A. The cleansing of the
temple.
1.
(1-2) The general assessment of his reign.
Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years
old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah
the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the sight of the
Lord, according to all that his
father David had done.
a. Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old: Hezekiah came to the throne of Judah at the very end of the Kingdom of Israel. Three years after the start of his reign the Assyrian armies set siege to Samaria, and three years after that the northern kingdom was conquered.
i. The sad fate of the northern kingdom was a valuable lesson to Hezekiah. He saw first hand what happened when the people of God rejected their God and His word, and worshipped other gods.
b. He reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem: Hezekiah was one of the better kings of Judah, and thus had a long and mostly blessed reign. No doubt his mother Abijah was a godly and important influence on his life.
i. “His mother was Abijah, the
daughter of Zechariah, probably the person mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah
(Isaiah 8:2) as a ‘faithful witness.’ This possible friendship of his mother
for the prophet, combined with the certainty that up to this time he had been
under the influence of Isaiah’s ministry, may account for Hezekiah’s action on
coming to the throne.” (Morgan)
c. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord: Hezekiah was one of Judah’s most zealous reformers, even prohibiting worship on the high places (2 Kings 18:4). These were popular altars for sacrifice set up as the worshipper desired, not according to God’s direction.
i. “God was never happy about this practice, but none of the other good kings ever found the courage to forbid it. Hezekiah did.” (Dilday)
ii. 2 Kings 18:5 makes this remarkable statement about Hezekiah: He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who 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.
2.
(3-11) Hezekiah exhorts the cleansing and restoration the temple.
In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he
opened the doors of the house of the Lord
and repaired them. Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered
them in the East Square, and said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify
yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord
God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place. For our fathers have trespassed and
done evil in the eyes of the Lord
our God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the dwelling
place of the Lord, and turned their
backs on Him. They
have also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not
burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God
of Israel. Therefore the wrath of the Lord
fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has given them up to trouble, to
desolation, and to jeering, as you see with your eyes. For
indeed, because of this our fathers have fallen by the sword; and our sons, our
daughters, and our wives are in captivity. 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.”
a. Sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place: Tragically, the condition of both the Levites and the temple was so bad that they seemed incapable of reforming themselves without this push from King Hezekiah.
b. Have turned their faces away . . . and
turned their backs on Him: They had failed because they gave God
their back
instead of their face. One might say that in every opportunity to encounter
God, we have the choice to turn either our back or our face to God.
i. Poole suggests that the idea of turning the back to God could also be understood literally, because according to 2 Kings 16, in the days of Ahaz the altar was moved and its replacement was directed to the east, in the manner of pagan altars instead of toward the west as God commanded. The idea was therefore that under this dangerous innovation, one had to literally turn his back to the temple and the ark of God to stand before the altar.
c. They have also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings: This happened in the days of Ahaz, the father of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 28:24). Hezekiah knew that it was time to open up the temple again, both to clean it out and so that it could operate as intended.
d. Therefore the wrath of the Lord fell upon Judah and Jerusalem:
In a remarkable way, Hezekiah recognized that the calamities that had come to
Judah came because of their disobedience.
It takes a wise and godly person to admit this, and to act appropriately.
i. “He made no attempt to blame on
God the calamities which had overtaken the nation.” (Morgan)
e. My sons, do not be
negligent now, for the Lord has
chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him: This call to courage
from Hezekiah to the priests and Levites was focused on their sense of calling (the Lord
has chosen you). Getting back to a focus upon their calling and
their central purpose (to serve and honor God) was essential, and this
exhortation demonstrates that they had lost this focus.
i. Hezekiah set the example in
this devoted service to God, in that he even destroyed a notable artifact from
the Exodus – the bronze serpent of Moses known as Nehushtan – when it became an idol (2 Kings 18:4).
3.
(12-19) Cleansing the temple.
Then these Levites arose: Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel
the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; of the sons of Merari, Kish
the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; of the Gershonites, Joah the
son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah; of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and
Jeiel; of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; of the sons of Heman,
Jehiel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. And they
gathered their brethren, sanctified themselves, and went according to the
commandment of the king, at the words of the Lord,
to cleanse the house of the Lord.
Then the priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and brought
out all the debris that they found in the temple of the Lord to the court of the house of the Lord. And the Levites took it out and carried it to
the Brook Kidron. Now they began to sanctify on the first day of the
first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the vestibule of
the Lord. Then they sanctified
the house of the Lord in eight
days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished. Then they went
in to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, the altar of burnt offerings with
all its articles, and the table of the showbread with all its articles. Moreover
all the articles which King Ahaz in his reign had cast aside in his
transgression we have prepared and sanctified; and there they are, before
the altar of the Lord.”
a. Then
the Levites arose: These were men who had been complicit in the neglect and disgrace of the temple. Yet
the Chronicler rightly noted these men by name, because when they were exhorted
by King Hezekiah to do what is right in cleansing and restoring the temple, they did it.
b. On the sixteenth day of the first month they finished: This relates the staggering extent of the prior damage to the temple, in that it took 16 days to simply carry out the rubbish that had accumulated in the temple, including even the inner part of the house of the Lord.
c. All the articles which King Ahaz in his
reign had cast aside in his transgression we have prepared and sanctified; and
there they are: After the first step of removing the problem, now
they could put back what had been taken out during the reign of Ahaz (2
Chronicles 28:24 and 2 Kings 16:17-18).
B. The restoration of
worship.
1.
(20-27) Sacrifice and worship is organized again.
Then King Hezekiah rose early, gathered the rulers of the
city, and went up to the house of the Lord.
And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for
a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he
commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of
the Lord. So they killed the
bulls, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar.
Likewise they killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also
killed the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. Then they brought out
the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly,
and they laid their hands on them. And the priests killed them; and they
presented their blood on the altar as a sin offering to make an
atonement for all Israel, for the king commanded that the burnt
offering and the sin offering be made for all Israel. And he stationed
the Levites in the house of the Lord
with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the
commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for
thus was the commandment of the Lord
by his prophets. The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the
priests with the trumpets. Then Hezekiah commanded them to offer the
burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the
Lord also began, with the
trumpets and with the instruments of David king of Israel.
a. Then he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord: In his bold restoration of the service of the temple, Hezekiah was not so foolish as to overstep the Biblical and traditional commands and to offer these sacrifices himself. His great-grandfather Uzziah did this to his own judgment (2 Chronicles 26:16-23).
i. “The whole enterprise is characterized by a concern to do everything as God required, especially as the king’s command was regarded as ‘the words of the Lord’ (2 Chronicles 29:15).” (Selman)
ii. “For the assembly to lay their hands on the goats of the sin offering was to designate these as substitutes for their own lives and to transfer their sins to the animal victims (Numbers 27:18-21). The goats thus served as types of Christ’s death in the sinner’s stead (2 Corinthians 5:21).” (Payne)
iii. The diligence of Hezekiah was evident in that he rose early to do these things. “His zeal for God’s glory made his obedience prompt and present, ready and speedy. He could not rest until he had reformed.” (Trapp)
iv. It was also shown if offering more than the law commanded. “This was
more than the law required; see Levitcus 4:13, etc. It ordered one calf or ox for the sins of the people,
and one he-goat for the sins of the prince; but Hezekiah here offers many
more.” (Clarke)
b. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord also began: In his arrangement of this restoration of temple service, Hezekiah was careful to include both offering and worship. Each honored God in important ways.
i. “The Hebrew that lies behind the phrase ‘singing to the Lord’ is literally ‘the song of the Lord’ (NASB), which suggests a specific writing, i.e., perhaps including the canonical Psalms that were then available for use in worship.” (Payne)
ii. Hezekiah was wise in making
worship such a priority. “Every human being’s first priority should be to
acknowledge God’s worth. That, for example, is how the ten commandments begin
(Exodus 20:3-6), it is the reason for Jesus’ obedient death on the cross, and
it is the chief characteristic of the community in heaven (Revelation 4:1-5:14;
22:1-9).” (Selman)
2.
(28-30) The assembly of Judah joins in the worship and
recognition of sacrificial offerings.
So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the
trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was
finished. And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were
present with him bowed and worshiped. Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders
commanded the Levites to sing praise to the Lord
with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with
gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.
a. So
all the assembly worshipped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters
sounded: Each person played their part in this large, communal
honoring of God.
i. “This chapter contains a parable of the cleansing of the heart, meant to be a temple for God; but the doors of prayer are unopened, the lamps of testimony unlit, the burnt-offerings of self-sacrifice neglected.” (Meyer)
ii. “You tell me that you cannot sing the Lord’s song; then I know you have gone into the strange land of backsliding. You acknowledge that for some time now you have taken no delight in god or his service; then I am sure that the temple is badly in need of renovation.” (Meyer)
iii. “The music of your life is still, because you are out of accord with the will of God; but when by surrender and consecration there is unison, your heart will be filled with songs without words, and love like an ocean in the fullness of her strength.” (Meyer)
iv. The description of instruments
in this passage is compelling evidence that they should be used today in
worshipping God, but not all are convinced of this. “Away with such portentous
baubles from the worship of that infinite Spirit who requires his followers to
worship him in spirit and in truth,
for to no such worship are those instruments
friendly.” (Clarke)
b. King
Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the Lord with the words of David and of
Asaph the seer: They worshipped God with the best words they could
find – the words of the great psalms of praise written by David and others.
3.
(31-36) Thank and fellowship offerings and the resulting joy.
Then Hezekiah answered and said, “Now that you have
consecrated yourselves to the Lord,
come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord.” So the assembly brought in
sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought
burnt offerings. And the number of the burnt offerings which the assembly
brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these
were for a burnt offering to the Lord.
The consecrated things were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep. But
the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings;
therefore their brethren the Levites helped them until the work was ended and
until the other priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were
more diligent in sanctifying themselves than the priests. Also the burnt
offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings and with
the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the
house of the Lord was set in
order. Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the
people, since the events took place so suddenly.
a. Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord: Once they had properly sacrificed and cleansed the temple and their own hearts before the Lord, now the assembly was invited to come and bring their personal offerings. One of the great purposes of the temple – as a place for the personal sacrifice and worship of the believer – was now restored.
i. “Sacrifices and offerings are only acceptable when those offering them are themselves consecrated to Jehovah.” (Morgan)
ii. “Sacrifice for sin in both the Old Testament and the New is the springboard for the sacrifice of praise (Colossians 3:15; Hebrews 13:15-16) and for the fellowship or communion meal (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).” (Selman)
b. The priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings: The pent-up desire of the people to sacrifice and honor God through sacrifices was so great that when they were given the opportunity the priests were overwhelmed.
i. Wisely, their brethren the Levites helped them until the work was ended. This was a good example of temporarily suspending a commandment out of godly necessity.
ii. It was also fitting on this
occasion because the Levites were more diligent in their sanctifying themselves than the
priests. “For the truest faith is often found among the humble; and
throughout history ‘professional’ religious leaders have too often been among
those least willing to submit to Christ and to the Word.” (Payne)
c. Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people: The remarkable response of the assembly was proof that God had prepared the people. There could never be such a response unless God was at work among His people, and this was evidence of such a work.
i. “It was, as a very great, so a sudden change, that the people, who but the other day were so ready to comply with wicked Ahaz in his idolatrous and impious prescriptions, were now so free and forward in God’s service; whereby it plainly appeared to be the work of the Almighty God changing their hearts by his Holy Spirit.” (Poole)
ii. “Two consequences followed from these offerings. The first was to acknowledge that only God had made it all possible (2 Chronicles 29:36; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3; Ephesians 2:18). The second was that everyone rejoiced (2 Chronicles 29:36), in complete contrast with the situation with which they had begun.” (Selman)
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