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Old Testament Lesson 30 – “Come to the House of the Lord”

1. Hezekiah orders the house of the Lord to be cleansed.

2 Chronicles 28:24      Shut up the doors

‘ [Ahaz] caused the Divine worship to be totally suspended; and they continued shut till the beginning of the reign of Hezekiah, one of whose first acts was to reopen them, and thus to restore the Divine worship, 2 Chronicles 29:3.’ (Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible)

Image result for Hezekiah orders the house of the Lord to be cleansed.

2 Chronicles 29:3-5 Hezekiah

‘Hezekiah (meaning ‘whom Jehovah has strengthened’) was 25 years old when he commenced his 29 year reign upon the throne. Immediately upon becoming king, he focused his energy on the temple, causing the priesthood bearers to repair it and cleanse it after years of abuse by unrighteous kings. His directive was to ‘ sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers’ (2 Chronicles 29:5).’ (Richard J Allen, Study Commentary on the Old Testament).

2 Chronicles 29:8-9      He hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment

‘He probably refers here chiefly to that dreadful defeat by the Israelites in which a hundred and twenty thousand were slain, and two hundred thousand taken prisoners; see the preceding chapter, 2 Chronicles 28:6-8′ (Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible)

2 Chronicles 30:20 The Lord….healed the people

‘Rehoboam rejected the counsel which required him to humble himself and to serve others. Instead, he chose to reign over Israel with a very heavy hand, thus causing a great division into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. (See  1 Kgs. 12:20)

For the next 220 years the people generally set aside their sacred covenants, thus wandering in the ways of the world. Then a young man named Hezekiah began to reign in Judah. “And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord,” and “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel.”  (2 Kgs. 18:3, 5)

Hezekiah gathered together the priesthood bearers of the day and said, “Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.”  (2 Chr. 29:5) “Be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God … but yield yourselves unto the Lord, … and serve the Lord your God.” ( 2 Chr. 30:7–8)

Image result for Josiah and his people covenant to serve the Lord.

In response to this assertive leader, who was supported by the prophet Isaiah, “the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people”  (2 Chr. 30:20) and “in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness”  (2 Chr. 31:18)

From King Hezekiah, as from King Benjamin (see  Mosiah 2  Mosiah 3  Mosiah 4 and  Mosiah 5) we can learn a very positive lesson on leadership: circumstances do not always need to remain the same. ‘ (Spencer J Condie, General Conference, April 1990)

2. The Assyrians invade the kingdom of Judah. Isaiah and Hezekiah pray for help, and an angel of the Lord destroys much of the Assyrian army.

2 Chronicles 32:1     After these things

‘God did not permit this pious prince to be disturbed till he had completed the reformation which he had begun.’ (Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible)

Image result for The Assyrians invade the kingdom of Judah. Isaiah and Hezekiah pray for help, and an angel of the Lord destroys much of the Assyrian army.

Hezekiah’s Tunnel

‘As the Assyrians moved towards Jerusalem, Hezekiah has prepared for a long siege. Second Kings notes, ‘how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city’ (2 Kings 20:20), meaning he ‘stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David’ (2 Chronicles 32:30), resulting in the remarkable technological feat known as Hezekiah’s tunnel. This tunnel brought water from the Gihon spring to the Pool of Siloam, providing safer and increased access to water within the city walls. Along with fortifications, this tunnel was presumably part of the preparations for the Assyrian attack described in 2 Chronicles 32:3-5.’ (Dana M Pike and Richard Holzapfel, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament)

Sennacherib

“Hoping to avoid a direct confrontation when he saw that Sennacherib was preparing to attack Judah, Hezekiah sent Sennacherib a substantial tribute of gold and silver, including most, if not all, of the palace and temple treasuries. He even had the gold plating taken off the temple doors and pillars. (See 2 Kgs. 18:13-16.) But Sennacherib wanted more; he demanded absolute submission, and he knew that Hezekiah was one of the leaders in the revolt against Assyrian authority. He wanted nothing less than the unconditional surrender of Jerusalem, and he wanted her king still alive, so that he could humiliate, torture, and finally slowly impale King Hezekiah upon a pointed stake, just as he had done to the rebel kings of the Philistines.” (Victor L. Ludlow, Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 319)

2 Chronicles 32:18 Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ speech

“The Assyrian ambassador is also known by his title, Rabshakeh. The Rabshakeh was an adept propagandist, whose mastery of Hebrew and understanding of Jewish culture were so keen that some scholars assert he must have been an apostate Jew serving as an Assyrian mercenary…
“Instead of lowering his voice or speaking in Aramaic, the Rabshakeh raises his voice to a shout. Addressing those on the wall, he says that it is to them that Sennacherib has sent him to speak. He adds the vulgar claim that they and their leaders will eat their own waste if Assyria besieges the city. He continues in his role of ‘propaganda minister’ by seeking to undermine the popular support of King Hezekiah’s government, saying that Hezekiah’s call for the people to trust in the Lord is foolishness. Using a blasphemous allusion to prophecy (‘hear the words of the great king of Assyria’) the Rabshakeh describes Sennacherib as the advocate of the people. He promises the Jews that if they will submit, they can keep their own property until Sennacherib takes them to a good land like their own. Finally, the Rabshakeh boastfully belittles the gods of the many nations that Assyria has subjected, claiming that Jehovah can do no better at rescuing his people from Assyria.” (Victor L. Ludlow, Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 320-321)
2 Chronicles 32:21-22 The Lord sent an angel
‘In response to the prayers of Hezekiah and Isaiah, an angel of the Lord cut off the threatening host and saved Jerusalem from the enemy.’ (Richard J Allen, Study Commentary on the Old Testament).

3. Josiah and his people covenant to serve the Lord.

Josiah

‘In the days of Josiah, all of the Jews seem to have been destitute of a copy of the law. During the reign of that king, in repairing the house of the Lord, a copy of the book of the law was found; and when presented to the king, he sent five messengers to Huldah, the prophetess, saying, “Go, enquire of the Lord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found.” (2 Chr. 34:21) The messengers returned and reported to the king that the book found was indeed a Divine revelation, and the king caused all the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be assembled to hear the words of the book. (See 2 Chr. 34.) (2 Chr. 34:1-33)
For a long period previous to finding the book, the Jews had been ignorant of the Scriptures, and had fallen into the grossest idolatry. A new revelation through the prophetess Huldah seems to have been sufficient to convince the king and all Israel of the divinity of the book. They must have been inclined, in that age of the
world, to believe the history of the servants of God more than in this age; for now the people generally require a vast amount of evidence. The testimony of a dozen witnesses is scarcely regarded.’ (Orson Pratt,Evidences of the Bible)
‘ Josiah (meaning ‘Jehovah will heal or support’) acended the throne in Jerusalem when he was but 8 years of age. For 31 years he reigned over the people in nobility and goodness.’ (Richard J Allen, Study Commentary on the Old Testament).
2 Chronicles 34: 4      The altars of Baalim
 ‘How often have these been broken down, and how soon set up again! We see that the religion of a land is as the religion of its king. If the king were idolatrous, up went the altars, on them were placed the statues, and the smoke of incense ascended in ceaseless clouds to the honor of that which is vanity, and nothing to the world; on the other hand, when the king was truly religious, down went the idolatrous altars, broken in pieces were the images, and the sacrificial smoke ascended only to the true God: in all these cases the people were as one man with the king.’ (Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible)
2 Chronicles 34:22-32 Josiah makes a covenant
‘The prophetess Huldah confirmed that the judgements of the Lord would descend upon the wicked who had ignored the revelations given through Moses – but she prophesied that Josiah, because of his faithfulness would be spared. Josiah, committed to cleansing his people and honouring God, took decisive action by making a covenant ‘to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.’ (2 Chr 34:31) He then caused all of his followers to do the same, ‘according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.’ (2 Chr 34:32)’ (Richard J Allen, Study Commentary on the Old Testament).

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