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a change in worship

2 Chronicles 29:1-36

2 Chronicles 29:1 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.
2 Chronicles 29:2 He did what was right in Yahveh’s sight just as his ancestor David had done.
2 Chronicles 29:3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of Yahveh’s temple and repaired them.
2 Chronicles 29:4 Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the eastern public square.
2 Chronicles 29:5 He said to them, “Hear me, Levites. Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of Yahveh, the God of your ancestors. Remove everything impure from the holy place.
2 Chronicles 29:6 For our fathers were unfaithful and did what is evil in the sight of Yahveh our God. They abandoned him, turned their faces away from Yahveh’s dwelling place, and turned their backs on him.
2 Chronicles 29:7 They also closed the doors of the portico, extinguished the lamps, did not burn incense, and did not offer burnt offerings in the holy place of the God of Israel.
2 Chronicles 29:8 Therefore, the wrath of Yahveh was on Judah and Jerusalem, and he made them an object of terror, horror, and mockery, as you see with your own eyes.
2 Chronicles 29:9 Our fathers fell by the sword, and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity because of this.
2 Chronicles 29:10 It is in my heart now to make a covenant with Yahveh, the God of Israel so that his burning anger may turn away from us.
2 Chronicles 29:11 My sons, don’t be negligent now, for Yahveh has chosen you to stand in his presence, to serve him, and to be his ministers and burners of incense.”
2 Chronicles 29:12 Then the Levites stood up: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites;
2 Chronicles 29:13 Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphanites; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaphites;
2 Chronicles 29:14 Jehiel and Shimei from the Hemanites; Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthunites.
2 Chronicles 29:15 They gathered their brothers together, consecrated themselves, and went according to the king’s command by the words of Yahvehto cleanse Yahveh’s temple.
2 Chronicles 29:16 The priests went to the entrance of Yahveh’s temple to cleanse it. They took all the unclean things they found in Yahveh’s sanctuary to the courtyard of Yahveh’s temple. Then the Levites received them and took them outside to the Kidron Valley.
2 Chronicles 29:17 They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the portico of Yahveh’s temple. They consecrated Yahveh’s temple for eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
2 Chronicles 29:18 Then they went inside to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed the whole temple of Yahveh, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the table for the rows of the Bread of the Presence and all its utensils.
2 Chronicles 29:19 We have set up and consecrated all the utensils that King Ahaz rejected during his reign when he became unfaithful. They are in front of the altar of Yahveh.”
2 Chronicles 29:20 King Hezekiah got up early, gathered the city officials, and went to Yahveh’s temple.
2 Chronicles 29:21 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 Yahveh.
2 Chronicles 29:22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood and splattered it on the altar. They slaughtered the rams and splattered the blood on the altar. They slaughtered the lambs and splattered the blood on the altar.
2 Chronicles 29:23 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.
2 Chronicles 29:24 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 Chronicles 29:25 Hezekiah stationed the Levites in Yahveh’s temple with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, Gad the king’s seer, and the prophet Nathan. For the command was from Yahveh through his prophets.
2 Chronicles 29:26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
2 Chronicles 29:27 Then Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. When the burnt offerings began, the song of Yahveh and the trumpets began, accompanied by the instruments of King David of Israel.
2 Chronicles 29:28 The whole assembly was worshiping, singing the song, and blowing the trumpets– all this continued until the burnt offering was completed.
2 Chronicles 29:29 When the burnt offerings were completed, the king and all those present with him bowed down and worshiped.
2 Chronicles 29:30 Then King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to sing praise to Yahveh in the words of David and of the seer Asaph. So, they sang praises with rejoicing and knelt low and worshiped.
2 Chronicles 29:31 Hezekiah concluded, “Now you are consecrated to Yahveh. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to Yahveh’s temple.” So, the congregation brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all those with willing hearts brought burnt offerings.
2 Chronicles 29:32 The number of burnt offerings the congregation brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to Yahveh.
2 Chronicles 29:33 Six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats were consecrated.
2 Chronicles 29:34 However, since there were not enough priests, they weren’t able to skin all the burnt offerings, so their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests consecrated themselves. For the Levites were more conscientious to consecrate themselves than the priests were.
2 Chronicles 29:35 Furthermore, the burnt offerings were abundant, along with the fat of the fellowship offerings and with the drink offerings for the burnt offering. So the service of Yahveh’s temple was established.
2 Chronicles 29:36 Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced over how God had prepared the people, for it had come about suddenly.

a change in worship

The temple had been a barometer of the people’s spiritual condition, so it was only logical that Hezekiah began his reforms by cleansing the temple. Let us not forget that another Jewish prophet would speak out symbolically to his brothers by doing the same thing. Revival and reform has often been sparked by a change in worship. Thank the LORD for worship leaders who sense the urge to lead us in worship which connects to our God of grace and justice.

LORD, revive us, that we might reform your world around us.