Prep Steps for Moving Forward
“Prep Steps for Moving Forward”
3 In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the LORD and repaired them. 4 He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the courtyard east of the Temple. 5 He said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the LORD, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary. 6 Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned the LORD and his dwelling place; they turned their backs on him. 7 They also shut the doors to the Temple’s entry room, and they snuffed out the lamps. They stopped burning incense and presenting burnt offerings at the sanctuary of the God of Israel.
8 “That is why the LORD’s anger has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made them an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes. 9 Because of this, our fathers have been killed in battle, and our sons and daughters and wives have been captured. 10 But now I will make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. 11 My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him.”
12 Then these Levites got right to work:
24 The king took the various articles from the Temple of God and broke them into pieces. He shut the doors of the LORD’s Temple so that no one could worship there, and he set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem.
7 They also shut the doors to the Temple’s entry room, and they snuffed out the lamps. They stopped burning incense and presenting burnt offerings at the sanctuary of the God of Israel.
Two different tasks of consecration (qadaŝ, “be holy”) are involved. In both cases the thought of making holy is prominent. The Levites needed to be holy themselves before they could undertake the task of making the temple holy.
The ritual obligations of a worshiping community were neglected. Ahaz reversed the pattern of worship that Solomon initiated and his son Abijah carried on (13:11). Hezekiah’s task was the restoration of these earlier patterns practiced by Solomon.
The time had come for renewal. The fact that the ministry of the temple had fallen on bad times did not mean that it had to stay that way.
The Hebrew verb here is reflexive and has the same root as the word for “holy.” Other possible renderings for sanctify are “Consecrate” (NIV), “purify” (Mft), “cleanse” (Knox), and “Hallow” (REB). For this whole clause NCV has “Make yourselves ready for the LORD’s service.”
the people had been unfaithful, turning their backs instead of their faces to God
Worship was meant to be a face-to-face meeting with God
In this context the filth does not refer to garbage, but rather to the filth of idol worship.
Translations that attempt to maintain the aspect of ritual impurity include “impure objects” (PV), “what is ceremonially unclean” (NET), and “defilement” (REB).
Hezekiah’s commitment to repentance is signified by his intention to
it is idolatry in particular that is the subject of concern.
understand Hezekiah's words as a call to the Levites for a renewed and total commitment to the Lord
Do not now be negligent: This clause uses the passive form of the Hebrew verb meaning “to be at ease.” Several versions take it to mean that the priests and Levites must lose no time in accomplishing their duties; for example, REB says “let no time be lost”
The final exhortation may be stronger than not to be negligent (v. 11). It could mean that either they were not to err (cf. 2 Sam. 6:7, AV, RV) or that they must not commit blasphemy (cf. Dan. 3:29, REB, NEB).
The responsibilities of the offices of priest and Levite are spelled out once more: “the LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence to minister to him, and to be his ministers and make offerings to him” (29:11)
Part of that renewal, the reinstitution of proper formal services in the temple could be done only after a thorough cleansing of the sacred precincts, which in turn required that the religious officials—the Levites—respond and fulfill their obligations as determined by David.
It was not a renewal of the covenant between God and Israel but a commitment by the king and the nation to seek God again with all their heart
It was to be a new beginning, a fresh chapter in the Chronicler’s story.