Restoring Worship- Leading by example
Apologies for the missed EmmDev yesterday...------------------------------------------
One of Hezekiah's first orders of business was to restore the worship of Israel. He gathered the priests and had them restore and cleanse the temple and then took a prominent role in making it happen.
If you read the whole chapter you'll see that Hezekiah pushed the priests and the work of restoring the temple and it was done in just 16 days. Just imagine: Years of neglect, the accumulation of pagan idols and symbols, the dust of waned devotion and the grime of distraction and temptation. Hezekiah will have none of it. His "spring clean" is decisive and determined. People are amazed that it was done so quickly, but this is the great truth: repentance doesn't have to be difficult or take long. Just be "all in."
When the priests report the work done, Hezekiah has them up early the next morning to re-establish worship. There are a huge number of sacrifices, there is singing, trumpets, pomp and splendour and it is all about worship.
Read the passage below and get a feel of the passion, the devotion, the hard work, and the urgency.
What spring cleaning is due in your spiritual life right now?
| Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the LORD began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel. The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed. When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped. King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped. Then Hezekiah said, "You have now dedicated yourselves to the LORD. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of the LORD." So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings. The number of burnt offerings the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams and two hundred male lambs--all of them for burnt offerings to the LORD. The animals consecrated as sacrifices amounted to six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats. The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings; so their kinsmen the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated, for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been. There were burnt offerings in abundance, together with the fat of the fellowship offerings and the drink offerings that accompanied the burnt offerings. So the service of the temple of the LORD was reestablished. Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly. (2Chronicles29:27-36) |
