Theological Commentary: Click Here
Four neat
points rise up out of the Passover text that is shared in 2 Chronicles 30. First, there is a reminder to a thought from
yesterday. The nation reforms, but each
individual is still responsible for their relationship with the Lord. Hezekiah sends out an invitation to gather
for Passover. Some people respond. Other people scoff. It truly goes back to the old saying. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot
make it drink. Every individual chooses
each day how they will approach their relationship with the Lord. We are responsible for our own hearts.
Second,
notice that those who do respond are ashamed.
The Levites and priests recognize how things had gone poorly. They repent.
They acknowledge their sin before the Lord and embrace their need to be
forgiven and cleansed. True reform
brings about honesty and truth regarding our relationship with God. True worship embraces the goodness of God and
our own desperation for repentance.
Along with
this point, notice how the message goes out against the works of the
forefathers of the people. While the
prior point asserts that individual reform begins with individual
acknowledgment of sin, this point asserts that national reform begins with
national acknowledgment of sin. Hezekiah
and the people need to say that the behavior of the generations before them was
egregious. Their parents had awful
habits that need to be broken. What a
powerful statement for a generation to rise up and boldly proclaim that the
generation before them was wrong!
Lastly, look
at what this chapter has to say about the impact of our faith on others. We hear that part of the reason that the
reform happens is because there are Hebrew people in exile to Assyria! The reformers hope that as they draw closer
to God that God will draw closer not just to them but to all Hebrew
people! They also hope that word of
their reform might encourage people in exile to likewise reform ad draw closer
to God. The reform that happens in our
lives and our communities isn’t just about ourselves. It is about starting a fire within ourselves
that can spread to others.
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