The Kings Of Israel And Judah. Day 196, Hezekiah King Of Judah, Part Thirteen

In yesterday's study we learned that Hezekiah, as well as the kings of several other nations, rebelled against paying tribute to Assyria in return for not being attacked by Assyria. The Assyrian army, now under the leadership of the new king, Sennacherib, invaded Judah and took over several cities. Hezekiah seemed shocked and unprepared for such an event. We talked about how he may have thought the Lord wouldn't allow the enemy forces to enter Judah at all. Hezekiah and the people have been striving to do what is godly and right; therefore, he and the people may have expected to remain untroubled by any enemies.

Godly living doesn't always exempt us from trouble in this fallen world. Naturally, when we live according to the word of God and according to the laws of the land, we can avoid some very unpleasant situations. For example, if we don't steal we can avoid the penalty assessed for being convicted of theft. If we do not commit adultery we can avoid breaking up our marriages with our own unfaithfulness. If we do not dabble recreationally with drugs and alcohol we can avoid becoming addicted, thus saving ourselves from the physical, mental, financial, and relational hardships that arise from being ruled by addiction. But we can't avoid all hardships through godly living. For example, we can be a good employee and still get passed over for promotions or even get laid off if our company has to cut back or shut down altogether. We can be a good spouse and still our husband or wife may be unfaithful or decide to leave us for other reasons. We can be good parents and still might have a child who grows up to have no regard for the Lord. We can take care of our health but still fall victim to an accident or illness, for in a world polluted by sin we find bad things happening to the wicked and to the godly both.

If godly living guaranteed a life free of trouble, the Lord Jesus Christ would have had the easiest life that anyone has ever experienced on earth. If godly living guaranteed a life free of trouble, the men and women of the Bible who loved the Lord would never have been attacked by enemies. But although godly living doesn't necessarily mean our lives will consist of nothing but peace and prosperity, we should not adopt the attitude that it's not worth trying to do what's right. If we have to live in a world polluted by sin, I'd rather have the Lord as my helper than not have Him. If the Lord makes the sun rise on the evil and the good, and if He sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45), then everyone on the face of the earth is going to experience hardships and I'd rather go through them with the Lord than without Him. Life on this earth would have completely broken me long before now if the I did not have the Lord's love and comfort and strength. I don't know how anybody manages to keep putting one foot in front of the other without Him to lean on. 

Hezekiah and the people of Judah are going to face some hardships even though they've been doing their best to honor the Lord. But they are going to be far better off with Him than without Him. The outcome of their present crisis is going to be victory because they have given their hearts to the Lord. This is in sharp contrast to the fate of the northern kingdom, which was defeated by the enemy because the people of the northern kingdom had rejected the Lord and turned away from Him.

In yesterday's study we found Hezekiah being so discombobulated by the unexpected invasion of Assyria that he apologized to King Sennacherib and sent him a great deal of gold and silver so he would leave off attacking the cities of Judah. This did not assuage the king's wrath or dampen his desire to teach the king of Judah a lesson. While Sennacherib and his forces are still laying siege to Lachish, the Assyrian king sends a dreadful message to the king of Judah. We will study the opening sentence of this message today. 

"The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field. They called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them. The field commander said to them, 'On what are you basing this confidence of yours?'" (2 Kings 18:17-19) 

It may be that King Sennacherib has offered King Hezekiah terms of surrender, which have been refused thus far. That would explain why Sennacherib asks where Hezekiah's confidence is coming from. He wants to know why Hezekiah is still holding out against surrendering. The book of Isaiah indicates that Hezekiah was hoping the king of Egypt would come to his aid, but Isaiah warned Hezekiah not to put any trust in Egypt, and we will find the king of Assyria saying the same thing---but for a different reason. Isaiah urged Hezekiah to put all his confidence in the Lord, for ever since the day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He has cautioned them never to return to Egypt or to make an alliance with Egypt. If Hezekiah and the people look to the Lord for help from Assyria, He will be all they need. King Sennacherib mocks the wisdom of relying on Egypt for another reason: Egypt was no help to the northern kingdom of Israel in its rebellion against Assyrian domination. From a political and military viewpoint, it is not wise for Hezekiah to put all his eggs in Egypt's basket, so to speak. But more importantly it is not wise, from a spiritual standpoint, for Hezekiah to depend on help from a nation the Lord has forbidden him to depend on. His dependence must be on the Lord alone if he expects to see a victory.

The Kings Of Israel And Judah. Day 195, Hezekiah King Of Judah, Part Twelve

Earlier in our study of the kings we found Israel, Judah, and several other nations being forced to pay tribute to Assyria, a rising world power. King Hoshea of Israel submitted to King Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria in the matter of tribute, but when Tiglath-Pileser's son (Shalmaneser V) came to the throne, he rebelled against him. This led to the invasion of Israel by Shalmaneser's army and a three-year siege of the Israelite capitol of Samaria, which fell to the enemy. This happened in Israel after Hezekiah, son of Ahaz king of Judah, ascended to the throne of Judah upon his father's death. 

Hezekiah is a man who loves the Lord and who has put a great deal of effort into making religious reforms in Judah. During his first several years as king, he ordered his late father's idolatrous altar to be removed from the temple, then he had the temple purified and rededicated to the Lord. The temple is back in business as the center of worship for his people. He also ordered the hilltop shrines and idolatrous altars and images removed from the land. A great revival broke out in Judah, as we learned last week. But, as we also talked about last week, hardship exists in this fallen world and it cannot always be avoided---not even by a person who is doing their best to live a life that honors the Lord. We found the author of 2 Chronicles stating, "After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah." (2 Chronicles 32:1a) 

Before we move any further into the text we'll be reading for the next several days, we need to study a little history lesson in regard to the kings of Assyria. Tiglath-Pileser died earlier in our study of the kings and his chosen successor from among his sons was Shalmaneser V. Shalmaneser is the one who conquered Samaria during the days of Hoshea, the final leader of the northern kingdom of Israel. This happened just a few short years ago, during Hezekiah's fourth year as king of Judah. So what happened to Shalmaneser, who is Sennacherib, and how did Sennacherib become king of Assyria? 

Sennacherib is the grandson of Tiglath-Pileser III but not the son of Shalmaneser V. He is the son of Sargon II, who was another son of Tiglath-Pileser. Sargon took the throne by force from Shalmaneser V just five years into his brother's reign. No surviving historical records have been found to explain why Sargon orchestrated this coup. Some scholars propose that since Sargon took a throne name that means "true king", he was Tiglath-Pileser's firstborn son and believed the throne should have automatically come to him. (Sargon's given name at birth is not known; he gave himself the name of Sargon II when he took the throne.) Other scholars believe he was displeased with Shalmaneser's leadership and considered him weak because so many vassal states of Assyria dared to rebel during Shalmaneser's brief reign. It is generally believed that Shalmaneser was killed during the coup, for no mention of his death is found anywhere in the Assyrian records, which would be expected if he died in battle or of natural causes and was buried as a king. After taking his brother's place, Sargon continued Shalmaneser's practice of deporting citizens from conquered Israel and resettling the land with other peoples conquered by the nation of Assyria.

Sargon busied himself not only with matters in his vassal state of Israel but with quelling rebellions of a number of other territories that were under the control of Assyria at the time. He marched out against many cities and engaged in many battles, culminating in his death in battle at Anatolia. The battle there was so fierce that his body could not be retrieved by his men to be brought back for burial. Upon receiving the news that Sargon perished in battle, his son and intended heir Sennacherib (who was always left in charge whenever he went out to battle) became king in his place. This is the Sennacherib of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles who marches against the kingdom of Judah during the reign of Hezekiah.

At first Hezekiah tries to appease Sennacherib by making up for the tribute he has been withholding. "In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: 'I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.' The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold." (2 Kings 18:13-14) Had Hezekiah done wrong in refusing to pay tribute to the Assyrian king? No, I don't believe so. He has the right to want a sovereign nation. But I do not believe Hezekiah should have done what he does next.

"So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace. At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors and doorposts of the temple of the Lord, and gave it to the king of Assyria." (2 Kings 18:15-16) Why does he do this? And why has he succeeded up until now at refusing to pay tribute? 

Perhaps his success has been because the kingship of Assyria changed hands so many times since the fall of the northern kingdom and/or it may be due to all the other rebellions these kings were attempting to quash during those years. Or it may be, as some Bible scholars suggest, that the Lord prevented Assyria from attacking Judah during the years Hezekiah was carrying out his religious reforms. The Lord may have been giving Hezekiah and the people time to strengthen their faith in Him before they were confronted by an enemy. Hezekiah's giving of so much gold and silver to Sennacherib indicates that his faith is not yet where it needs to be. It might be that he thought his faith was unshakable until Sennacherib successfully captured some of the cities of Judah. He may have expected the Lord to prevent invasion altogether and, when the situation didn't work out quite as he'd expected, his faith wavered. He may have begun to wonder whether the Lord was going to allow the kingdom of Judah to fall in spite of the revival going on in the land.

We don't always know what the Lord is doing. He doesn't always go about things the way we expect Him to go about them. What starts off looking like an impending disaster is going to end up being one of the greatest military victories---and one of the greatest victories of faith---that the kingdom of Judah has witnessed in a long time.

The Kings Of Israel And Judah. Day 194, Hezekiah King Of Judah, Part Eleven

The reign of King Hezekiah of Judah has been prosperous because he immediately began religious reforms when he ascended to the throne. We've seen him ordering the high places and the pagan altars destroyed. We've seen him ordering the temple to be purified and put back into use. As a result of his faithfulness, we were told that he prospered in everything that he did.

During his fourth year on the throne of Judah, the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel was attacked by the Assyrian army. "In King Hezekiah's fourth year, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it." (2 Kings 18:9) You'll recall that King Hoshea served Shalmaneser's father, Tiglath-Pileser, but that after Tiglath-Pileser's death he attempted to form an alliance with King So of Egypt (believed to be Pharaoh Osorkon IV) in order to rebel against paying any further tribute to Assyria. But King So backed out of coming to his aid and Shalmaneser's forces came and laid siege to Samaria; it fell to the Assyrian army after three years. Hezekiah also rebelled against Assyria according to 2 Kings 18:7b: "He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him."

For a time Hezekiah gets away with refusing to pay tribute to Assyria in exchange for not being attacked by its mighty army. Hezekiah is prospering during that time and the Lord prevents Assyria from attacking Judah. But the Lord doesn't prevent Assyria from attacking and defeating Israel because, "They had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated His covenant---all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out." (2 Kings 18:12) This sad spiritual statement cannot be made of King Hezekiah or of the majority of the citizens of Judah at this time in the nation's history. Instead we were told as we closed yesterday's study session: "In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered." (2 Chronicles 31:21) During the time Hezekiah is restoring the temple, reinstating the proper worship of the Lord in Judah, and wholeheartedly giving himself to learning about and obeying the laws of the Lord, the Lord prevents Judah from being invaded by the Assyrians. But He does not protect Judah from Assyria throughout the entirety of Hezekiah's reign, which is what we might have expected Him to do.

We often think that if we are wholeheartedly trying to live a life that pleases the Lord, trouble won't come knocking at our door. But living according to the Lord's will doesn't guarantee us trouble-free lives. We have only to look at the lives of the godly men and women of the Bible for examples of bad things happening to good people. We live in a fallen world that's been polluted by sin. It's a world where a person's ungodliness is sometimes rewarded by his fellow man. It's a world where a person who lives according to the word of God is sometimes scorned and passed over by his fellow man. It's a world where tragedy can strike anyone---whether they are wicked or whether they are a child of God---at any time. Or, as the Lord Jesus phrased it, in this world the sun rises on the evil and the good, and the rain falls on the righteous and on the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45b) We might expect Hezekiah's entire reign to be blessed by uninterrupted peace, and the author of 2 Chronicles may have expected that too, for he says, "After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah." (2 Chronicles 32:1a)

We might rephrase his words like this: "In spite of how faithfully Hezekiah served the Lord, the Lord allowed Assyria to trouble the nation of Judah." It's important that we don't misunderstand what's going on here. The Lord isn't rewarding Hezekiah's faithfulness with unfaithfulness. To the faithful He shows Himself faithful. (Psalm 18:25a) This statement was made by David, who endured his share of hardship in this world even when he was living smack dab in the middle of the Lord's will. But in spite of his many troubles, David said many times that the Lord was his refuge in trouble. I am sure that David, like us, wondered why some of the troubles came into his life. I think he clearly understood the connection between deliberate sin and the hardships that follow deliberate sin, for he committed some deliberate sins and brought trouble upon himself. We all can understand having to suffer the consequences of our own willful mistakes. But what about when we are striving to do what is right in the Lord's eyes, as Hezekiah was? Why does calamity strike us in those times?

There are things we will never fully understand until this life is over and we are in the presence of the Lord for eternity. I think He will make all things clear to us then. I think we will declare that He was righteous in everything He allowed to happen to us during our life on earth. Hezekiah and the people of Judah probably wondered why the Lord allowed them to be threatened by the king of Assyria now that a great revival has broken out across the land, now that they have repented of their waywardness and committed themselves to the Lord, now that they have destroyed the unlawful altars and idolatrous symbols that were scattered throughout the nation. Perhaps the Lord allowed it, at least in part, to prove to them that their faith in Him is justified. Would they have become spiritually lazy if they enjoyed nothing but peace and prosperity? Would they have been absolutely sure in their minds that the Lord is who He says He is and that the Lord can do what He says He can do if they never experienced Him coming to their aid? If His faithfulness to the faithful had not been tested and proven true, they could not have said to the Lord what David said: "Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and Your servant loves them." (Psalm 119:140) 

We can believe, intellectually speaking, that everything the Bible says about the Lord is true. But until push comes to shove and He rushes to our aid in a mighty way, have His promises been thoroughly tested? Until we experience Him keeping the promises He's made to us, we cannot really say what David said: "Your promises have been thoroughly tested." When David said this, he meant that the Lord's promises had been proven true. They had been proven trustworthy. And because they had been proven true and trustworthy, David was able to also say, "Your servant loves them." Could we truly and fully love the Lord, in the way that we were created to love Him, if our lives on this earth were always peaceful and easy? I do not think so. Don't get me wrong; I don't enjoy trouble any more than anyone else does. I hate it, in fact. When trouble comes into my life I want it to go away as quickly as possible. But I have to admit that there are things I know about the Lord that I wouldn't have known if I'd never experienced any troubles. There are promises that have been thoroughly tested and proven true. 

The Lord is allowing trouble to come into the lives of King Hezekiah and the people of Judah. But as we continue our study of the invasion of the Assyrians, we will find the Lord's promises being tested and proven true.

The Kings Of Israel And Judah. Day 193, Hezekiah King Of Judah, Part Ten

The purification of the temple has been completed and a dedication ceremony has been held and Passover has been held. Hezekiah then sent out a call to all the people to begin bringing their tithes and offerings to the house of God again---something that either wasn't happening at all during his father's reign or wasn't happening enough. People gave so generously above and beyond the tithes that their contributions were piled in heaps at the temple when Hezekiah went to see what was being brought in. 

In Deuteronomy 14 we studied the regulations for tithing and we learned that the tithes were used to take care of the priests and Levites and their families, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows. If the people do not bring their tithes as commanded by the Lord, the priests and Levites won't be able to support their families without working secular jobs in addition to their work for the Lord. This could lead to them abandoning their calling in the Lord altogether. In addition, the poor of the land will suffer. It won't be as easy for foreigners and widows and young children to obtain adequate employment as it would be for the adult native-born priests and Levites. Not bringing tithes and offerings to the house of God shows a disregard for those who minister at the house of God. It shows a disregard for the disadvantaged in the land. It shows a disregard for God Himself, who put these regulations in place for the benefit of all. 

In today's text we will look at those Hezekiah put in charge of inventorying and distributing these commodities. We will see them carrying out their duties faithfully. Because they are fulfilling their duties in a manner that is above reproach, we find many of these people honored by having their names recorded in the Holy Bible.

"Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the Lord, and this was done. Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts. Konaniah, a Levite, was the overseer in charge of these things, and his brother Shemei was next in rank. Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah were assistants of Konaniah and Shemei his brother. All these served by appointment of King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of the temple of God." (2 Chronicles 31:11-13) I'm reminded of the instructions of the Apostle Paul to the Christian church when he said that everything in the church must be done "in a fitting and orderly way". (1 Corinthians 14:40) These men are carrying out their responsibilities in a fitting and orderly way, showing their reverence for the Lord by their actions.

I've heard it said that modern churches are run too much like businesses, but unless a congregation has lost its heart for the Lord, running the church in an orderly manner with a clearly-defined hierarchy is not something that should be criticized. It's important to have easily-understandable procedures in place---procedures that are governed by the word of God---so that the Lord is honored when everything is done in an obedient, transparent, and orderly fashion. He is not "a God of disorder", as the Apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 14:33. It does not honor Him when there are no guidelines in place at the church, when no one understands who is supposed to do what, and when there is no accountability or transparency regarding how tithes and offerings are being used.

"Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the offerings made to the Lord and also the consecrated gifts. Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shekaniah assisted him faithfully in the towns of the priests, distributing to their fellow priests according to their divisions, old and young alike." (2 Chronicles 31:14-15) No one is given preferential treatment in this distribution. An aged priest is not treated with more honor than a young priest. A young and energetic priest is not treated with more honor than an elderly and feeble priest. These goods being distributed are the basic necessities for life, not performance bonuses or gifts to commemorate years of service.

Even young children---males of the tribe of Levi from the age of three up to the age of majority---are counted in this allotment. "In addition, they distributed to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records---all who would enter the temple of the Lord to perform the daily duties of their various tasks, according to their responsibilities and their divisions." (2 Chronicles 31:16) Earlier in the Bible we found all males counted in the census and genealogical record who were one month old and up. Now we find the males of the tribe of Levi who are three years old and up being counted for the allotment from the storehouses. I do not know why three years is the number chosen here but it may be due to the fact that in ancient times most children were not fully weaned until around three years of age. It may be that at the time they go 100% on solid food they begin to be given a share of the supplies just like the older males of the tribe of Levi. 

The age of majority in ancient Israel was twenty. A young man had to be at least twenty to be eligible for the army. When David created the rules for the rotating chart of Levites and priests serving at the temple, he stated that males twenty and up were eligible for these roles. So now we find the men who are distributing the food making sure that the males aged twenty and up are given allotments for themselves and for their wives and for their underaged children. "And they distributed to the priests enrolled by their families in the genealogical records and likewise to the Levites twenty years old or more, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. They included all the little ones, the wives, the sons and daughters of the whole community listed in these genealogical records. For they were faithful in consecrating themselves. As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farmlands around their towns or in any other towns, men were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among them and to all who were recorded in the genealogies of the Levites. " (2 Chronicles 31:17-19) 

During the reign of Hezekiah's father, an idolatrous altar was set up in the temple and King Ahaz ordered all offerings and sacrifices be made to it. Some of the priests and Levites must have obeyed his orders; indeed, it was a priest who fashioned the sinful altar for him. Some of the priests and Levites likely objected by leaving their posts and going home. Many in both of these groups were ceremonially unclean when it came time to purify and rededicate the temple. Some consecrated themselves in time for the rededication of the temple; some did not. Some who did not consecrate themselves for the rededication ceremony did so in time for Passover; some did not. But revival broke out at Passover and we were told that those who had not made themselves ceremonially clean earlier in the book of 2 Chronicles were ashamed of that and took steps to remedy their condition. Now we find that the priests and Levites and their families are remaining faithful to the Lord in consecrating themselves to receive these offerings from the temple.

Hezekiah himself, whose zeal for the Lord set all these wonderful reforms in motion, remains faithful to the Lord. "This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered." (2 Chronicles 31:20-21) 

The prosperity of King Hezekiah is directly linked to his faithfulness to the Lord. The prosperity of the people of Judah is directly linked to their faithfulness to the Lord. A formidable enemy---Assyria---will come up against the kingdom of Judah in our next study session and the king of that nation will boast that his army has conquered Israel and will conquer Judah also. He will attempt to demoralize King Hezekiah and the people by saying that their God did not defend Israel and that He will not defend Judah either. But these two cases are nothing alike! The people of Israel, by and large, had forsaken the Lord and turned their backs on Him. The Bible makes it clear that the fall of the northern kingdom was due to the idolatry that was so prevalent there. In Judah, however, the people have repented of their sins and have turned back to the Lord. He will come to their defense!

The Kings Of Israel And Judah. Day 192, Hezekiah King Of Judah, Part Nine

In yesterday's study we found the people celebrating Passover at the temple for the first time in a long time. Such a revival broke out that they continued the celebration for an extra seven days. Hezekiah had already ordered the high places and pagan religious sites removed from in and around Jerusalem but now we find the people going through the southern and northern kingdoms removing many more of these altars and idolatrous objects.

"When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property." (2 Chronicles 31:1)

Hezekiah reinstates the priestly divisions appointed by David in 1 Chronicles 25 so that orderly and continuous worship can be carried out at the temple. "Hezekiah assigned the priests and Levites to divisions---each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites---to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister, to give thanks and to sing praises at the gates of the Lord's dwelling." (2 Chronicles 31:2)

The men who serve at the temple are to be supported by tithes and offerings; this is what the Lord commanded earlier in the Bible. Hezekiah sets an example for the people of Judah by being the first to bring a contribution. "The king contributed from his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals as written in the Law of the Lord. He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord." (2 Chronicles 31:3-4) 

We sometimes hear the opinion expressed that a minister should perform his duties simply out of love for the Lord, not expecting to be paid a salary for his work, but that is not a Biblical principle. In the Old Testament the Lord makes it clear that those who minister at the temple are to be supported by the offerings made at the temple so they can devote themselves to their work without needing to hold a full time job out in the world. In the New Testament we find the Apostle Paul discussing this subject at length, regarding Christian ministers, in 1 Corinthians 9 and in 1 Timothy 5. Christian ministers are to be supported by their congregations so they can devote themselves fully to studying the word of God, to preparing sermons, to counseling parishioners, and ministering to the needs of the congregation. 

When Hezekiah calls upon the people to bring their offerings, they answer wholeheartedly. "As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them in heaps. They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month. When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and blessed His people Israel. Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered, 'Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed His people, and this great amount is left over.'" (2 Chronicles 31:5-10)

The abundance is so great that the storerooms of the temple, which have gone unused for some time since they will need to be "prepared", are put back into use. "Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the Lord, and this was done. Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts." (2 Chronicles 31:11-12a) The Lord loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7) He blesses the desire of the people to do what is right and He blesses the desire of the men at the temple to be good stewards of this wonderful bounty. They faithfully store the excess, not being wasteful with it. 

In tomorrow's study we will finish Chapter 31 with a look at the people placed in charge of the duties of the temple and of the distribution of the goods. We will be told that because Hezekiah does what is right in the eyes of the Lord, the Lord causes him to prosper. Because Hezekiah sets such a godly example for the people, they also do what is right and they also prosper. Their obedience and their faith will serve them well when a formidable enemy comes against them in Chapter 32.

Why does trouble come upon the nation of Judah now that they are experiencing a great revival? The Lord does not promise us that in this world we will never have troubles. Even when we are living according to His will, problems arise and enemies attempt to get the upper hand over us. What the Lord does promise us is that He will be with us and be our helper. We will find Him helping the nation of Judah against one of the most powerful adversaries of the ancient world: the kingdom of Assyria.

The Kings Of Israel And Judah. Day 191, Hezekiah King Of Judah, Part Eight

Passover is being held in Jerusalem and Hezekiah has sent messengers out to invite everyone who wants to come. We find some people accepting the invitation and some people rejecting it.

"The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed them. Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord." (2 Chronicles 30:10-12) 

Many of the people mocked the messengers and scorned the idea of going to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. The ancient historian, Josephus, claims they seized the messengers and put them to death but since the Bible doesn't record this (and it seems like something that would be recorded) I'm not sure how much confidence we can put in Josephus' statement. The author of 2 Chronicles makes it sound more like the people made sport of the messengers by laughing at them, heckling them, and mocking the very idea that they might want to attend the Passover. But Hezekiah's efforts to bring the people of the northern kingdom back to the Lord are not in vain: some accept the invitation! Taking to heart the fact that idolatry has caused the Lord to allow a foreign enemy to invade and conquer their land, some of the people humble themselves and repent of their disobedient ways. They go to Jerusalem for Passover and observe it with thousands of citizens of Judah.

"A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley." (2 Chronicles 30:13-14) We already found Hezekiah ordering the removal of the ancient hilltop altars and the removal of the pagan altars and images throughout the land. Now any remaining altars inside the city are done away with. 

We don't know what type of altars these were---whether they were used in the worship of the Lord or whether some of them might have been pagan altars---but I think it's possible that people had fashioned personal altars for worship of the Lord during the era when King Hezekiah's father defiled the temple with a pagan altar and demanded that all offerings and sacrifices be made to it. The people who wanted nothing to do with that might have set up private altars so they could make offerings and sacrifices to the Lord on their own property. But now there is no need for private altars and, as we've noted before, private altars tend to become a snare in time because it separates people from the main body of believers. There's nothing wrong with worshiping the Lord privately at home, for example, but in addition to worshiping Him when we're alone it's vitally important that we gather with a body of believers too. We need the fellowship and encouragement of other believers. We also need the accountability that comes along with that, so we don't drift from the precepts of the Lord. 

"They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites. Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs to the Lord. Although most of the many people who came from Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, 'May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets their heart on seeking God---the Lord, the God of their ancestors---even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.' And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people." (2 Chronicles 30:15-20)

We learned earlier in the book of 2 Chronicles that some of the priests and Levites had not consecrated themselves in time for the ceremony for the rededication of the temple. They are ashamed of that now and are careful to consecrate themselves in time for Passover. But some of the people from the northern kingdom have not consecrated themselves and have eaten the Passover, in spite of the law stating that they must, and in ordinary times they would be in danger of grievous judgment falling upon them. The Lord, however, hears Hezekiah's request to be lenient with them due to many of them being in ignorance of the regulations. The people who traveled from the northern kingdom have likely never been to the temple before. They may never have made any attempt to observe Passover anywhere before, since the northern kingdom has been in the grip of idolatry for so long. Hezekiah's decision to hold Passover right after the rededication of the temple and his decision to send out invitations was done hastily in order to celebrate the holiday as closely to its prescribed time as possible. Many of the people invited (especially those from Israel) did not have time to read the law of Moses to find out exactly how to consecrate themselves; many of them probably didn't even know they were supposed to consecrate themselves. This Passover is being held under special circumstances, and although several irregularities took place, the Lord overlooked them because so many of the attendees were ignorant of the requirements.

You may be familiar with the expression, "You don't know what you don't know." That expression would certainly apply here. No one is struck dead for eating the Passover without having consecrated themselves but the text indicates they did become ill after consuming it, for the author tells us that the Lord "healed the people". The illness is not for the purpose of death but will serve as a reminder that they must take the proper steps next time. If they hadn't begun feeling sick after eating in their unconsecrated condition, they might have taken the Lord's laws lightly. But now they have been warned and they have almost a year to learn about and prepare for the next Passover. 

"The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord. Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors." (2 Chronicles 30:21-22) Here is a group that did properly prepare for Passover. Hezekiah praises their dedication to doing things the right way.

Seven days are to be set aside for Passover but such a great revival has broken out that the people decide to observe the holiday for an additional seven days. "The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats." (2 Chronicles 30:23-24a) Hezekiah and the other top officials of Judah supply the food necessary for all these people. The celebration could not have been held for an additional week otherwise because it would have presented a hardship to the people. Those who had traveled to Jerusalem had not done so with enough supplies for an additional week. Some could not have afforded to purchase the extra supplies and would have had to go home. The nation's leaders cater the event so that there is plenty for everyone. 

Priests who had allowed their calling in life to fall by the wayside (or who had not been obedient to the requirements of consecration) now recommit themselves to the Lord. The people and the foreigners living among them recommit their lives to the Lord or make professions of faith for the first time. This is the most monumental event to take place in Jerusalem for centuries. "A great number of priests consecrated themselves. The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, His holy dwelling place." (2 Chronicles 30:24b-27)

This is a beautiful passage of Scripture and the events in it took place because one man stood up in faith for the Lord and encouraged others to do the same. Hezekiah decided he was going to follow the Lord, no matter what his father and some of his forefathers had done before him, and because of his example an untold number of others made the same decision. What influence might you and I have on others if we make a bold profession of our faith and encourage them to do likewise?

The Kings Of Israel And Judah. Day 190, Hezekiah King Of Judah, Part Seven

When Hezekiah ascended to the throne of Judah he immediately began instituting religious reforms. He ordered the temple and the nation purified of the pagan religious objects that his father and others had put in place. The temple has been cleansed and rededicated to the Lord and now the people can celebrate Passover again.

"Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel." (2 Chronicles 30:1) He invites everyone to celebrate Passover---not just the people of his own kingdom of Judah but also everyone from the northern kingdom of Israel. The Israelite capital of Samaria has already fallen to the Assyrian army and the Assyrians have already begun deporting vast numbers of Israelites to Assyria. We don't know how many additional cities and towns of Israel have been invaded by the Assyrians at this time or how many people are left. Though the exact timing is not known, the fact that Hezekiah issues this invitation indicates that the Israelites were free to travel to Jerusalem if they wished. Though they have been defeated by the Assyria army, it does not appear as if they are being prevented from crossing the border into Judah. Also the messengers from Judah are not being prevented from entering the northern kingdom of Israel with Hezekiah's invitation. 

"The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written." (2 Chronicles 30:2-5) Passover was to be celebrated in the first month of the Jewish calendar unless there were extenuating circumstances, such as those outlined in Numbers 9 regarding ceremonial uncleanness. We learned in Friday's study session that not everyone consecrated themselves in time for the ceremony for the dedication of the temple. Holding Passover in the second month allows more time for everyone to make themselves ceremonially clean in order to observe the holiday.

"At the king's command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read: 'People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that He may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that He made them into an object of horror, as you see.'" (2 Chronicles 30:6-7) The Scriptures are very clear about the spiritual unfaithfulness of the northern kingdom being the cause of the fall of the kingdom. Hezekiah is urging the people to take this lesson to heart. They don't have to remain in the sin of their forefathers and in the sin of their fellow citizens who have fallen by the sword or who have been taken captive to a foreign land. They can rededicate their hearts to the Lord. They can receive blessings of the Lord. Hezekiah himself grew up with a wicked, idolatrous father but he doesn't consider that an excuse to sin. He considers his father an example of what not to do. Instead of following in his father's footsteps, he's choosing to follow in the footsteps of his faithful forefathers, such as David and Abraham. He's encouraging the people of the northern kingdom to do the same. They can turn back to the Lord. The Lord will not refuse their prayers of repentance. 

Hezekiah's letter continues: "Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you. If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn His face from you if you return to Him." (2 Chronicles 30:8-9)

We see something interesting in verse 9. Their repentance will not only help themselves (the Lord will cause the Assyrians, to whom they are now subject, to show them mercy) but their repentance will also help those who have already been carried away out of the land. This underscores the immense value of intercessory prayer! The Lord promises to restore to the land those who have been carried away captive if those who are still in the land will repent and give their hearts fully to Him. My understanding of this verse is that He will do this for the sake of those still in the land who repent, whether or not those who have been carried away captive also repent. 

I'm reminded of the way the Lord saved Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah because of Abraham's prayer. The Scriptures do not provide us with any proof that Lot was praying for himself. In my opinion, Lot had assimilated quite a bit into the culture of Sodom and Gomorrah. While I don't believe he was engaging in the sins for which the people of that region were condemned, he seemed enough like them that they had made him a judge, for we found him "sitting in the gateway of the city" in Genesis 19:1, which is what the judges of those days did in order to hear the legal cases of visitors to the city. Even if he were not a judge (though most scholars appear to believe he was), the fact that he was sitting in the gate with the judges, the elders, and the various other officials of the city means he was not looked upon as an outsider. He was looked upon by these men as their fellow citizen and their equal. He had become comfortable living in a sinful, idolatrous culture. He still worshiped the Lord but had compromised with the world. Yet for Abraham's sake the Lord rescued him. Hezekiah is telling the people of Israel that if they will turn back to the Lord, He will rescue their people from the hands of the Assyrians.

In our next study session we will find Hezekiah's invitation reaching every region of the kingdom. Some of the people will turn back to the Lord and some of the people will scorn the very idea of doing such a thing. This is an example of what happens every day on the earth: the Lord invites everyone to come to Him. Some, thankfully, accept His offer. Some, unfortunately, do not.