2 Ch. 29: Heze-komeback

2 Chronicles 29:36 "Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly."

Hezekiah, the son 0f Ahaz gets some positive press here. 2 Kings does him a solid for the most part, mainly covering his military exploits. Here in 2 Chronicles, we get a view of how Hezekiah purifies the temple. Another pretty good thing about Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles is that his reign draws comparisons to David. And that is impressive in and of itself. He was a good guy for the most part, with a minor screw up at the end.

He knew in order to turn God's wrath away, and end sieges in Israel's territory, he had to get the temple back in order. And this was like the very first thing he did. He set the tone for his reign early on. I think by doing this, he gave Israel a clear idea of what to expect during his time on the throne. And by extension, he became accountabile to Israel. They could check him. They would know where he was coming from.

So finally, we have an enumeration of what Hezekiah goes through to purify the temple and get it ready for use again, and it's pretty extensive and a very big deal. It has been quite some time since I've read about sacrifices and priestly duties. They've just not been important. 

And then of course, we have the offerings, the feasting, the singing, the celebration and the music. Hezekiah's has it running again. We'll see how long it lasts.

For more reading on Hezekiah: 2 Kings 18-20, 9/23/08 Entry

In loving memory of Natalie Hunt 9/27/12 - 11/29/08.