2 Chronicles 29:33-34 KJV
And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.
But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.
2 Chr 30:17-20 KJV
For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.
For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one
That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.
And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.
I was impressed this morning that, for as many errors in formal worship that were committed in these two chapters, yet God was still gracious to the people. Hezekiah came onto the throne after 16 years of wickedness. He immediately set about cleansing the temple, then offered sacrifices to the Lord and reinstituted the Passover.
They had Levites do the work of priests because the priests were not sanctified
They partook of the Passover at the wrong season of the year because it had been so long they just wanted to get back to proper worship
They had people take the Passover who were not yet sanctified because of the suddenness of Hezekiah's call to turn back to the Lord
And it appears to me that God may have begun judging them for this because the Bible does say the Lord healed the people. However, what I was impressed with is that God was so gracious with them even though there is so much wrong here. I do not want to make excuses for doing wrong. I do not want to suggest that proper order is unnecessary before the Lord. When a person neglects right out of rebellion and cold-heartedness they can be sure they will be judged. However, none of us perfectly follow the Lord and God is yet gracious to us.
Thank God for grace.
And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.
But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.
2 Chr 30:17-20 KJV
For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.
For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one
That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.
And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.
I was impressed this morning that, for as many errors in formal worship that were committed in these two chapters, yet God was still gracious to the people. Hezekiah came onto the throne after 16 years of wickedness. He immediately set about cleansing the temple, then offered sacrifices to the Lord and reinstituted the Passover.
They had Levites do the work of priests because the priests were not sanctified
They partook of the Passover at the wrong season of the year because it had been so long they just wanted to get back to proper worship
They had people take the Passover who were not yet sanctified because of the suddenness of Hezekiah's call to turn back to the Lord
And it appears to me that God may have begun judging them for this because the Bible does say the Lord healed the people. However, what I was impressed with is that God was so gracious with them even though there is so much wrong here. I do not want to make excuses for doing wrong. I do not want to suggest that proper order is unnecessary before the Lord. When a person neglects right out of rebellion and cold-heartedness they can be sure they will be judged. However, none of us perfectly follow the Lord and God is yet gracious to us.
Thank God for grace.
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