2 Chronicles 30:1-27
30:1-5 Hezekiah sought to restore the celebration of the Passover. In Exodus 12, the Lord passed over His righteous children who were marked by lamb's blood when He administered destruction of evil and corruption. It was symbolic of Jesus, our Lamb. For when we have the figurative blood of Jesus over our hearts and homes, we have the protection of His righteous power. It was a significant moment for the twelve tribes which became the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, yet they had stopped celebrating it. They had stopped celebrating God.
30:6-9 Messengers were sent throughout the kingdoms to those who had yet to be captured by sin and enemy. They delivered a piece that is as relevant today as it was then:
“Children of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. And do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation, as you see. Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.”
God is compassionate, gracious and merciful. God is powerful enough to flood every facet of your life with His compassion, grace and mercy. His love and power burst through the chains and prisons our sin, desire and enemies have trapped us in. To receive His power and protection, the runners told them (and us) to do these things:
Live in alignment with righteousness.
Yield to God.
Enter the eternal sanctuary of the Lord.
Return to the Lord.
Serve the Lord.
30:10-11 Only a few listened to the message. The others mocked and rejected. Foolish people are too arrogant to submit themselves to a lifestyle of humility and compassion. Too few are willing to serve. But a few did listen, a few of the remaining kingdom of Israel did humble themselves.
30:12-13 God built upon the faith of the few; He moved the collective body toward righteousness. As He always does, He gave His children a chance they would not have had without Him. He pushed powerfully through their obstinacy and foolishness so that they could keep their lives and their freedom.
30:14-17 Of the people gathered, many were unfamiliar with worship. The kingdom of Israel especially had wandered to far from God that this experience was entirely new for them.
20:18-19 Hezekiah made a tender prayer for the new believers:
“May the good Lord provide atonement for everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.” And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
This somewhat rag-tag group would have been beautiful to God. It was a group of His children changing the direction of their path. Regardless of the condition of their kingdom or the leadership of their king, these people had shown up to know God. They had made a initial, personal step toward faith. Hezekiah knew that their genuine effort would be cherished by God. He knew that they were as worthy of His purification and sanctuary as any other believer. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32, we learn that God rejoices even more over the return of His children who were lost.
20:20 God healed the people because they were present. With God is is never about perfection; it is always about presence:
I am not perfect but I am here.
I do not know but I am listening.
I cannot see but I am following.
30:21 So the children of Israel who were present... kept the traditions of the ancestors, the celebration of the God who pulled them out of the chaos. When we are alert in the proximity of God, He is able to organize, establish and strengthen us. Subsequently our faith deepens.
30:22 Hezekiah encouraged the priests for their task at hand; they had so many new students of the faith!
30:23-26 With gladness, the people extended their celebration of God. The kingdom rejoiced because it had been so long since such faith thrived in Judah. Present with God, joy is our natural expression.
30:27 Their collective prayer reached heaven; their collective effort in faith would reach the facets of their kingdom.
