2 Chronicles 29-31

What’s Happening?

Decades of faithlessness and idolatry have brought God’s people closer and closer to death. The impurity and corruption of all this death has made the temple in Judah an unsuitable dwelling for the God of life. Even their prayers were unsuitable for God’s ears. But Judah’s next king, Hezekiah, reforms Judah’s spiritual practices in hopes that their alienation and separation from God will end (2 Chronicles 29:10). His first act in office is to reopen and repair the temple his father left abandoned (2 Chronicles 29:3-4). He gathers every authorized priest he can find and tells them to purify themselves and the temple to make a suitable dwelling for God to be among them (2 Chronicles 29:5-14). 

God’s law outlines how God’s priests and God’s temple should be purified in expectation of God’s presence (Exodus 29:1-45, 30:22-30, 40:1-33). The law showed how to turn places of death into places of life. The blood of a sacrificial animal covered death with life. So for over two weeks, Hezekiah’s priests follow the law to the letter and purify every square inch of God’s temple (2 Chronicles 29:15-19). Once completed, Hezekiah summons God’s priests to purify the people of Judah who had abandoned God and his laws with the life of hundreds of sacrificial animals (2 Chronicles 29:20-24). With these rituals complete, Judah’s relationship with God is formally restored, and the people of Judah celebrate the end of their alienation from God. They bring so many offerings that there aren’t enough priests to prepare them all (2 Chronicles 29:31-36). 

On the heels of this revival in Jerusalem, Hezekiah becomes the first king since their civil war to unite the divided tribes of Judah and Israel. He invites all God’s people to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover (2 Chronicles 30:1-5). He begs God’s newly united people to remember how God saved them from their oppressors and promised that he would restore all they had lost when they return to him (2 Chronicles 30:6-9). In response, people from both Judah and Israel flood Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. For two weeks, they celebrate God’s liberation, forgiveness, and their restored relationship to him. And as proof of that restored relationship, God once again hears their prayers (2 Chronicles 30:27).

Back in Jerusalem, Hezekiah makes plans to ensure this national revival continues. He appoints priests to continually make sacrifices in the temple. He donates from his own wealth to ensure the temple keeps functioning, and institutes a temple-tax system that Judah and Israel both willingly adopt (2 Chronicles 31:2-5). So much food and livestock are donated, Hezekiah is forced to appoint twelve administrators and seven accountants to keep track of what’s been given (2 Chronicles 31:6-15). Finally, Hezekiah records the names of every priest in Israel, and provides a salary for those eligible to work in the temple (2 Chronicles 31:16-19). And as a result of his faithfulness, all God’s people prosper (2 Chronicles 31:20-21). 

Where is the Gospel?

In the book of Chronicles, it is only under King Hezekiah that anyone or anything is described as being purified with blood. God is committed to covering over all our death with life. Far more than Hezekiah, God will go to any length to purify us from death. This commitment is seen in the Passover which Hezekiah reinstituted. At one point in time, Israel was enslaved and separated from God in Egypt—a land of death. But through the blood of a lamb, God covered Israel and brought them life. And now, God has shown no greater commitment to covering our death with life and purifying a place to dwell among us than he did in Jesus. Hezekiah and the people of Israel may have emptied their barns of livestock and their storehouses of food. But God emptied heaven of his beloved Son (Romans 8:32). Hezekiah and his people may have generously given their resources to cover over their death. But Jesus lavishly gave his own life to purify us and bring us to God. 

No matter how far from God you might feel, no matter how filled with death your past and present are, Jesus perfectly purifies (1 John 1:9). Through Jesus’ sacrifice, our alienation and separation from God are over (1 Peter 3:18). As a result of the faithfulness of our final king, Jesus, God dwells with us, hears our prayers, and calls us his people forever. 

See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see the God who purifies his people. And may you see Jesus as the one who has given his blood so that we can be reconciled to God forever.