The Bad: How can brothers turn against brothers - Israel fighting against Judah? Hard to understand, yet in these chapters we have the story. Under the extremely wicked reign of King Ahaz, Judah had strayed from the Lord, and God used Israel to "bring them back." Over 120 men from Judah were killed in one day - and as the captives were brought as prisoners into Israel, we see Obed, a prophet, stand up and remind the men of Israel that they too had sinned. Don't treat our brothers like this - don't bring them into our town as captives. Four men bravely stood up and stopped this horror - they bound up their wounds, gave them water, helped the weak, and let them return to Jericho in Judah.
I am reminded of stories from The Civil War - brother fighting against brother, fathers against sons. A sad time in our history - and a sad time in the history told in II Chronicles.
The Good: Hezekiah comes to the throne in Judah at the age of 25 and walked in the way of the Lord. A good king. He reigned for 29 years in which he undertook religious reforms, removed the idols, cleansed the Temple (which took 16 days), and brought the Levites back to their duties in the Temple.
The Invitation: One of the most intriguing things I read was about the "posts" Hezekiah sent across Judah and Israel inviting all the people to attend a Passover celebration. I'm not talking mailing letters, putting up billboards, announcements on the radio, or sending e-mails here - think about it - he had to have sent actual men on horses (or camels) with written invitations (wonder who hand wrote them and how many invitations there were, and how far they had to ride to deliver each one) to come to Jerusalem to observe the Passover. This had not been done in over 200 years. Even after the battles and killings between armies of Judah and Israel described in Chapter 28, King Hezekiah reached out to invite all the people to come.
Is that not what we must do? Reach across barriers, resentments, anger, disappointments, lifestyle disapproval, and invite our "brothers" to come. Open our eyes and see the lost and hurt in our everyday paths and show them the way to Christ? As we walk our daily walk, there are those all around us who just might need an invitation or one word of encouragement to "come and see." Was Hezekiah successful in this? Yes. Where all invitations accepted? No. Some of the couriers were mocked and scorned. Yet, a great number of people did accept the invitation and came to Jerusalem to the Temple to worship. We are not responsible for who comes, but we are responsible for issuing the invitation.
And what were the results? There was great joy in Jerusalem and a celebration that had not been seen since the time of King Solomon, says II Chronicles 30:26. A wonderful Passover - offerings, sacrifices, worshiping, singing, praising. After the celebration, the people went throughout the towns in Judah and smashed the idols and destroyed the high places. Sounds like a revival to me.
The priests were reorganized and returned to the work in the Temple. The tithes from the people were reinstated by Hezekiah to uphold this work, and the people gave willingly and generously of their first fruits - oil, new wine, honey, and all that their fields produced for offerings to the Lord. In fact, they gave so generously that there were "heaps" left over, and storehouses in the temple had to be built to contain them. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Oak Hill had"heaps" left over?
What is that old hymn?
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,
All your money, talents, time, and love.
Consecrate them all upon the altar,
While your Savior from above speaks sweetly.
Trust Me, try Me, prove Me, saith the Lord of hosts,
And see if a blessing, unmeasured blessing, I will not pour out on thee.
