that time and a long reign for any of the kings.
I already called him an evil king. That's because he worshiped all the idols of the nations around him and engaged in all their wicked practices like child sacrifice, fornication, and maybe even bestiality (depending on exactly which gods and goddesses he was worshiping). He rebuilt all the high places where people went to participate in their pagan rituals and remade the idols of Baal and the Asheroth that his father had torn down. He also built altars for all these false gods within the courts of the Temple to desecrate the Temple. I already mentioned child sacrifice as one of the abominations that made the LORD angry with him, but he also brought back the mediums, witches, fortune tellers, sorcerers, necromancers, and false prophets (sometimes called seers) of these false gods, which the LORD had commanded that anyone practicing such detestable things should be put to death. The things that the LORD hated were the things that Manasseh loved. The text tells us that under Manasseh's leadership, Manasseh and the people of Judah (identified by its capital city, Jerusalem) did more evil in the sight of God than all their pagan neighbors around them. that's really saying something. We can see that making the Temple a place for the worship of these false gods really angered the LORD as the Temple was a place where His Name and covenant were to be remembered by His people and by the people of all nations. It was a place for the nations to come and hear of His nature and character and commandments, and it was a place for the gospel as they knew it to be proclaimed to the whole world. That place that was to be the place of evangelism and discipleship has now become a cesspool of spiritual filth where people come to consort with demons and engage in all kinds of detestable practices, not the least of which is probably all kinds of sexual sin. What a perversion of what the LORD had intended this place to be! 2 Chronicles 32:24-33 English Standard Version Hezekiah's Pride and Achievements 24 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death, and he prayed to the LORD, and he answered him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem. 26 But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. 27 And Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made for himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of costly vessels; 28 storehouses also for the yield of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and sheepfolds. 29 He likewise provided cities for himself, and flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very great possessions. 30 This same Hezekiah closed the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. 31 And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart. 32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper part of the tombs of the sons of David, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his place. As I mentioned before, there is one tiny black spot in the story of Hezekiah, and it's right here. The king was sick to the point of death, and he cried out to the LORD for healing, and the LORD healed him, but because of the king's pride, the king did not give thanks to the LORD for the miracle that He had performed on the king's behalf. Typically, in this situation the king would make a public display of thanksgiving by going to the Temple to offer a large number of sacrifices and make a public declaration to the people about what the LORD had done for him.
Because of the pride of Hezekiah and the people, the LORD's wrath began to be poured out on the people of Jerusalem and all Judah, but Hezekiah quickly repented and humbled himself before the LORD, as did all the people of Jerusalem, so that the LORD's wrath was turned away from the king and the people of Jerusalem and Judah. From that point forward, the king and the people were at peace with God throughout the entire reign of Hezekiah. The text elaborates more on the test that the LORD gave to Hezekiah to reveal the pride that was in his heart and the consequences that would play in the future. The LORD had blessed Hezekiah with lots of riches so that the riches filled his treasuries and the treasuries of the Temple. His storehouses were full of not only silver and gold, but also precious stones and spices, shields, costly vessels, grain, wine, and oil. He also had places to house and feed all of his cattle and sheep--entire cities belonged to him. He was a rich and powerful man, and it was obvious the LORD's hand of blessing was upon him. Now the news of the king's miraculous healing reached all the way to Babylon, and they send their envoys to inquire as to the sign that accompanied the miracle (we aren't told exactly what this sign was, but it was something interesting so that even the foreign people were talking about it and wanting to know more about it). It was the perfect opportunity for Hezekiah to point these foreigners and pagans to the LORD--the one true God and call on them to turn to Him alone for salvation, but he did not do that. It's not told to us directly what he did other than that LORD left Hezekiah on his own in this situation to test him, but it would seem to us that he showed these envoys all around the city and all the riches that he had so that when the time came for them to attack Judah in just a few chapters, they knew all of Jerusalem's strengths and weaknesses and all the places where its riches and treasures were kept. They would take all the wealth of the treasuries of the king and the LORD and put them in their king's treasuries and in their pagan temples. Hezekiah didn't live to see the consequences of his actions because, shortly after this, he died and was buried with the good kings of Israel and Judah in the royal tombs in Jerusalem. We can read more about him not only in the book of the Kings, but also in the book of Isaiah, as Isaiah was the prophet of the LORD sent to Hezekiah and recorded the messages that the LORD gave him to deliver to the king and the people during that time. Hezekiah's son Manasseh would reign in his place. Would he be a good king like his father? We'll find out next time. 2 Chronicles 32:20-23 English Standard Version The LORD Delivers Jerusalem 20 Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this and cried to heaven. 21 And the LORD sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he came into the house of his god, some of his own sons struck him down there with the sword. 22 So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and he provided for them on every side. 23 And many brought gifts to the LORD to Jerusalem and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward. Last time we saw the king of Assyria taunt the people and blaspheme the LORD saying that not even the LORD could save the people of Judah from the army of the Assyrians. Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah prayed because of this, and the LORD heard their prayers and sent an angel (a single angel) to cut off all the mighty warriors of Assyria and all their commanders and officers that were in the camp. The king of Assyria led the remaining men of his camp back to Assyria in shame and defeat.
When the king got home, he went to the temple of his gods, probably to inquire about why they did not save him--because they could not--but in that place that we often call a "sanctuary" is where some of his own sons assassinated him. In this way, the LORD saved Hezekiah and Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib, king of Assyria as well as from the hand of all the other enemies that surrounded them on every side. When the other nations saw what happened to Assyria, they chose submission and peace instead of war. They brought gifts to the LORD so that they would not become like Sennacherib and the commanders of the Assyrian army. They also brought precious things to Hezekiah as tribute to honor him so that he was exalted in the eyes of all the nations (much like how many nations brought tribute to David and Solomon). However, this is going to lead to one dark spot on Hezekiah's record that we'll look at next time. What happens to rich men? They often put their trust in their wealth instead of in the LORD. They believe they have the best that money can buy--but money can't buy everything. Better is the poor man who has the LORD than the rich man who does not. 2 Chronicles 32:9-19 English Standard Version Sennacherib Blasphemes 9 After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria, who was besieging Lachish with all his forces, sent his servants to Jerusalem to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, 10 “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you trusting, that you endure the siege in Jerusalem? 11 Is not Hezekiah misleading you, that he may give you over to die by famine and by thirst, when he tells you, “The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? 12 Has not this same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, “Before one altar you shall worship, and on it you shall burn your sacrifices”? 13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to deliver their lands out of my hand? 14 Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers devoted to destruction was able to deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? 15 Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!’” 16 And his servants said still more against the LORD God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 And he wrote letters to cast contempt on the LORD, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, “Like the gods of the nations of the lands who have not delivered their people from my hands, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from my hand.” 18 And they shouted it with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, in order that they might take the city. 19 And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as they spoke of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men's hands. For the pagan kings, their wars with Israel and Judah (especially Judah) were less about land and resources than they were about clashes between their gods and the LORD. The war that was fought on the battlefield was only a shadow of the war that the pagans imagined was being fought in the heavenly places (we see a picture of some of this in the book of Daniel where Gabriel and Michael the archangels together fight a principality known as the Prince of Persia). Sennacherib blasphemes the LORD when he has the walled city of Lachish surrounded. He tells the people inside not to even try to cry out to the LORD because the LORD cannot save His people.
Sennacherib was only familiar with how the northern kingdom of Israel "worshiped the LORD," by worshiping the idols the Jeroboam had made--the two golden calves-- and how the people of the northern kingdom made their sacrifices in all of the high places and "worshiped" like the pagans did. Sennacherib sees that Hezekiah has destroyed the idols and the high places and imagines that the LORD would be angry with Hezekiah and the people for destroying the places where Sennacherib thought that the LORD wanted His people to worship Him. Little did Sennacherib know that the only place the LORD's people were to worship Him was in His holy Temple. Then Sennacherib turns to his long list of military victories. He tells of how he has defeated many other nations with many other gods and none of those gods were able to save their kings and their subjects (we think to ourselves "Of course, because the LORD is living, unlike those idols of wood, stone, iron, brass, bronze, silver, and gold--and anything else they could make an idol out of). However, Sennacherib is putting the LORD on the same level as the demons that were behind those gods. Sennacherib does not realize that the LORD is not only the God of Israel and the Living God, but He is the only true God. All other gods are dumb, deaf, blind, and have no strength compared to Him. Sennacherib and his messengers tried very hard to make the people afraid and make them trust in his strength instead of the strength of the LORD. They spoke to people in Hebrew so that they understood the boasts and taunts without the need of a translator. How will the LORD respond to Sennacherib and the challenge of putting the LORD up against the false gods of Assyria? We'll see next time. 2 Chronicles 32:1-8 English Standard Version Sennacherib Invades Judah 32 After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself. 2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, 3 he planned with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that were outside the city; and they helped him. 4 A great many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?” 5 He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it, and outside it he built another wall, and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David. He also made weapons and shields in abundance. 6 And he set combat commanders over the people and gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, 7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. Normally the pattern in the books of Kings and Chronicles is that we've seen a pattern of unfaithfulness and disobedience, and the LORD brings in a foreign power to discipline His people and draw them back, yet there has been great revival and the text calls all the previous events a time of faithfulness and obedience. Yet, we still see that the Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, invades Judah with the intent of taking their fortified cities for himself. You probably remember Sennacherib's name from the book of Kings where he had a more major role. For now though, we must see how Hezekiah and the people respond to this situation. Do they trust in themselves or do the trust in the LORD?
Hezekiah clearly trusted in the LORD to save him in this passage, but that didn't stop him from rallying the troops for battle and coming up with a plan. The king, the commanders and the representatives of all the people decided they would stop up the rivers and streams that made the Land fertile so that Assyria would no longer desire it. The Land would become arid and desolate. He also repaired any walls that had been broken and fortified their positions with towers for defense (so they could see the enemy from far off and fight from a defensible position. He also built a second wall around Jerusalem outside the existing wall so that they had a second layer of protection. All these investments were wise, but inadequate if the LORD was bringing the Assyrians to judge the people of Judah. If the LORD was for Assyria, then Judah could not possibly stand against them, and vice versa. So, after the fortifications had been built and the shields had been distributed, the king gathered everyone to encourage them with words from the book of Joshua--"Be strong and courageous." Hezekiah then adapts the message specifically for the people today in their situation, "Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." The people trusted in the LORD to fight for them, but they also stood ready to fight at the LORD's command. The people took confidence in (were encouraged by) the words of Hezekiah. We'll see next time exactly how the LORD comes to the defense of His people as He will be pleased that they called out to Him for assistance. 2 Chronicles 31 English Standard Version Hezekiah Organizes the Priests 31 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession. 2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, division by division, each according to his service, the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to minister in the gates of the camp of the LORD and to give thanks and praise. 3 The contribution of the king from his own possessions was for the burnt offerings: the burnt offerings of morning and evening, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the appointed feasts, as it is written in the Law of the LORD. 4 And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the Law of the LORD. 5 As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. 6 And the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps. 7 In the third month they began to pile up the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 8 When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and his people Israel. 9 And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. 10 Azariah the chief priest, who was of the house of Zadok, answered him, “Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the LORD, we have eaten and had enough and have plenty left, for the LORD has blessed his people, so that we have this large amount left.” 11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare chambers in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them. 12 And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with Shimei his brother as second, 13 while Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers assisting Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the chief officer of the house of God. 14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the east gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to apportion the contribution reserved for the LORD and the most holy offerings. 15 Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah were faithfully assisting him in the cities of the priests, to distribute the portions to their brothers, old and young alike, by divisions, 16 except those enrolled by genealogy, males from three years old and upward—all who entered the house of the LORD as the duty of each day required—for their service according to their offices, by their divisions. 17 The enrollment of the priests was according to their fathers' houses; that of the Levites from twenty years old and upward was according to their offices, by their divisions. 18 They were enrolled with all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole assembly, for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy. 19 And for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of common land belonging to their cities, there were men in the several cities who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone among the Levites who was enrolled. 20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. 21 And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered. You may recall that David separated the priests and Levites into "orders" so that each order would only serve once every so many weeks, and the orders rotated their time of services in the Temple on the Sabath day where one order rotated off and the other rotated on. Solomon put this into practice once the Temple was built. Judah has fallen into such idolatry that the orders of the priests and Levites needed to be restored.
There is a quick summary at first of the revival that has been happening in Jerusalem spreading to the rest of Judah, and even in the regions of Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh (probably the half-tribe that was in Canaan, probably not the Trans-Jordan half-tribe of Manasseh as they are usually referred to differently to let us know they are from the other side of the Jordan River). Hezekiah appointed the divisions, but it's unclear if he used the same divisions and the same calendar of services as David and Solomon did. The priests and Levites were assigned their duties and tasks for when they were on rotation, and even the ones that were off rotation knew where they were to live and what they were to do while they waited for their order to come back on rotation as the priests and Levites were constantly teaching the Law to the people and helping keep the people holy as well as helping to collect the tithes that the LORD commanded the people to bring not only to the Temple, but also to the storehouses in the cities where the priests and Levites resided, and they were responsible for the cities of refuge and making sure that justice was done. There were others to help with that role like the government officials, leaders of the tribes and families, and some appointed judges/justices, but primarily the responsibilities of health, safety, law, justice, education, welfare, and the spiritual and physical needs of the culture feel largely on the priests and Levites. It's easy to see how the culture corroded when the priests and Levites stopped doing their jobs. Specifically, the passage talks about Hezekiah being concerned that the people obey the command to bring their firstfruits to the LORD at the appointed time (the Feast of Firstfruits is three days after Passover, consistent with when Jesus was raised from the dead as the Firstruits of many brethren from among the dead). These firstfruits were the first and best that the people had to offer to the LORD and by offering Him the first part of their produce (fruit, vegetables, oil, wine, and even animals), they showed they trusted the LORD to provide more fruit and better fruit that would bless them and their neighbors and that the LORD would take care of them. There was no need for them to horde everything for fear of not having enough, and if they tried to do that, there would never be enough. Only if they made the appropriate sacrifices did the LORD promise that they could put Him to the test in this way (the only time in Scripture we are told to test the LORD) to see if He wouldn't give the people back the full measure with which they gave and even more so that it would be "heaping up and pouring over (they would not be able to contain His blessings). That is not the prosperity gospel, it's just a biblical principle to say that LORD wants our hearts first, then as a sign of that, He wants us to trust Him to provide everything we need. We demonstrate that through our sacrificial given that doesn't make sense to the world--they think we need to keep everything for ourselves, but it demonstrates that we love God and our brothers and sisters in Christ more and God makes sure that there's enough to take care of not only us, but all of our brothers and sisters in Christ as well. Along with this, there was a census to take count of how many priests and Levites there were who were eligible to stand in the place of the nation, how many were eligible to serve, and how many were too old for regular service as they had reached the age of retirement required by the LORD (where their responsibility was to train up their children and grandchildren in the Law of the LORD and focus on their communities, but let others who were younger focus on the daily needs at the Temple). The priest and Levites did all that was commanded, and they travelled throughout Judah to make sure that all the people kept themselves holy unto the LORD according to the Law of the LORD. So it was that Hezekiah was one of the best kings that Judah ever saw. Not only did he do what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but He did his best as king to get the people to obey the LORD too and serve Him and Him alone with all of their hearts. He did not neglect the service of the house of the LORD (the Temple) or the LORD Word (especially His commandments). For this reason, the LORD blessed Hezekiah and all that He did. However, there will be an "asterisk" next to Hezekiah's name in the after the next chapter is finished--that will be in a few days. None of the kings of Israel or Judah were perfect--the writer of the Book of Chronicles is sure to make us know that so that we know that we are always looking for the Good and Perfect King--Jesus, the Messiah. None of these kings, as good as they were, could stand in the place of the people and die for them because they all had their own sins to die for. That is why the author is always careful to let us know that there is a blemish or dark spot in the lives of all the kings. It's not because the author is being negative, but because we are looking for the fulfillment of the promise from the Garden, and the covenant with Noah, and the Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the covenant with David and then with Solomon. We are waiting for the Christ, the Messiah to appear. Hezekiah was not Him, and we are still looking for someone else. Even John the Baptist had his disciples ask Jesus, "Are you really the Christ, or should we be looking for another?" This was the question that was perpetually in the hearts of all the God-fearing people. "Is now the time?" "Is this the one?" We have a similar, but different type of waiting and expectation that we are going through now in the times we live in as we ask, "Could today be the day?" and "Are these the events that the Lord pointed to when He told us how to recognize the end was near?" We won't know for sure until we're on the other side of those events. However, we need to be living just as expectantly and be just as ready for His second appearance as the LORD's people were to be ready for His first appearance. "Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!" 2 Chronicles 30 English Standard Version Passover Celebrated 30 Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel. 2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month-- 3 for they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem-- 4 and the plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly. 5 So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed. 6 So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his princes, as the king had commanded, saying, “O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the LORD God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see. 8 Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. 9 For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.” 10 So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. 11 However, some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD. 13 And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great assembly. 14 They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away and threw into the brook Kidron. 15 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, so that they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. 16 They took their accustomed posts according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests threw the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves. Therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to consecrate it to the LORD. 18 For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon everyone 19 who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness.” 20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 21 And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with all their might to the LORD. 22 And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the LORD. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 23 Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with gladness. 24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And the priests consecrated themselves in great numbers. 25 The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who lived in Judah, rejoiced. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven. We've seen Hezekiah order the Temple to be cleansed and for the priest and Levites to consecrate themselves to the LORD service and the regular sacrifices restored. Now it is time for the holy day of Passover to be celebrated again--the day in which the children of Israel celebrate not only their independence from their slavery in Egypt, but the LORD as their Deliverer and Redeemer. By the blood of the Passover Lamb, they were "marked safe" from the tenth plague when the angel of death killed the firstborn of people and animals except for the houses which were marked by the blood of the Passover Lamb. This day was so important, it was the day that established a new calendar for the Israelites with the moth in which Passover occurred was the first month of the year for them (months being decided by the cycle of the moon--a new month started when there was a New Moon).
Now the priests were not yet consecrated on the day of Passover in the first month, but the LORD had provided a "back up" date a month later for anyone who couldn't celebrate the Passover because they were unclean at the appointed time. That "back up" date was exactly one month after Passover, and since no one could celebrate it at the proper time, the whole nation used the "back up" date this year and celebrated it during the second month of the year. From then on, Israel was to keep the Passover on its regular date and the "back up" date was only for individuals who were ceremonially unclean and couldn't come to the Temple on the day of Passover on its regular date in the first month. They would then come to the Temple to celebrate Passover a month later in the second month. The LORD had commanded that any of the Israelites that would not keep the Passover at the appointed time(s) should be excommunicated. It was that important to the LORD that every year they tell the story of their salvation as a people and that they understand that salvation was something in the past and something ongoing. The LORD continued to deliver them "with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm." It was a call for them to not be like the pagan nations, nor to be like their fathers who were stubborn and stiff-necked and rebellious against the LORD who died in the wilderness and never entered His "rest" of the Promised Land He had prepared for them (there are people who appear to have had a salvation experience that wasn't real as their hearts were never transformed and they live among the true converts, but the LORD knows the difference and they do not receive the inheritance and blessings that are only for those that belong to the LORD). How do we know that we belong to the LORD? While we are not saved by our works, the fact that we are saved will change our works and it is by our "fruit" of obedience to the LORD and His Word (His Law) and our love for Him and His commandments that we demonstrate that we belong to Him. The king's command was sent out not only to the people of Judah, but also to all the people of the northern ten tribes of Israel who had forsaken travelling to the Temple in Jerusalem to worship. Most of those from the northern ten tribes laughed when they heard the message, however, there were a few men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulan that humbled themselves and came to the Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover. The LORD moved the hearts of all the people of Judah to listen to the king and all of Judah came to Jerusalem to celebrate and worship together for this time of holy convocation. During the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover kicked off this week-long feast), the people set their hearts, minds, and hands to cleansing Jerusalem of any altar to a false god or any place where incense was improperly offered. There would no longer be places other than the Temple that people could go to and worship other gods or offer false fire to the LORD because they did not approach Him in the way He commanded. The people would need to come by way of blood sacrifice on the Bronze Altar offered by the Levitical priesthood. The priests and the Levites were ashamed that they had forsaken the Passover and let the culture turn to idolatry and open rebellion like this--it was a time of celebration, but also of conviction that broke the hearts of those that knew better and were responsible for the spiritual well-being of the nation. Along those lines, there were people that came to the feast that had not consecrated themselves and were ceremonially unclean, but this was already the "back up" day. What was to be done? The Levites decided that in this instance, they would step in for the heads of the families who were still ceremonially unclean and would offer the sacrifice in their place. In this case, the priests and Levites prayed that the LORD pardon everyone who was unclean who entered the Temple (normally that would be an offense punishable by death), and the LORD seemed to grant their request as He did not bring down judgment on those who worshiped with unclean hands and unclean hearts that day. The people celebrated the feast of Passover together and everyone knew from that day forward that they were to consecrate themselves and come to Jerusalem on the appointed day of the first month for Passover, and there were serious consequences for anyone who rebelliously refused to come to the LORD's holy convocation on that day. The people wanted to continue in their worship and what was supposed to be a seven-day feast turned into a fourteen-day feast, for they extended the feast for an additional week. Hezekiah donated 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for the people to make their offerings and the princes of the people likewise donated 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep (collectively) so that no one approached the LORD without a blood sacrifice--no one came empty-handed to the altar. Many of the people didn't know to bring an animal with them and others came from so far away that it wasn't feasible to bring their sacrifice with them, so these donated animals made sure that everyone had an acceptable sacrifice (notice the difference between this and the religious leaders of Jesus' time that set up a marketplace in the Court of the Gentile to price gouge everyone who came to the Temple to make a sacrifice--even if they had brought their own--so that they had to buy an animal that the priests had inspected and approved). The king and the leaders of the people gave generously and without expecting reward or repayment. The text says that nothing like this had happened since the days of Solomon and the praises and prayers of the people were heard by the LORD in heaven. This is the text's way of telling us that the LORD accepted the sacrifices and the prayers and praise of His people (and called them His people once again). The LORD was gracious in seeing that the intent of the people was to try to obey here, but we must be careful to approach the LORD when and how He has commanded. There was good reason behind all this, and we'll see that it will be at the time of this feast in the future that all Israel was gathered together in Jerusalem for the time when Jesus would be lifted up to die on a cross for the sins of the nation and the whole world. Fifty days later, the nation would be gathered together again for another feast known as Pentecost, and it would be then that the Holy Spirit would fall on the disciples and apostles and the Church age would officially begin. There is a third day of holy convocation to the LORD in the Fall, and I have no idea what it is that the LORD intends on doing on that day that He wants all His people to see and experience, but it seems like it's going to be something big. God wants His people Israel to keep these feasts so they remember the past but also because they were prophetic and revealed their need for the Messiah and helped them to look forward to that time (now we look back on Passover and Pentecost, but we still look forward to the Fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles when we will ultimately dwell with the Father and the Son forever and ever). |
Daniel WestfallI will mostly use this space for recording my "journal" from my daily devotions as I hope to encourage others to read the Bible along with me and to leave a legacy for others. Archives
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