Hezekiah – Part 7
When All is Finished
2 Chronicles 31
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; (Proverbs 2:1)
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; (Proverbs 2:2)
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; (Proverbs 2:3)
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; (Proverbs 2:4)
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:5)
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6)
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. (Proverbs 2:7)
From a prince to a king is a short step, but to rule in righteousness is a long journey. What took place in my 25th year? I can scarcely remember, what about you? Yet, with Hezekiah his 25th year was unforgettable, as Chapter 29 of 2 Chronicles ends with for the thing was done suddenly; it really was a sudden movement of the Holy Ghost over the new king, the priests, the Levites, the rulers, and the people, for the people will be willing in His day. Thy people [shall be] willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. (Psalm 110:3) Exodus 35:5, 21;1 Chronicles 28:9. So all Judah and Benjamin, and the scattered of all Israel seemed to be willing. All this took place in the 1st year in Hezekiah’s reign. That step from a prince to a king was just the beginning of his journey. The people were now all united to clear the land of all idolatry. They had been to the top of the mountain with God ( I speak figuratively), but in reality, they had climbed that mountain in their own hearts and souls. They had done that which is right in the sight of the Lord, both outwardly and inwardly. No one was going to call them whited sepulchres, white and clean on the outside, yet inwardly full of dead men’s bones. It is easy to put on the form of religion, but to give oneself to God is quite different.
The people of Judah had united with the king and given themselves to the Almighty God. They understood their problems between themselves and Jehovah. His promised land of blessing had become a land of idolatry and famine. Not only the tangible goods were gone, but until Hezekiah was placed on the scene there was no fruit of the spirit, no righteous claim for God, but now they were moving into a reign of righteousness, and this righteousness had fallen upon them from above. They were united in the work of the Lord, and the idols were falling one by one. If you would take some time and read the31st chapter of 2 Chronicles slowly and with much thought, you will discern an underlining joy of the people, hidden between the lines we find the joy of the Lord in doing service for Jehovah. This was according to the law that Moses had given to Israel, that they should have no graven images between them and Jehovah. When one awakes suddenly out of a sleep, there is a sudden recognition of the environment, so the children of Israel awoke, and beheld the wickedness of idolatry all around them. They began to labor in cleaning the land of all the idolatry of their fathers. In response to their labor, God had opened the heavens, their land was giving an increase, their trees were bearing fruit, so much so that the bounty was brought into Jerusalem and set in heaps before the priests and Levites. We see the hand of God responding to the king’s faithfulness and the people’s faithfulness in blessing them.
Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD. (2 Chronicles 31:4)
And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. (2 Chronicles 31:5)
In Chapter 29 they were in poverty, they had little to sustain them, their wives and their children had been carried away with their brethren. One could stand in the gate of Jerusalem and yell ‘all was lost.’ Then Jehovah put His king on His throne to judge and restore the people. Tears had given way to song, and the psalms of David were being sung in the streets once more. As they destroyed the idols of Baal, more blessing came from Jehovah. If we see this truth throughout Scripture, why do the people of the world turn their backs on Jesus Christ, and worship the abundance of idols throughout all nations? Jehovah had judged the people of Israel for their idolatry, and He has not changed, He still judges the individual and the nations of their idolatry. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7)
The nations of the world are changing very quickly. There is a restlessness throughout the entire world, as huge invading throngs of peoples are traveling from one nation to economical strong nations. These hordes of the world are escaping from one form of tyranny to another form of tyranny. They have no rest for their souls, for they have been blinded and will not receive the Lord of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ. They escape from tyranny, however, they bring with them the very tyranny and slavery of their religion into other nations; not realizing that what has brought them to poverty as vagabonds in this world is the seat of sin in their own hearts.
As we look on Israel before Hezekiah came to the throne, we have seen the idolatry and the poverty and the intrusion of other nations upon them. This will always be the same with the peoples of this world. If they deny their Creator, Jesus Christ, they will not have blessing, they will be enslaved by their own sins and their false religions. Over the course of history we have those who killed and slaughtered holding the sign of the cross, this was called, ‘The Crusades.’ On one side, you had a false professing religion who named the name of Christ, and yet, knew Him not. On the other side, you had the Muslim flood, that claimed their god was the true god, and that they in their genealogy went all the way back to Abraham in Ishmael. Both religious systems used tyranny for their foundation, both used the sword to enforce their doctrines. There has been no ‘man of sorrows’ among them, Christ is absent and they are ruled by their own sin and the doctrines of men. Whether it is a cross, or merely a man on an imaginary white horse, it is still tyranny; only this tyranny uses religion as it’s cloak. Somehow followers from both systems believe that through religion they can cover their evil and wicked hearts.
When the people of Judah and Jerusalem turned from their wicked ways, then God heard their prayer, and God Almighty revealed Himself to the trodden-down of Judah and Benjamin, and the scattered of Israel. It was not man who raised up Hezekiah, but Jehovah. God placed a parenthesis of time in the wickedness of Judea by setting His king on His throne for the welfare of His people. Through the leadership of Hezekiah the people responded in a wonderful way. Even the Levites returned to the word of God and counted their genealogy, this was to prove that they descended from the tribe of Levi, the priests also took a count of their genealogy to prove that they were from the line of Aaron, and had the right to the priesthood. Their genealogies included their children and their wives. Remember, 1st Chronicles begins with genealogy, this is God the Holy Spirit awakening us to the importance of the genealogy of the people of God. It also sets the stage for the remainder of 1st and 2nd Chronicles. Both of these books are books of reckoning of the people of Israel, and how Jehovah dealt with their unfaithfulness to Him. It is sad to see the conclusion of 2nd Chronicles, for it ends with the people of God scattered and exiled in Babylon. Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up. (2 Chronicles 36:23)
The children of Israel had found themselves in Babylon without a song, yet their hearts yearned for Jerusalem as their once great Temple of Solomon lay in rubble. The walls of Jerusalem were toppled, and in all this despair then God moved in an unusual way by raising up a Gentile king to build Him a house in Jerusalem. Jehovah had taken the responsibility of His people and placed it in the hands of Gentile king. We must return to Chapter 31 of 2nd Chronicles . . .
In this day of Hezekiah, the sadness had been lifted and the people were full of joy for they had met with their God and cried out to Him in prayer. In this chapter we can follow the word of God as in verse 3, ‘as it was written in the law of the Lord,’; verse 4, ‘they were encouraged in the law of the Lord;’ verse 5, ‘as soon as the commandment came abroad, they obeyed,’ and in verse 6, ‘according to the law they were consecrated to the Lord their God,’ verse 8, now we have the blessing of the Lord and His people. These are just a few of the steps that brought joy to Jerusalem. Would be that Jerusalem of today would read their history of one of their great kings, and use the word of God to seek the God of heaven and earth. Soon from behind that lattice work (Song of Solomon) He will reveal Himself to them, as lightning coming out of the east, He will bring forth the time of Israel’s refreshing. They will acknowledge Him, the Lord Jesus Christ as their God, and He will acknowledge them as His people, and they will be willing in His day. (Psalm 110:3) Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. This will be the time of Israel’s blessing, when her King of kings, and Lord of lords sits upon His righteous throne in Jerusalem.
As the Body of Christ awaits their journey home in the translation of the His glorious Church, so God is beginning to tune the heart strings of Israel, to prepare her for the day she will receive her Messiah. The once rejected Christ of God, will now be received with great joy and worship. They will ask Him, And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. (Zechariah 13:6) Oh, what grace, for grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. (1 Peter 3:22)
As the Lord Jesus sits upon His throne, He awaits the day when He will stand and descend from heaven to receive His bride in the air, and we will ever be with the Lord. He will also be anticipating the day when He will come to restore Israel and to set His righteous throne on mount Zion.
When He departed from the mount of Olives, He blessed His disciples and then as He ascended up into heaven, the angels declared, ‘this same Jesus will come again.’ Peter opens the window wider and shows us more of the mystery of the glorified man in heaven. It is not Adam that is glorified, but Jesus Christ, the Lord from heaven. He is there at the right hand of God for us, and God has given Him all authority over angels, and principalities, and power, all are in subjection to Him.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (Philippians 2:9)
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (Philippians 2:9)
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9)
Over and over again in the word of God we see the great power and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we look back to the day of Hezekiah, we see the same God and Savior, Jesus Christ as Jehovah restoring the people of Israel, when all is in ruin. This only speaks of Israel in her present condition, for one day He will restore them to a greater glory than they have ever known; for Jesus Christ, Jehovah, will be seating upon His throne in Jerusalem. The ‘man of sorrows’ will now be triumphant as the King of kings. The ‘root out of a dry ground’ will bless the people of Israel with fruit and lands of plenty. The one who was before ‘his shearers as dumb’ ‘so he opened not his mouth,’ will reign in righteousness, not only over Israel, but over the whole world. He will come in great glory to receive Israel unto Himself, every knee will bow to His Majesty. As the once lowly Jesus, rejected of men, He will then sit on His holy throne.
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (Psalm 2:6)
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (Psalm 2:7)
This is that king, the Son of God, the man Christ Jesus. All will be in subjection unto Him.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: (Ephesians 1:17)
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (Ephesians 1:18)
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (Ephesians 1:19)
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:20)
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (Ephesians 1:21)
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, (Ephesians 1:22)
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:23)
Amen.
© Copyright 2015, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)