20250210

open the floodgates

2 Chronicles 31:1-21

2 Chronicles 31:1 When all this was completed, all Israel who had attended went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, to the last one. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own possession.
2 Chronicles 31:2 Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the priests and Levites for the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for praise in the gates of the camp of Yahveh, each division corresponding to his service among the priests and Levites.
2 Chronicles 31:3 The king contributed from his own possessions for the regular morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings of the Sabbaths, of the New Moons, and of the appointed feasts, as written in the law of Yahveh.
2 Chronicles 31:4 He told the people who lived in Jerusalem to give a contribution for the priests and Levites so that they could devote their energy to the law of Yahveh.
2 Chronicles 31:5 When the word spread, the Israelites gave liberally of the first of the grain, new wine, fresh oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance, a tenth of everything.
2 Chronicles 31:6 As for the Israelites and Judahites who lived in the cities of Judah, they also brought a tenth of the herds and flocks, and a tenth of the dedicated things that were consecrated to Yahveh their God. They gathered them into large piles.
2 Chronicles 31:7 In the third month they began building up the piles, and they finished in the seventh month.
2 Chronicles 31:8 When Hezekiah and his officials came and viewed the piles, they blessed Yahveh and his people Israel.
2 Chronicles 31:9 Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles.
2 Chronicles 31:10 The chief priest Azariah, of the household of Zadok, answered him, “Since they began bringing the offering to Yahveh’s temple, we eat and are satisfied and there is plenty left over because Yahveh has blessed his people; this abundance is what is left over.”
2 Chronicles 31:11 Hezekiah told them to prepare chambers in Yahveh’s temple, and they prepared them.
2 Chronicles 31:12 The offering, the tenth, and the dedicated things were brought faithfully. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second.
2 Chronicles 31:13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were deputies under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei by appointment of King Hezekiah and of Azariah the chief official of God’s temple.
2 Chronicles 31:14 Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God to distribute the contribution to Yahveh and the consecrated things.
2 Chronicles 31:15 Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests were to distribute it faithfully under his authority to their brothers by divisions, whether large or small.
2 Chronicles 31:16 In addition, they distributed it to males registered by genealogy three years old and above; to all who would enter Yahveh’s temple for their daily duty, for their service in their responsibilities according to their divisions.
2 Chronicles 31:17 They distributed also to those recorded by genealogy of the priests by their ancestral families and the Levites twenty years old and above, by their responsibilities in their divisions;
2 Chronicles 31:18 to those registered by genealogy — with all their dependents, wives, sons, and daughters — of the whole assembly (for they had faithfully consecrated themselves as holy);
2 Chronicles 31:19 and to the descendants of Aaron, the priests, in the common fields of their cities, in each and every city. There were men who were registered by name to distribute a portion to every male among the priests and to every Levite recorded by genealogy.
2 Chronicles 31:20 Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before Yahveh his God.
2 Chronicles 31:21 He was diligent in every deed that he began in the service of God’s temple, in the instruction and the commands, in order to seek his God, and he prospered.

open the floodgates

Those who have been involved in ministry management know how disheartening it is to always be checked by the bottom line. When we get in our minds that something should be done, it hurts to learn that there is no budget for it. For once, the priests and Levites did not have that problem. They gathered contributions for four months, and the result was that the resources were in such heaps that chambers had to be guilt within the temple courts to hold it all. What a joy it is to not have to worry about where the funds are coming from.

LORD, open the floodgates of blessing for those ministries hampered by lack of funds. Open the hearts of those whom you have chosen to bless by giving.