CSSA 1-3-14 - HEZEKIAH - JUDAH'S GREATEST KING

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64. HEZEKIAH - JUDAH'S GREATEST KING

"Ye children of Israel, turn again unto Yahweh your God."

Aim

To show how Hezekiah turned the hearts of the people back to God.

Of all the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel, not one loved Yahweh their God. Among the kings of Judah in the south some were exceedingly wicked, but sortie followed the example of David. The greatest of these was Hezekiah. His father, Ahaz, was a wicked man who "walked in the ways of the kings of Israel" (2 Chronicles 28:2). He burnt sacrifices to Baal, and shut up the Temple of God in Jerusalem. Because of Ahaz, "Yahweh brought Judah low " (v 19). It is amazing that his son should prove to be the greatest of JudalTs kings. "He trusted in Yahweh God of Israel: so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him " (2 Kings 18:5).

2 Chronicles 29 and 30

HEZEKIAH'S FIRST WORK: 2 Chronicles 29:1-9

Hezekiah was 25 years old when he began to reign. The first thing that he did in the first month of his reign, was to open the doors of the Temple and repair them. He realised that it was necessary to turn the hearts of the people back to God. They must learn again how to worship Him in spirit and in truth. The doors had been shut for many years; the golden lamps which should have burned continually had gone out; in cense had not been offered; burnt offerings had not been made upon the altar all that time. No wonder God had brought trouble upon them.

First of all the Levites and priests must sanctify themselves and cleanse the Temple. He gathered them together and encouraged them to do the work faithfully, "for Yahweh hath chosen you", he said, "to stand before Him, to serve Him " (v 11). So the priests and Levites had to set everything else aside and prepare their hearts and minds for the great work King Hezekiah had planned. When they were ready, the priests went into the inner part of the Temple and brought out all the uncleanness that they found there, and everything that did not belong in the Temple they put outside in the court. The Levites carried it from there down to the brook Kidron and destroyed it. When everything was once again clean and set in order for worship, they came and told the king.

HEZEKIAH OFFERS A NATIONAL SIN OFFERING: 2 Chroni cles 29:20-36

The very next morning, king Hezekiah rose early, for he had ea gerly planned an opening ceremony. He gathered together the rulers of Jerusalem and they accompanied him up to the Temple. They took with them seven bullocks, seven rams, seven lambs and seven he-goats for a sin offering. The priests were already there waiting to offer them upon the brazen altar. In this way, both the king and the rulers confessed be fore God that they had sinned, for they had neglected to worship Him as they had been commanded to in the Law. While the priests were offering the sacrifices, the Levites played on their musical instruments as David had appointed many years before. Then the priests blew the trumpets. It was not a light-hearted tune, but a solemn one reminding them that they must lift up their hearts to God in heaven and ask His forgiveness. When the offerings had been made the Levites sang praises unto Yahweh with the words of David. Then the king and all those who had joined him in worship bowed their heads and offered a prayer of thankfulness and praise to God on high. Now that they had confessed their sins and vowed to serve Him in the right way, Hezekiah suggested that any who wanted to could bring their own special offering to God. So the day which had begun so solemnly ended in gladness and thankfulness.

Hezekiah himself was very happy. He had carefully planned the whole day, arranging it in just the same way that David had set down before he died. It was a wonderful beginning to his reign.

HEZEKIAH INVITES ALL ISRAEL TO KEEP THE PASSOVER: 2 Chronicles 30:1-9

King Hezekiah could see quite clearly that God's people had strayed a long way from true worship. It was necessary to get back to the old ways. One of the things that God had commanded them in the Law, was to go up to Jerusalem and keep the feasts. The first feast for the year was the Passover, which should have been kept in the first month, but that time had passed while they had been busy cleansing the Temple. However, under the Law God allowed those who could not keep it in the first month to keep it in the second month (Numbers 9:10-11). So Hezekiah made plans to call all Israel and Judah together to Jerusalem for the feast in the second month. He decided to send a letter to all Israel, from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north of the land.

It was a wonderful letter. "Ye children of Israel", wrote Hezekiah, "Turn again unto Yahweh God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and He will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria" (v 6). He reminded them in this way of the wonderful promises God had made to their fathers long ago. He pleaded with them to humble themselves and come up to Jerusalem to God's Temple. In the days of Solomon they had all come there to keep the feasts, but after the kingdom was divided the northern ten tribes had stayed away. Here was now a warm-hearted and generous invitation to them all to come and worship together. Hezekiah knew that the kings of Assyria, who had al ready taken some of Israel into captivity, would soon be back unless the people turned their hearts to God and asked for His help. "Yahweh your God is gracious and merciful, " he reminded them, "and will not turn away His face from you, if ye return to Him " (v 9).

THE PASSOVER IS KEPT: 2 Chronicles 30:10-22

When the messengers went out to the tribes in the north many "laughed them to scorn, and mocked them" (v 10), but others did hum ble themselves and came willingly to Jerusalem. In Judah however, all the people were moved by the king's letter and they all gladly accepted his invitation. So when the time of the feast drew near, there was a huge, excited crowd gathered in the city. Any altars that were still found there from king Ahaz' days were taken away and destroyed in the brook Kidron outside the city. So the people did their best to prepare themselves for keeping the Passover, but it had been so long since a feast like this had been kept, that many of the people did not even know what God expected them to do. Hezekiah prayed for them, "The good Yahweh pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God" (vv 18-19). God heard his prayer and accepted their offerings.

So they kept the feast for seven days with great gladness. The Levites and priests praised God each day, singing and playing with all their might on their instruments. The king encouraged the Levites to go amongst the people and teach them "the good knowledge of Yahweh " (v 22).

THE PEOPLE STAY ANOTHER SEVEN DAYS: 2 Chronicles 30:23-27

Everyone was so happy that at the end of the feast they all agreed to stay another seven days. Hezekiah and the princes gave them thou sands of bullocks and sheep so that they could continue to sacrifice to God as they worshipped Him and were taught His Law by the Levites.

"So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solo mon the son of David, king of Israel, there was not the like in Jerusa lem " (v 26).

The priests blessed the people and God was pleased. "Their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, even unto heaven " (v 27).

LESSON FOR US

We read that "in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered" (2 Chronicles 31:21). What better example can we follow than this € "with all his heart". God is satisfied with nothing less. Israel thought that they could worship idols and still say that Yahweh was their God, but God was not in their hearts. Hezekiah knew that they must get back to the old ways and so must we. He searched in the Law of Moses and read the stories of King David and then he knew what God wanted him to do. We too must read the Bible carefully, every day, and we will find, like Hezekiah, that it will give us much happiness to serve God with all our heart.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

When the priests blessed the people, they spoke the words that Aaron was instructed by God to use:

"On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, Yahweh bless thee and keep thee: Yahweh make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: Yahweh lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace " (Numbers 6:23-26)

With these beautiful words the High Priest asked God to show fa vour to those who called upon His Name. So Hezekiah instructed the priests to bless all those who had served God so gladly those two weeks in Jerusalem.

Even today these words are used in the ecclesia, when one is bap tised into Christ and received into fellowship with their brethren and sisters. It is a joyful occasion and we know that God rejoices too. So long as we worship Him with our whole heart, as Israel did with king Hezekiah, we too will receive God's blessing. He will bless us now and bless us with everlasting joy in His kingdom.

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