Lesson 339 - Senior
Memory Verse
“My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him” (II Chronicles 29:11).
Cross References
1. His father was a wicked ruler, [2 Chronicles:28:1-4]; [2 Kings:16:1-4].
2. His mother was the daughter of a prophet, [2 Chronicles:29:1]; [2 Chronicles:26:1], [2 Chronicles:26:5]; [2 Kings:18:2].
3. He was a righteous king, in spite of his father’s bad example, [2 Chronicles:29:2]; [2 Kings:18:3-7].
II Hezekiah’s Move Toward the Establishment of True Worship
1. One of Hezekiah’s first official acts was the reopening of the House of God, [2 Chronicles:29:3]; [2 Chronicles:28:21], [2 Chronicles:28:24]; [2 Kings:16:8], [2 Kings:16:14-18].
2. The priests and Levites were encouraged to reconsecrate themselves, [2 Chronicles:29:4-5].
3. Hezekiah recounted the evil deeds of past generations, and told of God’s judgments upon them, [2 Chronicles:29:6-9]; [2 Chronicles:28:5-8]; [2 Kings:17:13-20].
4. Hezekiah’s desire was for a full restoration of the spiritual relationship they once enjoyed, [2 Chronicles:29:10-11]; [2 Chronicles:6:24-25]; [2 Chronicles:7:12]; [1 Kings:8:23], [1 Kings:8:28-30], [1 Kings:8:33-34].
III The Prompt Response of the Priests and Levites
1. The Levites obeyed Hezekiah and sanctified themselves immediately, [2 Chronicles:29:12-15].
2. The Levites and the priests cleansed the Temple, each group taking care of their prescribed portion, according to the Law, [2 Chronicles:29:16];[2 Chronicles:29:17];:23:1-11; [Numbers:1:50-53]; [Numbers:3:5-10]; [Numbers:8:5-26]; [Numbers:18:1-7], [Numbers:18:20-23].
3. A good report was taken to the king, [2 Chronicles:29:18-19].
IV Hezekiah’s Re-establishment of the True Worship
1. Sin offerings were made for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for the nation, [2 Chronicles:29:20-24]; [Hebrews:7:26-27].
2. When atonement was made and the burnt offering was placed upon the altar, worship and praise spontaneously began, [2 Chronicles:29:25-30]; [2 Chronicles:23:18]; [Psalms:40:1-3]; [Psalms:51:12]; [Psalms:81:1-5]; [Psalms:95:1-7]; [Isaiah:30:29]; I Corinthians:14:15; [Ephesians:5:19-20]; [Colossians:3:16]; [James:5:13].
3. The people were encouraged to bring freewill offerings, to complete the worship of God, [2 Chronicles:29:31-35]; [Deuteronomy:12:5-7]; [Deuteronomy:16:10-11]; [Ezra:3:4-5].
4. Everything had been done in haste, that the re-establishment of worship might not be unnecessarily delayed, [2 Chronicles:29:36]; [1 Kings:19:20]; [Mark:1:18]; [Zechariah:8:21]; [Ephesians:5:15];[Ephesians:5:16]; [Ecclesiastes:9:10].
Notes
Outstanding Passages in the Lesson Text
As one begins to study the life of Hezekiah, King of Judah, from the chapter that has been chosen as the text of this lesson, he sees several passages that stand out from the rest in a remarkable manner. As he considers these passages, he sees that much of the character of the king can be learned from them.
Hezekiah “did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. He . . . opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. And he brought in the priests and the Levites, . . . and said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers.” It is also recorded that he said, “It is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel,” and that he further exhorted the Levites: “Be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him.” Then the Levites “gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came.” “And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also . . . And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.” “Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.”
These passages show the diligence and sincerity of the king and the people, especially the tribe that God had chosen to do His service. They show that God’s ear is ever open to the cry of the penitent, and that he is always ready to pour out His blessings upon those who seek His mercy. They show that God loves those who are wholehearted in His cause, who place His service above every other consideration or obligation that may be theirs.
The Young and Zealous King
Hezekiah had a poor heritage. His father was an idolater, a man who offered his own children as sacrifices to idols and who built these altars of idol worship in every part of Jerusalem. Hezekiah’s father made alliances with ungodly rulers and heathen nations, robbing the Temple of its treasures to satisfy the heathen kings. He defamed the brazen altar and allowed filth and refuse to accumulate in the Temple.
But when Hezekiah came to the throne, at the age of 25, he instituted a clean-up campaign that began in the right place. Let young people of today take example from Hezekiah. With everything against him, it might seem, this young man stood out for God and for the House of God. He had seen the evils of idolatry, and had witnessed in his own family circle the terrible sufferings, which that false worship brought. He had seen the oppression that was upon the nation because of the defeats they suffered at the hands of their enemies, which defeats were due to their turning away from the true God. But in spite of his youth he took a firm stand for God.
It might almost seem that Hezekiah had received the same advice that Paul the Apostle gave the young man, Timothy, in a much later period. Paul wrote: “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” [1 Timothy:4:12]). Hezekiah was young in years but he did not let that hinder him from doing the work that he saw awaited him. He stepped out for God, and God backed him up; and because of this, when he later came to a crisis in his life, he could say to God: “Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight” [Isaiah:38:3]). Even at that time of crisis he was not old in years; so consider how important it is that the early years of one’s life be spent in such a way that when an emergency does come he can point back over the years with confidence that God will consider them and answer the prayer that he prays.
The Importance of Having One’s Heart Right
Some of those who lived in the time of Hezekiah could have said, when they saw his zeal and quick attention to the house of God, that the new king was merely pursuing a political policy to win the hearts of a group of people who had been neglected under his father’s regime. Or they could have said that he had a love for architecture and did not want to see the beautiful Temple abandoned and filled with debris. Those who might have said these things can be classed with those people of our generation who attend church that they might make good contacts for their business pursuits or to improve their social standing, or who read the Bible purely as literature and even admire it as the greatest of literature but who fail to see it as the living and abiding Word of God. But before long even those who might have brought such unfounded accusations would have had to admit that there was more behind Hezekiah’s actions than any such ulterior motives.
Hezekiah said, “It is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel.” The course that Hezekiah had set for his life was correct. His heart was right! The things he undertook so early in his reign were not done for earthly glory, for popular acclaim, or for political strength. What he was doing was for the glory of God [1 Corinthians:10:31]). He wanted to be right with God, and he wanted the people to return to God. He could see the fierce wrath of God hanging over the nation. He realised that the only deliverance from that wrath was in the salvation of God, and that the first step in turning the hearts of the people to God would be the restoration of the true worship of God. Therefore, his first action was to clean out and repair the house of God, and this could properly be done only by the people God had set aside for that work -– the priests and Levites.
In all this we can see that Hezekiah acted wisely. It would be of no value to have a place of worship that was freed from a generation’s filthiness and uncleanness if those who attended to the worship were not themselves dedicated to that service, daily fulfilling the exacting requirements of their office. One could not expect the power and presence of God to be manifest in the House of God if the ministering attendants were ungodly and undedicated to their task. Hezekiah’s first appeal was wisely directed to the priests and Levites.
We read that these chosen men responded in different ways, depending on the attitude of their own hearts. A person cannot be forced to serve God; he cannot be legislated into righteousness. And fear alone cannot make him a faithful steward in God’s service. There has to be a desire in the individual to take up his cross and follow Jesus. The Levites responded and sanctified themselves according to the ordinances of God.
As we study the great plan of salvation, we find that there are two parts to the second great Christian experience that is given to every person who meets God’s requirements, after having been justified by faith. The first part of this experience of entire sanctification is the part that we must do. The second part is that which God does. The first part is to dedicate ourselves in consecration to God. We reach a deeper consecration at this time than we had thought possible theretofore. Sometimes this consecration or dedication is referred to as ceremonial sanctification -– sanctifying oneself. The second part is that work of cleansing by the Blood, done by God, in which the inherited depravity is removed and we are renewed in the image of our Creator; this is known as entire sanctification. Jesus prayed: “For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth” [John:17:19]). Jesus, as our Offering for sin and uncleanness, dedicated or consecrated Himself that we might be cleansed from our inherited sin condition -– that we might be sanctified.
As we study our lesson we see that the Levites went to work immediately after they had sanctified themselves -– consecrated themselves -– as they had been directed by Hezekiah. The same was true of some of the priests, but it is written concerning others of these privileged descendants of Aaron that they had not “sanctified themselves: for the Levities were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.” The priests who did not respond with enthusiasm to do all they could in preparing themselves for the service of God, were not able to serve in their capacity when the offerings were killed, which service was then done by the Levites who had been faithful in their own spiritual preparation and in their own calling.
The Prayers for Forgiveness, and God’s Answer
Since one of the first duties of every kind of God’s chosen people was to study the Law of God and make a copy of it with his own hands so its requirements would all the more be impressed upon him, we can assume that Hezekiah had done so. Observe that Hezekiah ordered sin offerings to be made for “the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah.” This meant that he wanted all the sins of the past to be forgiven by God. The members of the royal staff and family were not to be exempted. Even those who already were doing the service of the Lord were included. And the whole nation itself was not overlooked.
Notice that Hezekiah brought not only the single offering required by the Law, but, perhaps feeling that the extreme character of the people’s sin would require more, he brought seven of each animal instead. In matters of eternal importance, Hezekiah did not consider an earthly price worthy of any consideration whatsoever. Some people come to God asking Him for the gift of eternal life, and, when they do so, ponder over the earthy cost they might have to pay to receive God’s eternal blessings.
Is there any price too high that could ever be required of us in order that we might receive the eternal favour of God? Merely to escape the punishment of hell would be sufficient compensation for every sacrifice one might make, or any price one might pay in worldly advantage, pleasure, situation, or wealth. But God gives us even more than the assurance that we shall not be punished eternally if we come to Him in contrition. God gives us the hope of everlasting life, with opportunities to secure rewards and eternal joys that can never be imagined.
Some people feel that a piece of jewellery, a fashionable piece of clothing that is not in keeping with the teachings of the Bible, a few minutes’ illicit pleasure, the favour of some mortal who is also going to stand before God’s judgment seat, or the surrender of their will, is of more value than all the Heavenly blessings that God offers them. Sometimes people will knowingly forfeit every hope of Heaven that is extended to them for something they will tire of in a few days and then throw away in favour of some new trinket, or pleasure, which they will soon also consider worthless. But the person whose heart is right will see the true value of earthly things, when compared with the Heavenly, and will take the right course, make the necessary sacrifices, and pay the full price so that he might have God’s favour and blessing.
It is obvious that God heard the prayer of these people and of their king. “When the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also . . . And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.”
There is nothing that puts such sublime joy in the heart of a person as the knowledge that all the past is forgiven, that the condemnation for sins is gone, and that he has power to live a life that is clean according to God’s standard and in accord with his own inner desires. A person may kneel at the place of prayer in the deepest of despair because of Satan’s mastery over his life, and then, through a single prayer of contrition, feel that mastery broken and see removed the shackles and bonds that have held him. It is then that the song of praise begins. It is then that the joy of Heaven is implanted in the heart. It is then that a new hope is imparted to him. From then on he is a new creature, a child of the King -– a son of God.
Questions
1. Was Hezekiah’s father a righteous or wicked man?
2. Hezekiah’s mother was the daughter of a prophet of God. What other king was influenced by this same man of God?
3. How old was Hezekiah when he began to reign? Read [1 Timothy:4:12] and then tell how this verse was fulfilled in Hezekiah’s own life.
4. What was the first thing Hezekiah did concerning the worship of God?
5. What instructions did Hezekiah give to the priests and Levites?
6. A number of the priests did not respond as they should have to the instructions given them. What did this cost them in privileges in God’s service? Who substituted for them so that the service of God would be carried out satisfactorily?
7. What did Hezekiah say was in his heart to do?
8. What admonition did Hezekiah give the Levites relative to God’s choosing them for His service?
9. For whom were the sin offerings made?
10. Tell how the priests and Levites cleansed the Temple; and how, in doing so, they followed the Law of God.
11. What is the difference between ceremonial sanctification and the experience of entire sanctification? Which is our part to do? and which is God’s?
12. What part did music and singing have in the worship of God at this time? When did the singing start?