Theological Commentary: Click Here
2 Chronicles
29 tells us of the beginning of the reign of Hezekiah. It focuses on the reform and rebuilding of
the temple. It speaks about the
cleansing of the temple and the reinstitution of the sacrificial systems. In general, it tells us that Hezekiah brings
the nation back into proper relationship with God.
There are a
couple of grand points to be associated with this general theme. First, notice that the Bible speaks on a
national scale. Hezekiah made
reforms. Certainly, the people grew
closer to God. However, there can be no
assurances that everyone had a great relationship with the Lord. I’m sure many did. I’m also sure the vast majority of people drew
closer to the Lord than they had been. However,
b under no allusions about the heart of the people. The nation moved closer to God. Individuals are still responsible for their
own walk with the Lord.
The second
point is a point of hope. Things went badly
under Ahab, and they went badly quickly.
Under Ahab, child sacrifice is occurring. The temple falls into disuse and misuse. People are worshipping gods of other nations. The picture looks exceptionally leak. Under Hezekiah’s strong leadership, however,
the picture is reinvigorated. Hezekiah
reforms the nation. Hezekiah rights the
ship. Hezekiah sets a bar and people
rise to it.
One of the
great points about Hezekiah is that all is not lost. Nations rise and fall. Communities rise and fall. The only difference between a moment of bleak
hopelessness and a mountaintop experience of faith is who is setting the tone
for the experience. Under strong
leadership, bleak things can turn into moments of hopefulness! This is the importance of faithful
leadership.
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