Sermon - Audio2 Kings 18:1-8 Chronicles 29-31 - Audio
2 Kings 18:1-8 Chronicles 29-31 - Reading
Daily Insights - Please Comment
2 Kings 18:1-8
1-2 - Hezekiah saw what happened to the northern kingdom in light of turning their backs on God. This would be a valuable lesson.
3-6 - Hezekiah is a righteous man. See that this is proven by the way in which he lives his life in complete surrender to the will of God. He breaks down the idols including the serpent of Moses (Numbers 21) that had now become an idol for the people to worship.
*Look at what is said about him: "He trusted in the LORD God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor were before him. For he held fast to the LORD, he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses." A godly king...finally.
7-8 - God blessed Hezekiah's hands. The land was prosperous under him, wars were won, the people were returned.
2 Chronicles 29
1-11 - Much of the same as in 2 Kings, but it is important to point out the extent that Hezekiah went to in order to cleanse the temple as well. It wasn't just the building that needed cleansing, but also the Levites/the workers. Hezekiah would make sure that things were cleaned up so they could operate in it again...thus, pleasing the LORD.
*Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us. My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to him and burn incense.
*Hezekiah destroyed the bronze serpent: Hezekiah was willing to destroy even a sacred artifact from the Exodus in order to cleanse the people/the land/the temple from their adulterous ways.
Q. Has there been times in your life where you've been forced to hit the "reset" button. How'd that feel and why'd you do it? How did it get to that point, and what made you realize the need to do it?
12-19 - The Levites did as they were told by the king. The temple was cleaned out.
20-27 - Sacrifice and Worship is restored. Everything is put in place as God had required.
28-30 - Celebration is restored.
Q. Worship and celebration is restored to the temple once it is cleaned out and dedicated to God. What does this tell us about our lives in community with one another and God?
31-36 - People once again became generous and gave freely. God's people do not hold back from God be it finances, work/effort, knowledge, worship, etc. To hold back is to rob God.
2 Chronicles 30
1 - The Passover would once again be observed/kept. This was not a small thing seeing that the Passover told of the great deliverance of God's people (Exodus 12). Notice it says that it had not been observed for "a long time."
6-9 - Hezekiah calls to unify under the banner of God. He calls to those who are scattered from the destruction of Israel to return back to God.
10 - They laughed and mocked the people who went to them to proclaim the message. This reminds me of when Jesus sent out his disciples among the people (Luke 10). Some will not listen, but it will be horrific for them. It's always horrific for those of us who don't come to repentance.
11-12 - However, some did humble themselves and turn.
13-17 - A great crowd gathered for the Passover. This was the largest gathering for Passover in a very long time. They threw the pagan altars away, and went on worshiping God.
18-20 - Hezekiah prayers for compassion/mercy from God for the people who were "unclean." God listened to Hezekiah and "healed the people." Hezekiah's heart seems to be in harmony with Gods. Many of the people worshiping now would have been unfamiliar with temple worship, so they didn't know better. Hezekiah's heart went out to these people, because they wanted to seek God.
21-27 - 14 day Feast of Unleavened Bread! Hezekiah gave 1,000 bulls, 7,000 sheep, and the other leaders gave 1,000 bulls, 10,000 sheep!!! That's a lot of beef. "There was great joy in Jerusalem."
2 Chronicles 31
1 - This is not a quiet riot. The people were encouraged and on fire for God.
2-3 - Hezekiah was not just concerned with the Passover celebration. He wanted to turn over their daily lives to the LORD.
4-5 - Tithes, even from the beginning, displayed where your heart was at with God. Hezekiah institutes the "first-fruits" law once again.
*Our gifts are to be generous, freely given, and cheerful (2 Cor 9)
*We see the kinds of offerings that are acceptable to God even from the beginning with Cain and Abel. Cain did not give generously and out of a cheerful heart...thus, his offering was not acceptable.
6-10 - The people brought the tithes and "laid them in heaps." A "great abundance" was left.
11-19 - Hezekiah put faithful men in charge of the administration of tithes.
I'm just going to post the verse to close: "Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered."
*In Colossians 3:24 Paul is speaking to slaves about their work, and he reminds them that "it is Lord Christ whom you are serving." May we never forget that we are workman for God, not for man.
2 comments:
Hezekiah followed many years when the Temple had been closed due to idolatry. Assyria had invaded and captured much of the land. In error he commanded the people to bring the tithes to the Temple instead of the Levitical cities where they were needed (cf Neh 10:37b). Rather than have the tithes rotting in the streets and eaten by animals, he redistributed them to the Levitical cities where the Levites and priests lived (31:15-19).
When I read that king Hezekiah broke down the serpent of Moses I was mad. That's history. How cool would that have been if we could see that today. Then I realized it was because people made an idol out of it. Then I realized how radical that must have been for king Hezekiah to do that. What an uproar that must have caused. Imagine if our leaders would destroy the statue of liberty because it became an idol to us. Imagine the anger people would have. It makes me wonder what we hang on to because it's history but then have no care that maybe it has become an idol.
Post a Comment