This blog serves as an outreach for Pastor Randy Powell of the First Baptist Church of Franklin, PA. Feel free to ask questions or send me an e-mail at pastorpowell@hotmail.com
The final chapter in the Chronicles' recounting of the reign of Hezekiah takes place after the reform and revival movement he helped bring about has finished its work. The timing suggests two conclusions: #1 God thwarted the evil purposes of Sennacherib until his people had finished their repentance and had renewed their relationship with him. #2 Doing the right thing didn't make Hezekiah and the people immune to tribulation, instead, it enabled them to stand firm when tribulation came (In keeping with the lesson of Job).
How did Hezekiah and the people respond to this challenge to the very existence of their nation? They first took all the preparations that were in their power to accomplish, then they declared their trust that God would do what only God can do, and lastly when Sennacherib mocked the power of God, they responded with prayer to the Almighty.
How did God respond? He delivered his people, in fulfillment of his Word and by way of demonstrating his love and compassion for them. In the end, Hezekiah and the people of Judah persevered, maintaining their allegiance to God in a time of peril. Overall, Hezekiah demonstrates what can be accomplished by a devout person of God through hard work, prayer, and faith.
Pride is sin.
Greed is sin.
The love of money is sin.
Lust is sin.
Adultery is sin.
Vindictiveness is sin.
Cruelty is sin.
Bearing false witness is sin.
If this partial list bothers you, take it up with God, he's the one that created it, my job is to simply remind people that these things are not up for debate, nor can they be changed by any act of man. God has ordained what is right, and what is wrong, based upon his own holiness. Our willingness to accept this standard, and change our behavior accordingly (by the power of the Holy Spirit) is a necessary beginning of discipleship.
Anyone who continues in sin is not born of God (see 1 John 3:6), anyone who does not produce evidence of the fruit of the Spirit is not a child of God (see Galatians 5:16-26). This is not negotiable, if anyone connected with a church told you otherwise, they'll have to answer to God for that one day. Our culture regularly glorifies the sins listed at the beginning of this post; God condemns them. You choose.
After having accomplished the emotional high of repairing and reopening the Temple followed by a celebration of the Passover that was better attended and more joyous than any held for centuries, Hezekiah next proceeds to follow up that high point with various administrative reforms. There isn't anything exciting or glamorous about organization and efficiency, but in order for the people of Judah to worship the LORD effectively, long-term, these reforms were absolutely necessary. Passover gets everybody's attention, but it is the day to day devotion to the LORD the rest of the year that develops character, and for that, reformation of the priesthood (and their support system) was needed.
The same holds true for the Church. Large rallies, concerts, and revival meetings may be what gets noticed, and they have their place and purpose, but without week to week devotion to God, the people of God will not make progress in their discipleship. The Church also needs capable hands running its administrative functions, making the most of the resources given to it by the people, and preventing waste or fraud. These may be unnoticed tasks with little chance for glory, but they are vital to the continued ability of God's people to do effective ministry in the world.
We all enjoy going to Church on Christmas Eve and Easter, the two services that require the largest amount of preparation and always have the largest turnout of the year, but we cannot allow ourselves to be a people who connect with God only a few times per year, we need to be devoted to God, all year round, from our highs to our lows, from the exciting to the mundane. If we cannot sustain a high level of commitment to God, how can we expect God to do anything wondrous among us?
While preparing my message this week on Hezekiah from 2 Chronicles 32, I came across this thought by 19th Century Methodist theologian Adam Clarke which is insightful enough for me to type it out here...
"Thus God speaks after the manner of men: he either brings, or permits them to be brought, into such circumstances as shall cause them to show their prevailing propensities; and then warns them against the evils to which they are inclined, after having shown them that they are capable of these evils. To know ourselves, and our own character, is of the utmost importance to our religious growth and perfection. He who does not know where his weakness lies, is not likely to know where his strength lies. Many, by not being fully acquainted with their own character, have been unwatchful and unguarded, and so become an easy prey to their enemies. Know thyself is a lesson which no man can learn but from the Spirit of God."
On this election day, consider this: What has this tumultuous political season revealed about your character, your strengths and weaknesses? Do not miss an opportunity to grow in discipleship.
Having cleaned and re-dedicated the temple, and reconsecrated the priests and Levites, Hezekiah and the leadership of the people of Judah next turn to reinstituting the Passover feast. Along the way, they face a variety of potential set-backs, each of which could have derailed the opportunity to bring the people of God together in order to praise God, but each of which were dealt with by compromise. Hezekiah chooses to pursue the spirit of the Law, not the letter, making exceptions to the rules in order to bring about a truly national revival of repentance. When the people show that they have a willing heart, Hezekiah doesn't let their past violations of the Law keep them from returning to the worship of the LORD. It is for us an important reminder that the heart is more important than the outward appearance, and also that the people of God ought to be willing to stretch themselves in order to welcome lost sinners when they turn to God in repentance.
