Hezekiah was a faithful king that served the Lord with his whole heart. As part of his leadership he restores true worship. Be blessed as you read!
2 Chronicles 30: Passover Celebrated
1 Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel.
2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month---
3 for they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem---
4 and the plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly.
5 So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed.
6 So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his princes, as the king had commanded, saying, "O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.
7 Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the LORD God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see.
8 Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.
9 For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him."
10 So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.
11 However, some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12 The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD.
13 And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great assembly.
14 They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away and threw into the Kidron Valley.
15 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, so that they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.
16 They took their accustomed posts according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests threw the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites.
17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves. Therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to consecrate it to the LORD.
18 For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD pardon everyone
19 who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness."
20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
21 And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with all their might to the LORD.
22 And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the LORD. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
23 Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with gladness.
24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And the priests consecrated themselves in great numbers.
25 The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who lived in Judah, rejoiced.
26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.
27 Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven.
2 Chronicles 31: Hezekiah Organizes the Priests
1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession.
2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, division by division, each according to his service, the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to minister in the gates of the camp of the LORD and to give thanks and praise.
3 The contribution of the king from his own possessions was for the burnt offerings: the burnt offerings of morning and evening, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the appointed feasts, as it is written in the Law of the LORD.
4 And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the Law of the LORD.
5 As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.
6 And the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps.
7 In the third month they began to pile up the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.
8 When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and his people Israel.
9 And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps.
10 Azariah the chief priest, who was of the house of Zadok, answered him, "Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the LORD, we have eaten and had enough and have plenty left, for the LORD has blessed his people, so that we have this large amount left."
11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare chambers in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them.
12 And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with Shimei his brother as second,
13 while Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers assisting Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the chief officer of the house of God.
14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the east gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to apportion the contribution reserved for the LORD and the most holy offerings.
15 Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah were faithfully assisting him in the cities of the priests, to distribute the portions to their brothers, old and young alike, by divisions,
16 except those enrolled by genealogy, males from three years old and upward---all who entered the house of the LORD as the duty of each day required---for their service according to their offices, by their divisions.
17 The enrollment of the priests was according to their fathers' houses; that of the Levites from twenty years old and upward was according to their offices, by their divisions.
18 They were enrolled with all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole assembly, for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy.
19 And for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of common land belonging to their cities, there were men in the several cities who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone among the Levites who was enrolled.
20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God.
21 And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.
Things to think about…
1. Change is never easy when you have been doing things one way for so long. Hezekiah had restored true worship and wanted to invite the northern tribes along to the feast, Israel didn’t have a king at the time,. Hezekiah’s envoys were laughed at, 2 Chr 30:10. But some came and celebrated with the rest of Judah. When churches try to do the same thing, they often meet with the same opposition. We are all creatures of habit. Pray for times like Easter and Christmas where unbelievers who normally don’t come to church, in these seasons, show up, pray they hear and receive Christ.
2. Some people from the northern tribes of Israel were not clean to offer sacrifices, 2 Chr 30:17-20. But Hezekiah prays for them and the Lord heard his prayer and they ate the Passover meal with everyone else. This is an example of God’s grace as He ‘passes over’ sin because of Hezekiah’s prayer of faith. We are all at different maturity levels in a spiritual sense. The Lord accepts us because of our faith and not our works. Our community is beset with many issues. When they come into the church, so do their issues. We should welcome those who ‘haven’t got everything worked out’ spiritually or even socially. Church is their place of healing and hope.
3. In 2 Chr 30:27 it says that the Lord heard the prayer of the Levites and the Priests. There was no Shekinah glory that came down as in Solomon’s time when he dedicated the temple. How do we know the Lord heard their prayers? Ans:- the Lord healed the people, vs 20 and gave peace and blessing upon His people, vss 25, 26.
4. Hezekiah wanted the Levites and the Priests to devote themselves to the Law of the Lord 2 Chr 31:4. This could only happen if they were supported by the other tribes. When Hezekiah gave the command, the tithes and offerings were so abundant as the first-fruits etc were brought in that storehouses had to be built. As a result there was training and provision for these families even down to the three year old males, vs 16. This was to ensure that the law of the Lord was carried on through to the generations that followed. How can we ensure that we see generational change in the church with the resources the Lord has given in our day? Blessed people give. If you do not give your tithes and offerings to Christ’s witness in the world – the local church, you have a soul that is thankless towards the grace and mercy that Christ has shown you. If this is the case you cannot say that you worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, because your spirit is ungenerous towards Him.
5. 2 Chr 31:21 is a great encouragement to all those who seek to honour the Lord in what they do in accordance with the Word of God – they prosper. Without getting into a worldly prosperity gospel mentality, are you still prospering in the Lord? How is this being shown in your life? Hezekiah had very little to start with because Judah was robbed by the Syrians, the Assyians, the Philistines, the Edomites and Israel. But now the Lord is blessing, because of Hezekiah’s faithfulness to God’s word.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Title was “Is there another way in” from Galatians 1
1. Paul says there is only one gospel. Have you ever lied about your age or got entry into a club or society by not being honest, either falsifying a stamp or used the facilities without paying?
2. Paul gets quite passionate about his arguments for maintaining what the gospel is. What was Paul’s background. Why does he get so passionate?
3. Confronted Peter in Antioch. What was the significance and background to this event? How is this compounded by the vision given to Peter by the Holy Spirit in Acts 10:9-16.
4. Pray for our new government, that the gospel and churches are made stronger. Pray for Ukraine and other issues within the group.
Prayer Points
1. Our new Albanese government. That the Lord would be merciful. We need it with the spiritual change that has been happening in Australia.
2. Peace to rest over Ukraine.
3. Continue to pray for the flood clean-up as well as the money donated to help.
4. Folk sick with Covid – relief and healing.
5. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
6. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. The we have the freedom of a democracy in Australia
2. Worship on Sunday – thankyou team.
3. Our business meetings our enjoyable. Thankyou CBC.
4. All those who faithfully serve in ministries, Worship, Sound/Technical/Kids Church/ Cell Groups/Admin - Bulletins/Finances/Property/Welcoming/Spiritual Leadership/Cafe
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Andrew Otte preaching this Sunday – don’t miss it.
2. Remember to check your duty rosters.
3. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
4. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism question for May...
Q. 3. Will Christ come again? A. Yes; at the last day Christ will come to judge the world.
