2 Chronicles 31: 1 – 21
Happy Days are here again
31 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and the altars—from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh—until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned to their own cities, every man to his possession. 2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD. 3 The king also appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons and the set feasts, as it is written in the Law of the LORD. 4 Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. 5 As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first fruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. 6 And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the LORD their God they laid in heaps. 7 In the third month they began laying them in heaps, and they finished in the seventh month. 8 And when Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel. 9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. 10 And Azariah the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the LORD has blessed His people; and what is left is this great abundance.” 11 Now Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them. 12 Then they faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things; Cononiah the Levite had charge of them, and Shimei his brother was the next. 13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. 14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to distribute the offerings of the LORD and the most holy things. 15 And under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, his faithful assistants in the cities of the priests, to distribute allotments to their brethren by divisions, to the great as well as the small. 16 Besides those males from three years old and up who were written in the genealogy, they distributed to everyone who entered the house of the LORD his daily portion for the work of his service, by his division, 17 and to the priests who were written in the genealogy according to their father’s house, and to the Levites from twenty years old and up according to their work, by their divisions, 18 and to all who were written in the genealogy—their little ones and their wives, their sons and daughters, the whole company of them—for in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness. 19 Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the common-lands of their cities, in every single city, there were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogies among the Levites. 20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.
I want to start off today by giving you a quick history review. I was one of the war babies born after WW II. So, to a large extent I missed the happy days of the ‘50’s.
Starting off on a negative note the United States was not done fighting. The country moved from the European theatre and the war in the Pacific to take on the Communist North Koreans. The Korean War began on June 25, 1950 and ended on July 27, 1953. The war ended in a cease fire and not in any victory to record.
After this war our Holy Lord God blessed this country with a decade of peace. This lasted, as I mentally recorded to November 22, 1963, when John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
There is no doubt that the 1950s is Americas overall best decade for growth, families and income. with the end of WWII, the us closed the book on 15 years old rations, the depression, war and growth in industry and housing. the returning GI's where determined as never before to build a better country, for their families. Massive housing projects created suburbia. Television was introduced to the masses. Cars where no longer available to the rich only. The Interstate system was started. Americans for the first time where taking vacations. Amusement parks flourished, and fast food got started. The family was the important stable not the individual. Politics where not ensnared with social and moral issues. Colleges for the first time where opening their door to the middle class in a big way.
The planes, tanks and bombs after the war were melted down, and used to make appliances that made life easier at home. Washers and dryers freed up the housewife’s day. Lives flourished and grew, yes there were problems brewing on the horizon but things where indeed golden over all these peaceful years.
A song which I believe matched these wonderful years was titled Happy Days are here again. The lyrics are;
So long sad times
Go long bad times
We are rid of you at last
Howdy gay times
Cloudy gray times
You are now a thing of the past
Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again
Altogether shout it now
There's no one
Who can doubt it now
So let's tell the world about it now
Happy days are here again
Your cares and troubles are gone
There'll be no more from now on
From now on
Happy days are here again
The skies above are here again
So, let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy times
Happy nights
Happy days
Are here again!
Now that Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread had been celebrated end masse for the first time since the old days, there was the necessity to once again organize the regular Temple offerings and the priests and Levites into their courses, and to ensure their provision. The bad days of Ahaz were being set aside and Temple worship was beginning anew. Hezekiah consequently harked back to David’s arrangement of the priestly and Levite courses and organized them again in a similar way. To a certain extent Hezekiah was being presented as the new David.
31 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and the altars—from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh—until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned to their own cities, every man to his possession.
In 30.14 Jerusalem itself had been cleansed of its ‘foreign’ altars. Now it was time for the same to be done throughout the cities of Judah. We are, of course, to read ‘cities of Judah’ in its widest sense of the whole of Hezekiah’s realm. This cleansing was carried out by ‘all Israel’, that is the peoples of both Judah and Israel who were present at the Feast. All were at one in the enterprise. The Baal pillars were broken down, the Asherah poles/images were hewn down, and the high places and altars were destroyed throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh. This having been accomplished they all returned to their lands in their own cities.
2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD.
Hezekiah then set about re-establishing the courses of the priests and Levites in accordance with the pattern set by David. As we know, having had their service previously dispensed with, at least as far as the Temple was concerned, they were in disarray and needed reorganizing. Now Hezekiah prepared them for their different kinds of service, the offering of burnt offerings and peace offerings as far as the priests were concerned, and the giving of thanks and praise as the responsibility of the Levite musicians.
Please take note the interesting phrase ‘the gates of the camp of YHWH’. This interesting phrase pictures the Divine Warrior (Isaiah 59.16 ff) as once more being over His people and sees the Temple and its courtyards as His ‘camp’. This helps to explain why in the next chapter Sennacherib and the Assyrians are defeated by our Mighty Warrior Adoni Yahweh.
3 The king also appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons and the set feasts, as it is written in the Law of the LORD.
Hezekiah also provided ‘the king’s portion’ from his own substance for the morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, and the burnt offerings for the New Moons (which opened each moon period) and set Feasts. What was written in the Torah of YHWH was the type of offerings (Numbers 28-29) which had to be offered, not the king’s responsibility for them. But like David and Solomon before him he made full provision, otherwise initially they would not have been offered.
4 Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the LORD.
He then gave commandment to the people of Jerusalem to pay to the priests and Levites ‘their portion’, that is, the first fruits and the tithes in accordance with the Torah. This would make provision for the priests and Levites so that they could concentrate their attention on doing all that was required by the Torah (Instruction) of YHWH. This would include all the ordinances laid down by David. The ‘portion’ is explained in the following verse.
5 As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first fruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.
For the enthusiasm of the people was such that as soon as the commandment came from Hezekiah, the ‘children of Israel’ of Jerusalem were the first to set aside the first fruits of their produce for the priests (Exodus 23.19), and then the tenth part of their produce (the tithe) for the Levites (who would give one tenth of it to the priests) (Numbers 18.21), as required by the Torah. These were for the upkeep of the Levites and the priests. And they set it aside ‘abundantly’. There was no attempt to scrimp on the offerings. Some of the grain would be available immediately (the barley harvest would have matured a little while before, and the wheat harvest would be maturing). The new wine and the oil would mature a little later. The honey could be wild honey, or a syrup-like product from fruits. Thus, provision for the priests and Levites began to pour in.
This would then be followed by first fruits and tithes of these products from the rest of Judah and Israel. Thus, the provision would continue to stream in.
6 And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the LORD their God they laid in heaps.
The children of Israel and Judah (thus all the Israelites) who dwelt in the cities of Judah also (as well as what was described previously) brought in their tithe of oxen and sheep (Leviticus 27.30-33). It indicates things voluntarily dedicated to YHWH, which they then consecrated as an act of devotion and love prior to bringing it to the Temple to offer up, with one tenth of what was dedicated going to the Levites.
We can compare how at the Exodus the people poured gifts into the Tabernacle on its construction (Exodus 36.2-7) and into the Temple (1 Chronicles 29.6-9). At such times the hearts of the people were specially moved. Here it was in gratitude that YHWH had restored their Temple. The children of Israel in this case would be all those who had emigrated from the northern kingdom at various times.
From the third moon period (new moon to new moon), when the first fruits and tithes of grain were brought in at the Feast of Sevens to the seventh moon period when the first fruits and tithes of the wine and olive oil and summer fruits were brought in at the Feast of Tabernacles, the first fruits and tithes continued to pile up in heaps because it was too much for the priests and Levites and their families to eat.
7 In the third month they began laying them in heaps, and they finished in the seventh month.
The third and seventh moon periods (months) were periods in which the Feast of Sevens and the Feast of Tabernacles were held. The people would bring in to the Temple as they came for the Feasts the firstfruits and tithes of all their produce and cattle. As we have already seen much of this was piled in heaps because it was not needed by the priests and Levites.
8 And when Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel.
The giving was so large that when Hezekiah and his princes came they saw the size of the heaps and ‘blessed YHWH and His people Israel’, the former for making His people so generous, the latter because they were so generous.
9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites concerning the heaps. This suggests that the heaps were so large that he could not credit that it had all come from the people. But he was soon to learn otherwise.
10 And Azariah the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the LORD has blessed His people; and what is left is this great abundance.”
For Azariah, the Zadokite Chief Priest, presumably the High Priest, explained to him that since the people had begun to bring their offerings and tithes to the House of YHWH both priests and Levites had all had enough to eat and more, so that the heaps, which were what remained, were plenteous. This was because YHWH had blessed His people greatly. As a consequence, this great store had been left.
It is possible that this Azariah was the one mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6.13, but if so there were gaps in the High Priests named after him. He was probably not the one who rebuked King Uzziah in 26.17, who is not mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6.
11 Now Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them.
On seeing the heaps of produce brought as tithes for the Levites and priests Hezekiah commanded that rooms be prepared in the House of YHWH for storing them. And the rooms were consequently prepared.
12 Then they faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things; Cononiah the Levite had charge of them, and Shimei his brother was the next. 13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of God.
Then the oblations and tithes and dedicated things were brought into the storage rooms and dealt with faithfully.
Responsibility for them was then handed over to Conaniah the Levite, assisted by Shimei his brother, who was his second-in-command. These two had under them as overseers for the purpose Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, all good Israelite names. This was all by appointment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah, the ruler of the House of God. They would presumably be responsible for distributions of tithes to the Levites.
14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to distribute the offerings of the LORD and the most holy things.
Distribution to the priests of the oblations of YHWH and of the most holy things (the heave offerings), which were for the priests, was put into the hands of Kore the son of Imnah the Levite.
15 And under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, his faithful assistants in the cities of the priests, to distribute allotments to their brethren by divisions, to the great as well as the small.
He was assisted in the distribution by Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, who dwelt in the cities of the priests, and held an office of trust to give their priestly brothers by their courses, treating all equally, and distributing fairly to both great and small.
16 Besides those males from three years old and up who were written in the genealogy, they distributed to everyone who entered the house of the LORD his daily portion for the work of his service, by his division,
Oblations and the most holy things were also distributed to the priests on duty, who apparently had with them in the Temple compound their sons from three years old and upwards, who entered into the House of YHWH. All were recorded in their genealogies of males. As they fulfilled their duties day by day in the House of YHWH they received their distributions for performing their services in their courses in accordance with their offices. It appears that these young boys had services to perform in the Temple, and this may have included the Levites.
17 and to the priests who were written in the genealogy according to their father’s house, and to the Levites from twenty years old and up according to their work, by their divisions,
Also included in the distributions were the priests who could demonstrate their genealogies by their fathers’ houses, and the Levites from twenty years old and upwards in their offices by their courses.
18 and to all who were written in the genealogy—their little ones and their wives, their sons and daughters, the whole company of them—for in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness.
Distribution was also made to the families of the priests and Levites by genealogy. This included their little ones, their wives, their sons and their daughters, who were also responsible to keep themselves holy as a matter of trust.
19 Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the common-lands of their cities, in every single city, there were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogies among the Levites.
Finally, portions were given to all the priestly males who worked the fields in the suburbs of their cities, in every city. These were given by men who were mentioned by name (see verse 15). And a similar thing occurred with the Levites.
It will be apparent from the above that the tithes were widely distributed among numerous priests and Levites and their families. Presumably during the time of Ahaz these had been lacking.
20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God.
It is clear above that Hezekiah made provision for all the priests and Levites ‘throughout all Judah’. This probably indicated literally all priests and Levites because those who had been in Israel at the time of the division had seemingly moved to Judah (11.13).
He sums it up by saying that Hezekiah wrought what was good and right and faithful before YHWH his God. He had ensured the satisfactory conduct of the worship of YHWH.
21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So, he prospered.
Hezekiah did it with heart and soul. Indeed, whatever service he began in the House of God, and in whatever way he sought to obey the Torah and the commandments, he did it with all his heart. And the result of his desire to follow Father God Yahweh wholly was that he and the nation prospered.
