Hezekiah Called For a Worship Service at The Temple
June 3, 2022
Commentary
After the priests and Levites had made things right in their own life and cleansed the temple Hezekiah called together the officials of Jerusalem, and they went to the temple (v. 20). They brought with them bulls, rams, lambs, and goats to offer as sacrifices (v. 21). These were offered to take away the sins of Hezekiah’s family and of the people of Judah as well as to purify the temple. The priests who were the descendants of Aaron helped with this worship service. They killed the bulls, rams and the lambs and splattered the blood on the altar (v. 22). Then they took the goats to Hezekiah and the worshipers and laid their hands on the animals (v. 23). The priests killed the goats and splattered the blood on the altar as a sacrifice to take away the sins of everyone in Israel (v. 24). It has always taken a blood sacrifice to take care of the sins of the people, but these were always just a temporary relief and had to be repeated over and over again. That is why it is so wonderful that Jesus’ shed blood on the cross takes care of our sins forever.
The multitude were brought into a new fellowship with God as Hezekiah assigned the Levites to their places in the temple (vv. 25-26). First, there was a sin offering, for the people who needed cleansing. Then the song of the Lord began (v. 27). Everyone worshiped the Lord until the last animal was sacrificed (vv. 28-30). Hezekiah told the crowd that they are once again acceptable to the Lord (v. 31). The temple was once again used for worshiping the Lord (vv. 32-35). The burnt offering meant consecration of life and the giving up of self. At the very moment the flame of the burnt offering leaped heavenward there was a burst of music that echoed through the courts. Those who were depressed took heart and those who had been fearful were encouraged (v. 36).
Application
After I have made sure that I have everything in my own heart and life made right then I am ready to help others dedicatetheir life to the Lord.
2 Chronicles 29:20– 36 (NET)
20 Early the next morning King Hezekiah assembled the city officials and went up to the Lord’s temple. 21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. The king told the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer burnt sacrifices on the altar of the Lord. 22 They slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splashed it on the altar. Then they slaughtered the rams and splashed the blood on the altar; next they slaughtered the lambs and splashed the blood on the altar. 23 Finally they brought the goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they placed their hands on them. 24 Then the priests slaughtered them. They offered their blood as a sin offering on the altar to make atonement for all Israel, because the king had decreed that the burnt sacrifice and sin offering were for all Israel.
25 Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the Lord’s temple with cymbals and stringed instruments just as David, Gad the king’s prophet, and Nathan the prophet had ordered. (The Lord had actually given these orders through his prophets.) 26 The Levites had David’s musical instruments and the priests had trumpets. 27 Hezekiah ordered the burnt sacrifice to be offered on the altar. As they began to offer the sacrifice, they also began to sing to the Lord, accompanied by the trumpets and the musical instruments of King David of Israel. 28 The entire assembly worshiped, as the singers sang and the trumpeters played. They continued until the burnt sacrifice was completed.
29 When the sacrifices were completed, the king and all who were with him bowed down and worshiped. 30 King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to praise the Lord, using the psalms of David and Asaph the prophet. So they joyfully offered praise and bowed down and worshiped. 31 Hezekiah said, “Now you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the Lord’s temple.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and whoever desired to do so brought burnt sacrifices.
32 The assembly brought a total of 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs as burnt sacrifices to the Lord, 33 and 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep were consecrated. 34 But there were not enough priests to skin all the animals, so their brothers, the Levites, helped them until the work was finished and the priests could consecrate themselves. (The Levites had been more conscientious about consecrating themselves than the priests.) 35 There was a large number of burnt sacrifices, as well as fat from the peace offerings and drink offerings that accompanied the burnt sacrifices. So the service of the Lord’s temple was reinstituted. 36 Hezekiah and all the people were happy about what God had done for them, for it had been done quickly.