2 Chronicles 29:3-19 - Homilies By T. Whitelaw

The purification of the temple.

I. THE GATHERING OF THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES . ( 2 Chronicles 29:4 .)

1 . When ? In the first year of the king's reign, in the first month ( 2 Chronicles 29:3 , 2 Chronicles 29:17 ), but whether of that reign (Caspari) or of the ecclesiastical year (Bertheau, Keil, Jamieson, Ochler in Herzog) cannot be determined. In either case it was not long after his accession. The acts evinced

2 . Where? In "the broad place on the east;" either the inner court of the temple (Bertheau), or the open space in front of the temple towards the east (Keil), which will depend upon whether the doors of the temple had been opened prior to the assembling of the priests.

3 . Why? To invite their co-operation in the work of cleansing the sanctuary Ahaz had shut up ( 2 Chronicles 28:24 ), and of re-establishing the worship Ahaz had abolished. For these purposes and as a preliminary thereto, according to one view, the king had already opened the temple doors; according to another, he only did so when the work of cleansing commenced.

II. THE WORDS ADDRESSED TO THEM BY THE KING . ( 2 Chronicles 29:5-11 .) Hezekiah regarding them without distinction as Levites—not speaking to the Levites as distinguished from the priests, as if these were not present, though they certainly ( 2 Chronicles 29:34 ) "hung back from the revolution which swept away the neglect which the head of their order, Urijah, must in some measure have countenanced", and, exhorting them with fatherly affection ( 2 Chronicles 29:11 ), set before them three things.

1 . The work which required to be done.

2 . The reasons why it needed to be done.

3 . The argument why they should do the work. The Lord had selected them to be his temple ministers—the Levites and priests together to stand before ]aim and serve him, the priests to burn incense upon his altar. (N.B.—This is an indirect proof that "Levites" in 2 Chronicles 29:5 includes the "priests.") Hence

III. THE RESPONSE GIVEN BY THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES TO THE KING . ( 2 Chronicles 29:12-16 .)

1 . The absent members of the order were collected. Fourteen Levites had heard the king's speech—two from each of the great families of Kohath, Gershon, and Merari; two of the sons of Elizaphan, the son of Uzziel, the son of Kohath ( Exodus 6:18 ), and in Moses' time the head of the family of Kohath ( Numbers 3:30 ); two of the sons of Asaph, who belonged to the family of Gershon; and two of the sons of Heman, who again proceeded from the family of Kohath; and two of the sons of Jeduthun, an offshoot from the family of Merari (on these names see Exposition). Responding with alacrity and gladness to the king's summons, they went forth and mustered the whole body of their brethren in Jerusalem. The work to which they had been called should be done by a united body, all hands and one heart—a good model for the Christian Church.

2 . The duty of personal sanetification was scrupulously attended to. God's work must be done in God's way; always with fear and trembling, never with irreverent presumption; always in the beauty of holiness, never in the uncleanness of sin.

3 . The work was divided between the Levites and the priests. To each was assigned that for which he was qualified and had been appointed; the cleansing of the temple proper to the priests, since these alone could enter the holy place; the removal of that which the priests brought from the interior of the sanctuary into the porch to the Levites, who bore it thence to the brook Kidron, which flowed through the valley of Jehoshaphat, on the east of the temple hill. So should all in the Christian work be content to do the work to which they are called, and for which they are qualified. As all have not the same gifts, so all are not intended for the same spheres of Christian activity.

4 . The work was carried on until it was completed. It began with the purification of the buildings exterior to the temple, which occupied eight days. In eight days more they had finished the temple proper, both the porch and the sanctuary. On the sixteenth day they made an end. How much good work is begun by Christian people without being ended! ]tow many become weary in well-doing before they have half completed what they have put their hands to!

5 . A report of the work done was carried to the king. The whole house of the Lord had been cleansed, all its furniture and utensils purified, the vessels found wanting replaced.

Learn:

1 . That God can be worshipped only in the beauty of holiness.

2 . That as God calls none of his servants to uncleanness, he can be served only by the clean.

3 . That God's house—whether heart or church—should be studiously guarded against defilement.

4 . That God's people, like God himself, should be unwearied in doing good.

5 . That God's servants must one day render to him an account of their works.—W.