What happened very quickly once a righteous leader ruled Judah? What will happen when Jesus returns? Let’s begin in 2 Chronicles 29.
After a string of bad kings, was Judah finally blessed to have a good king?
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. (2 Chr 29:1-2 NLT)
What were Hezekiah’s opening words to the Levites as a reformation began in Judah?
In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of Yahweh’s house and repaired them. He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them together into the wide place on the east, and said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of Yahweh, the God of your fathers, and carry the filthiness out of the holy place. For our fathers were unfaithful, and have done that which was evil in Yahweh our God’s sight, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of Yahweh, and turned their backs. Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. (2 Chr 29:3-7 WEB)
Did Hezekiah explain his intent to make a covenant with the Lord?
This angered the Lord so much that he made Judah and Jerusalem an object of terror and horror, something people hiss at, as you can see with your own eyes. That’s why our ancestors died violent deaths, while our sons, daughters, and wives were taken captive. But now I intend to make a covenant with the Lord, Israel’s God, so God will no longer be angry with us. Don’t be careless, my sons! The Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence to serve him, so that you can be his servants and burn incense to him.” (2 Chr 29:8-11 CEB)
Did the Levites immediately set about working to restore the temple?
When Hezekiah finished talking, the following Levite leaders went to work: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohath clan; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merari clan; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershon clan; Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphan clan; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaph clan; Jehuel and Shimei from the Heman clan; Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthun clan. (2 Chr 29:12-14 CEV)
How long did it take to cleanse the temple and consecrate it again?
They gathered their brothers and consecrated themselves and went in as the king had commanded, by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord. The priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and they brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord. And the Levites took it and carried it out to the brook Kidron. They began to consecrate on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the vestibule of the Lord. Then for eight days they consecrated the house of the Lord, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished. Then they went in to Hezekiah the king and said, “We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the table for the showbread and all its utensils. All the utensils that King Ahaz discarded in his reign when he was faithless, we have made ready and consecrated, and behold, they are before the altar of the Lord.” (2 Chr 29:15-19 ESV)
What did the Levites do once the temple was again consecrated?
King Hezekiah got up early, gathered the city officials, and went to the Lord’s temple. They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he told the descendants of Aaron, the priests, to offer them on the altar of the Lord. So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. Then they brought the goats for the sin offering right into the presence of the king and the congregation, who laid their hands on them. The priests slaughtered the goats and put their blood on the altar for a sin offering, to make atonement for all Israel, for the king said that the burnt offering and sin offering were for all Israel. (2 Chr 29:20-24 HCSB)
Did music ring out in the house of the Lord as the prophets had directed?
Hezekiah stationed descendants of Levi in the Lord’s Temple to play cymbals and stringed instruments, just as David, Gad the seer, and Nathan the prophet had directed, because the command to do so was from the Lord through those prophets. The descendants of Levi played instruments that had been crafted by David and the priests sounded trumpets. Hezekiah gave a command to offer burnt offerings on the altar, and when the burnt offerings began, a song to the Lord also began with trumpets sounding and with the instruments that King David of Israel had crafted. Everybody in the assembly worshipped, the singers sang, and the trumpets sounded. They continued doing this until the burnt offering sacrifice was completed. When the sacrifices had been offered, the king and everyone else who was present with him bowed down and worshipped. King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the descendants of Levi to sing praises to the Lord based on psalms that had been written by David and Asaph the seer. So they all joyfully sang praises, bowed low, and worshipped. (2 Chr 29:25-30 ISV)
How large was the offering from the congregation? Was it indicative of their joy?
Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings. And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord. And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. (2 Chr 29:31-33 KJV)
How did they solve the shortage of priests for the offerings?
But the priests were too few, so that they were unable to skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was completed and until the other priests had set themselves apart as holy. For the Levites were more upright of heart to set themselves apart as holy than the priests. There were also many burnt offerings with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of Yahweh was established again. Then Hezekiah and all the people were glad over what God had prepared for the people, because the thing came about suddenly. (2 Chr 29:34-36 LSB)
What happens to a nation or a church when the righteous are in authority?
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. (Prov 29:2 NKJV)
Who is a more righteous leader than any other in human history and what proves it?
I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. (John 10:11 NASB)
What happened very quickly once a righteous leader ruled Judah? What will happen when Jesus returns? You decide!
