2 Chronicles 29
Hezekiah reopens God’s temple
Hezekiah began his reign when he was 25 years old, and he reigned for 29 years from Jerusalem. His mother was Abijah (Zechariah’s daughter). He did what was right in the Existing One’s sight, following in the footsteps of his forefather David.
In his first month as king, he reopened the doors on the Existing One’s temple and repaired them. He assembled the priests and Levites in the east square and told them, “Listen closely, Levites! Dedicate yourselves and the Existing One’s house, and throw out the filth from the Holy Place. Our predecessors have been unfaithful and did what was evil in the Existing One’s sight. They abandoned him and turned their backs on the Existing One’s home. They shut the temple doors, turned off the lamps, and neglected to burn incense and give offerings to Israel’s God in the Holy Place. That’s why the Existing One’s anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem. That’s why he made them a spectacle of horror, shock, and disgust as you now see with your own eyes. Notice that our fathers died in violent wars, and now our children and wives are in captivity because of them. Now I want to make a commitment to Israel’s God the Existing One so that he will direct his angry fury off of us. My sons, now is not the time to be negligent: the Existing One has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him and the people, and to make offerings to him.”
Then the Levites stood up:
from the Kohathites: Mahath (Amasai's son) and Joel (Azariah’s son)
from Merari’s family: Kish (Abdi’s son) and Azariah (Jehallelel’s son)
from the Gershonites: Joah (Zimmah’s son) and Eden (Joah’s son)
from Elizaphan’s family: Shimri and Jeuel
from Asaph’s family: Zechariah and Mattaniah
from Heman’s family: Jehuel and Shimei
from Jeduthun’s family: Shemaiah and Uzziel
They gathered their brothers, dedicated themselves, then started cleaning the Existing One’s house like God and the king had ordered. They removed all the filth that they could find and piled it up in the courtyard. Then they carried it away to the Kidron brook. They started this process on the first day of the first month, and then on the eighth day, they reached the entrance to the Existing One. It took eight more days to purify the Existing One’s house, so it took a total of 16 days before they finally finished. Then they went to King Hezekiah and said, “We purified the Existing One’s house: both the altar for burnt offerings with all its equipment and the table for showbread with all its equipment. We purified all the equipment that King Ahaz faithlessly discarded, and now you’ll see that they are ready in front of the Existing One’s altar.”
Judah purifies priests and offers sacrifices
Then King Hezekiah got up early with the city officials and went to the Existing One’s house. They brought 7 bulls, 7 rams, 7 lambs, and 7 male goats for a sin offering on behalf of the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. He ordered the priests to offer them on the Existing One’s altar, so they slaughtered the bulls, rams, and lambs and threw their blood against the altar. Then the king and officials put their hands on the goats and the priests slaughtered them as a sin offering with their blood on the altar in order to make amends for all of Israel. They did this because the king ordered that the burnt offering and sin offering should be made on all of Israel’s behalf.
Then he stationed the Levites in the Existing One’s house with cymbals, harps, and lyres, just like David, Gad (the king’s seer), and Nathan (the prophet) used to, because that was what the Existing One had ordered through his prophets. The Levites stood up with David’s instruments, and the priests with the trumpets. Then Hezekiah ordered that the burt offering be offered on the altar. When the burnt offering began, they also began playing the Existing One's song with the instruments. The whole assembly worshiped by singing and playing the trumpets. This continued the entire time until the burnt offering was finished. When the offering was finished, the king and everyone else bowed down and worshiped. King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to praise the Existing One by singing the songs written by David and Asaph (the seer). So they sang with gladness in their hearts, bowed down, and worshiped.
Then Hezekiah said, “Now you have been dedicated to the Existing One. Gather around; bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the Existing One’s house.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and everyone who was willing brought burnt offerings. All together they brought 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs as burnt offerings plus 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep as consecrated offerings to the Existing One. They didn’t even have enough priests to prepare that many burnt offerings, so the Levites had to help them until they could find more priests to dedicate. (The Levites were allowed to do this since their hearts were purer about dedicating themselves than the priests.) On top of all those burnt offerings, there was also the fat from the peace offerings and the drink offerings for the burnt offerings.
That’s how the Existing One’s house was restored. Hezekiah and all the people celebrated because God provided for this spontaneous sacrifice.