Day 190, Chronological Bible Study Timeline. Map. Go to today’s Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): 2Chronicles 29:3–31:21; Psalms 66, 67
Cleanup and Restoration
It is no secret that our homes get cluttered and very dirty in just a short amount of time. Some people are cleanies and some are messies (not real words, but you get the idea). The messies do not usually do the cleaning; they leave the messes for the cleanies to clean up.
In today's Bible reading, King Hezekiah is called of God to clean up the mess that his daddy, King Ahaz, made of the house (or nation) of Judah. The steps that he took to clean it up help us to know what we should do to clean up the spiritual messes in our lives, and maybe that of our family and nation (2Chronicles 29:3-11, NIV).
First, we must take an honest look at our spiritual house (or life) to see if there is a mess that needs cleaned up and why it got that way. The reason our spiritual life becomes a mess is because we allow someone to negatively influence it, or more commonly, we just neglect it.
- We neglect to offer ourselves to the LORD for his service (Romans 12:1).
- We neglect the teaching and preaching of God's Word and our daily time with him.
- We allow other things to replace going to church and spending time with the LORD and his people (Hebrews 10:25).
- We stop serving him. We close the doors to any spiritual involvement.
- Later, we become indifferent to the LORD or even scorn God and the Bible.
Soon, we have a spiritual mess. God stops blessing us, and we experience his chastisement. We lose our place and testimony in the church and maybe our community. We may even lose our jobs, family, and nation. Life becomes a mess which must be cleaned up!
If we want our lives straightened out, we must not ignore the mess—like Hezekiah, we must look at it!
After the inspection and assessment of the temple, King Hezekiah organizes a cleanup team. The temple is a mess, and it is the Levites and priests who are set apart to do the work.
If churches and other religious organizations want revival and restoration, the leaders must set the example— they need to confess their sins and devote themselves to God. This is the second step.
After the Levites and priests consecrate themselves to the LORD, they remove all the idols, altars, and everything else which does not belong in the temple and throw them into the Kidron Valley (their city dump). Then they restore all the articles for worship that King Ahaz had taken out of the temple. They are inspired to work, and so it takes only sixteen days to restore the temple and get it ready for worship.
When our spiritual lives are a mess, we need to immediately get rid of all the junk in our lives and quickly replace it with things which inspire us to worship the LORD. This is the third step to restoration.
There is no time for Hezekiah to admire how clean the sanctuary is; the lives of the rest of the people need to be cleaned up! This is the fourth step of cleanup and restoration.
Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together and went up to the temple of the LORD. They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer these on the altar of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 29:20-21, NIV).
Notice, Hezekiah is so eager to get everything right with God that he begins early the next morning. Are we that eager to restore our relationship with him? We should be. Thankfully, we do not have to offer animal sacrifices today. They did it in those days to fulfill God’s requirements for a substitutionary sacrifice for their sins; but now Jesus Christ provides a better payment for our sins because he was crucified on a cross for us (more...). His death on the cross in our place fulfills all the requirements for sins, once for all time (Hebrews 9).
The sacrifices and confession of sins lead the people of Judah to worship. After being forgiven, the people sing hymns of praise to God and bow their heads. This is a time of great joy and spiritual restoration for Judah.
How do we clean up our lives? The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NIV, more...).
Repentance leads to forgiveness which leads to joy and worship!
In gratitude for God’s forgiveness, the people of Judah bring gifts to him to be used for his temple. This example provides a reason why we have offerings in churches today—we are grateful for the LORD’s blessings and want to contribute to his work. We rejoice at what God is doing in our lives and in our churches. Thankfulness is the fifth step in our restoration.
In Judah, restoration leads to sharing and invitation. When the LORD restores the people, they share the message with the small number of brother Israelites who were left behind after the Assyrian conquest. They invite them to repent and join them in worship. They promise the LORD's grace will be upon them if they turn to God from their sins. Most mock and scorn them, but some humble themselves, repent, and come to celebrate the Passover Feast. Sharing the message of the gospel is the result of God restoring our lives.
At the feast, all the people dedicate themselves anew to the LORD. When the joyous celebration is finished, they return home and destroy their idols—they stand in the way of their worship of the one true God.
What stands in the way of our worship of God? Are we ready to get rid of it? A change in love and loyalty is evidence of a restored life.
Last, after the revival and the Passover feast, Hezekiah sets up regular worship and contributions to the priests, the teachers of the law of Moses and the ministers of the sacrifices. He gives his people regular responsibilities and accountability so they will continue in the things of the LORD.
Are our daily spiritual habits conducive to continued fellowship and faithfulness?
If we do these things, we are likely to prosper as God prospered Judah under Hezekiah.
- Do we read God’s Word in order to obey it?
- Do we confess our sins to God and each other?
- Do we seek the LORD in everything and every way?
- Are we faithful in giving to our church financial offerings and our services?
- Are we under the teaching of God’s Word on a regular basis, and do we gather together as a community of believers for prayer and worship?
Take-Away Lesson
concerning cleanup and restoration
- If we want spiritual change, we must take an honest look at our spiritual house to see if there is a mess which needs cleaned up and why it got that way.
- For revival, we need to organize ourselves and start the cleanup right away, beginning with our own hearts (more...). It is vital to confess our sins and devote ourselves totally to the LORD and his service.
- Next, we need to clean up the mess. If necessary, we can work together to get rid of the junk in our life (Colossians 3:1-17) and replace it with things which will draw us to God (like the Bible, devotionals, prayer journals, and good Christian music)
- Repentance leads to forgiveness which leads to joy and worship!
- We should invite others to join us in our spiritual commitments.
- Let us make plans to keep our spiritual house clean and start today.
Focus Verse
Isaiah 55:6, NIV “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”
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Looking Ahead: We are trying to live right. How do we Respond to Threats against us?
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