Today's Reading:

2 Kings 18:1-8
2 Chronicles 29
2 Chronicles 30
2 Chronicles 31
Psalm 48

Remember, in the Wilderness, the Israelites had complained, and God sent “fiery serpents” (venomous snakes) as judgment, and many died. When the Israelites repented, God had Moses make the bronze snake so when they looked up, it taught them to actually look up to God to be healed (Numbers 21:4-9). They had to acknowledge their sin and God’s provision in order to temporarily be healed of the snake bites. They worshipped it wrong by burning incense to it, so about 700-800 years after Moses, Hezekiah broke it into pieces. The object itself was taking the focus from God. The bronze snake was not divine; God commanded temporary use of it. This foreshadows Jesus Christ when anyone who believes and who looks up in faith brings healing and salvation. Good religious acts in themselves can become idols if they replace heartfelt obedience. Time you spend serving anything that gets in your way of seeing Jesus needs to be “torn down”.

What do you notice in churches and religious acts today, like the Nehushtan (the bronze snake, it means “a piece of bronze” showing there is no divinity in it)? What good ordinary things have become idols, gradually shifting us away from Him (such as liturgy, hymns, prayer books, specific styles of worship)? Sometimes we treat rituals as “we have always done it this way,” not as God’s presence as a helpful vessel. Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, all point to God’s work, but we must trust in the Savior not the ritual.

Hezekiah King of Judah #13 (S)- Hezekiah’s reign lasted 29 years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. This Zechariah was not the King Zechariah of Israel, and not the prophet who wrote the book of Zechariah. There are three main Zechariahs in the Bible, with a total of 27.

Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz, and he did not follow in the ways of his father. He was more like his “father,” David, the dynasty leader. He tore down the high places, cut down the Asherah poles, and even broke the bronze snake that Moses made. There was no other king of Judah who trusted in the Lord as much as Hezekiah.

In 2 Chronicles 29, Hezekiah purified the Temple and reopened the doors after the actions of King Ahaz (day 194, 2 Chronicles 28:24). Since Judah had turned their backs on God, He allowed them to fall by the sword. Now Hezekiah, with obedience to God, had the Temple doors rebuilt, and the furniture that had been chopped up was restored. Hezekiah did not hesitate to tear down the “church building” high places to destroy relics. We must not allow one person’s view to carry more weight than God’s Word.

Most importantly, Hezekiah assembled the Levites. He called them unfaithful and urged them to sanctify themselves, then remove all defilement from the sanctuary. The Levite clan leaders were listed to do the work, and they carried off all the unclean items to the Kidron Valley (local dump site). They used this site to keep the temple area clean, as the valley had natural drainage where the blood from the sacrifices flowed out. Just like God wanted the Levites to carry junk out of the Temple, He wants us to cleanse the “temple” of our hearts by removing anything that does not belong, so He can dwell there fully.

The king’s officials offered sin offerings, and they reinstated David’s music and prayers at the exact same time. The entire people bowed in worship. The people rejoiced and gave freely. There were so many offerings the priest could not keep up and had to consecrate relatives.

Remember, the Northern Kingdom was taken by the Assyrians; then most Israelites were exiled. Hezekiah wrote to Ephraim and Manasseh (the two largest tribes in Israel), inviting those who were left to join them for Passover. This showed that all of Israel (north and south) were reuniting as one kingdom. They celebrated a month later than the law said due to making preparations. Some ridiculed Hezekiah, but others humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem for Passover. The spiritual leaders lagged behind in enthusiasm, so Hezekiah prayed for God to soften their hearts and give them faith.

Psalm 48- This psalm was to celebrate God’s presence and protection over Zion/Jerusalem. The psalmist praises God for the enemy kings seeing the fortress and fleeing. They know He is the reason for their victory. They had heard of his past protection and now see it for themselves, knowing He is “our God forever, and He will be our guide for all time.”

Today's Discussion question:

What do you notice in churches and religious acts today, like the Nehushtan (the bronze snake, which means “a piece of bronze,” showing there is no divinity in it)? What good ordinary things have become idols, gradually shifting us away from Him (such as liturgy, hymns, prayer books, specific styles of worship)? Sometimes we treat rituals as “we have always done it this way,” not as God’s presence as a helpful vessel. Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, all point to God’s work, but we must trust in the Savior, not the ritual.

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