Lesson 339 - Junior

Memory Verse

“Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times” (Psalm 106:3).

Notes

Judah’s Deplorable State
King Ahaz had left the kingdom of Judah in a sorry state. He had set up idol worship; and never during his reign had he done anything good that might bring blessings to the people of his realm. Because of his sins and those of the people, God let other nations prosper against them. At one time the armies of Israel had killed 120,000 men of Judah in battle, and had taken 200,000 women and children captive. At another time the Edomites had carried away many of the people of Judah captive. The Philistines had captured many of the cities of Judah, and were living in them. All this trouble had come upon Judah because King Ahaz had caused the people to sin.

Misery had come upon the people when they turned their back upon God. We read in the Book of Proverbs: “Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard” [Proverbs:13:15]). And the Prophet Isaiah wrote: “Thee is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked” [Isaiah:48:22]). There is no true happiness in the world to those who forsake the Lord.

God has promised that if people will call upon Him in their distress He will deliver them. He will change their sorrow into singing. He will take away the misery and make them happy. But they must come to Him in repentance, sorry that they have sinned against Him, and willing to forsake their sins.

The Beginning of Hezekiah’s Reign
King Ahaz had a son named Hezekiah, who was not at all like his father. When Hezekiah became king he wanted to enjoy the blessings that come by serving God, and he wanted to bring peace to his people. He was only twenty-five years old when he took the throne, but he already knew the value of serving God. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, as the good King David had done.

We do not know how Hezekiah had learned about God when all the people, including his father, were worshiping idols and even offering their children as burnt sacrifices to the heathen gods. It may be that he had read the Book of the Law, which each king was supposed to have in his possession and make a copy of. However he had learned about God, his heart was eager to do the right thing and to worship as God had commanded.

In the first year of Hezekiah’s reign he began the reformation by cleaning up the house of the Lord. Through all the 16 years of his father’s reign, people had not gone to church nor taken care of the things of God. You can imagine how dirty and run-down the Temple would have become during that time. King Ahaz had even taken away many of the vessels used in worship, and had cut them into pieces; and he had taken away one of God’s altars to use in idol worship; so greatly had he dishonoured God.

No Light
All those years the lights in the Temple had been out. Have you ever passed a church that was no longer in use, with weeds growing in the yard, and panes of glass broken from the windows? And have you passed at night, again and again perhaps, and have never seen any light? Does it not look sad? Do you consider what it would mean if all churches were dark and neglected?

There are people in the world today who do not want anyone to worship God. They are trying to close all the churches, put out all the lights. Think how dark this world would be if no one worshiped Jesus! Jesus is the Light of the world. Jesus brought us light and love. Jesus is the source of all true happiness.

The Priests and Levites Called
Hezekiah called upon the priests and Levites to come together and purify themselves for the service of God. Some of the priests may have been serving idols, too, and would be in no condition to serve God. When they came together, Hezekiah told them about the wickedness of their fathers and what evils were being done in the land. “Our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God.” He explained that that was the reason so much misery had come upon the people. The nations around them were hissing at them, making fun of them, they who were supposed to be the people of God.

May we who profess to be the children of God always live so that the world will see that we belong to Him! If they cannot see the likeness of Jesus in us, then we are not His children.

The Covenant of Hezekiah
Hezekiah wanted to be in favour with God, and was willing to pay a price to win His blessings. He was willing to repent on behalf of himself and his people, and make sacrifices and consecrations to the Lord in order to have forgiveness. He reminded the Levites that they had been chosen by God to minister at the Temple. It was the tribe of Levi who had come over on the Lord’s side at the time of Aaron’s golden calf, when Israel had first turned to idolatry. From that time on, the Levites had had a special place in the service of God; and now Hezekiah was calling upon them again to come up to the help of the Lord.

The Levites and priests agreed with everything that Hezekiah said. They first cleansed themselves, made their hearts right with God, and then they began the work of cleansing the house of the Lord.

When we come to worship God we must first turn from our sins and be cleansed from our wicked ways by asking Jesus to take our sins away. When we worship God with a clean heart, our service and gifts are accepted by Him.

A clean House
All the work of cleaning the house of the Lord was finished by the sixteenth day. The Levites went to the king and said: “We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof. Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.”

That was all Hezekiah wanted to hear. How happy he was that now the true worship could again be established in Judah! Early in the morning he gathered the rulers of the city and went up to the house of the Lord. There the priests offered the sacrifices of animals according to the Law of Moses, for the sins of the king and of the people.

Songs of Praise
Among the Levites were certain families who were appointed to be the musicians and the singers in the Temple. They were now ready, too, to do their part in the worship of God. “And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel.” And all the congregation worshiped, and the singers sang, and the trumpets sounded: all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. We read in the new Testament, “In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” [Philippians:4:6]).

What joy there was in the hearts of the people! Again they could sing. Today the Christian religion is the only religion that really sings. Some religions may have their mournful chants and their weird-sounding dirges; but happy, joy-filled singing is a mark of the Christian religion.

How happy these people of Judah were as they sang their praises to the God of Heaven! They bowed before Him, and their choir “sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.” What a joyful day it was in Judah! The hearts of the people had been turned from idolatry and wickedness, and hey had found forgiveness with God.

Thanksgiving
Now that God had showered these great blessings upon the people, they must say, “Thank You.” So Hezekiah called upon the priests to bring their thank offerings, and burnt offerings of consecration. And so many offerings were brought by the people who had wholeheartedly turned to God, that there were not enough priests to take care of them. Not all the priests had sanctified themselves to the Lord. “The Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.” It is sad that sometimes people who truly love the Lord and want to know the whole Word of God, are disappointed by ministers who do not preach the whole Bible nor hold up a standard of holiness.

The happy people are those who are working together in the unity of the faith, all wholly given to serve God without letting any of the foolishness of the world come into their lives and worship. May God help each one of us to put the holy things of God first in our lives, so that we shall enjoy close communion with Him!

Questions

1. What kind of king had Ahaz been?
2. How did Hezekiah begin his reign?
3. How old was Hezekiah when he began to reign?
4. What was the first duty of the priests and Levites after they had cleansed themselves?
5. Describe the worship that followed the cleansing of the Temple.
6. What part did the singers and musicians have in the service?
7. What religion sings?
8. Who are the happy people?