Hezekiah became king of Judah at the age of twenty-five… Following the example of his ancestor King David, he did what was pleasing to the Lord.
May I be a (good) reference point for any who come after me, Lord.
In the first month of the year after Hezekiah became king, he reopened the gates of the Temple and had them repaired. …The work was begun on the first day of the first month… Without delay King Hezekiah assembled the leading men of the city, and together they went to the Temple.
The way it should be (Genesis 22:3-4). May I always act in such a manner, Father.
And so worship in the Temple was begun again. King Hezekiah and the people were happy, because God had helped them to do all this so quickly.
How good it is to be on the other side of obedience, seeing God at work in us.
The king and the people were pleased with their plan, so they invited all the Israelites, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, to come together in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover according to the Law, in larger numbers than ever before. Messengers went out at the command of the king and his officials through all Judah and Israel…
May I also be inclusive, Lord God (Revelation 22:17). Tribalism has no place in the Kingdom of God.
The messengers went to every city in the territory of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far north as the tribe of Zebulun, but people laughed at them and made fun of them. Still, there were some from the tribes of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun who were willing to come to Jerusalem.
It’s always worth the trouble to try, even if it risks being mocked (Acts 17:32-34).
The priests and Levites who were not ritually clean became so ashamed that they dedicated themselves to the Lord, and now they could sacrifice burnt offerings in the Temple.
They really did drag their feet in getting themselves prepared…
…many of those who had come from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not performed the ritual of purification, and so they were observing Passover improperly.
As it should be (1 Samuel 21:2-6). There are priorities after all.