Hezekiah was introduced as King of Judah in 2 Kings 18. He was described as being like no other king of Judah for his faithfulness to the Lord. As a result, he was successful in everything he did because the Lord was with him. You can check out those details in our lesson in 2 Kings 18.
In this chapter, Hezekiah becomes king of Judah and he immediately gathers the priests and Levites to discuss reopening the Temple of the Lord that his father, Ahaz, had defiled and closed. The Chapter begins, “Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became the king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done.
Hezekiah Reopens the Temple
In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the Lord and repaired them. He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the courtyard east of the Temple. He said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary. Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They abandoned the Lord and his Temple; they turned their backs on him. They also shut the doors to the Temple’s foyer, and they snuffed out the lamps. They stopped burning incense and presenting burnt offerings at the sanctuary of the God of Israel. That is why the Lord’s anger has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made us an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can so plainly see. Our fathers have been killed in battle, and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity. But now I will make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. My dear Levites, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and make offerings to him.” (Wow…what has the Lord chosen us to do?) (2 Chronicles 29:1-11)
Immediately, the Levites got to work, and within sixteen days they had purified and restored the Temple of the Lord. “Then the Levites went to King Hezekiah and gave him this report: “We have purified the Temple of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the Bread of the Presence with all its utensils. We have also recovered all the utensils taken by King Ahaz when he was unfaithful and closed the Temple. They are now in front of the altar of the Lord, purified and ready for use.” (2 Chronicles 29:18-19)
The following day, Hezekiah organizes a rededication ceremony and the chapter ends with thousands of animals being sacrificed as the people praised and worshiped the Lord.
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Help us have the courage to separate ourselves and take a stance to follow, honor, and worship you. It’s not easy to deviate from family values; it’s not easy to go against the majority, so give us the strength to always choose you. We love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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