1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hey, they're faithful listeners, Welcome to the Bible 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: Explained podcast. Today we're going to be talking about King Hezekiah, 3 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: one of the best kings in Judah's history, which is 4 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: funny because Hezekiah's dad was the worst king in Judah's history. 5 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: So Hezekiah kind of seems like learned what not to 6 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: do from his dad. So we'll get into today's passage 7 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: in just one second after a quick word from a sponsor. Alrighty, 8 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: faithful listeners, grab your version of the Bible, whatever it 9 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: may be. But I'll be reading from the web today 10 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: and we'll be in Second Chronicles twenty nine talking about 11 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: the entire thing. It is a longer portion of scripture, 12 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: but it all connects with what we're going to talk about. 13 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: How Hezekiah's heart is in line with Yahweh, and how 14 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: Hezekiah was one of the few kings to actually walk 15 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: in David's stafe. Let's go ahead and read Second Chronicles 16 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: twenty nine together. Hezekiah began to reign when he was 17 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,479 Speaker 1: twenty five years old, and he reigned twenty nine years 18 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abaijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 19 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,040 Speaker 1: He did that which was right in Yahwai's eyes, according 20 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: to all that David his father had done in the 21 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: first year of his reign. In the first month he 22 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: opened the doors of Yawai's house and repaired them. He 23 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 1: brought in the priests and the levites and gathered them 24 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: together into the wide place on the east, and said 25 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: to them, listen to me, you levites, Now sanctify yourselves, 26 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: and sanctify the house of Yahweh, the God of your father's, 27 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: and carry the filthiness out of this holy place. For 28 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: our fathers were unfaithful and have done that which was 29 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: evil in Yahweh, our God's sight, and have forsaken him, 30 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 1: and have turned away their faces from the habitation of 31 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: Yahweh and turned their backs. Also, they have shut up 32 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: the doors of the porch and put out the lamps, 33 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: and have not burned the incense nor offered burnt offerings 34 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: in the holy place to the God of Israel. Therefore, 35 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: Yahwai's wrath was on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has 36 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: delivered them to be tossed back and forth, to be 37 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: an astonishment and a hissing, as you see with your eyes. 38 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and 39 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: our sons, and our daughters and our wives are in captivity. 40 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: For this now it is in my heart to make 41 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 1: a covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel, that his 42 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: fierce anger may turn away from us. My sons, don't 43 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: be negligent now, for Yahweh has chosen you to stand 44 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: before him, to minister to him, and that you should 45 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: be his ministers and burn incense. Then the Levites arose 46 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: Mayhath the son of Amesi, and Joel the son of Azariah, 47 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: and the sons of the Coethites, and of the sons 48 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: of Maurari, Kish the son of Abde and Azariah the 49 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 1: son of Jehalel, and of the Gershonites, Joah the son 50 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: of Zimah, and Eden the son of Joah, and the 51 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeyul, and the sons of 52 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 1: asaf Zechariah and Matania, and of the sons of Haman, 53 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: Jehul and Shimei, and of the sons of Jedithan, Shamaiah, 54 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:55,679 Speaker 1: and Uzel. They gathered their brothers, sanctified themselves, and went 55 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: in according to the commandment of the king. By Yahwi's words, 56 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: to cleanse yahweih house. The priest went into the inner 57 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,359 Speaker 1: part of Yaowai's house to cleanse it, and brought out 58 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 1: all the uncleanness that they found in Yawai's temple into 59 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: the court of Yawai's house. The levites took it from 60 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 1: there to carry it out to the brook Kidron. Now 61 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: they began on the first day of the first month 62 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month 63 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,920 Speaker 1: they came to Yawai's porch. They sanctified Yaway's house in 64 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first 65 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: month they finished. Then they went in to Hezekiah the 66 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,799 Speaker 1: King within the palace and said, we have cleansed all 67 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,519 Speaker 1: of Yahwai's house, including the altar of the burnt offering 68 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: with all of its vessels, and the table of showbread 69 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: with all of its vessels. Moreover, we have prepared and 70 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: sanctified all the vessels which King AHAs threw away in 71 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: his reign when he was unfaithful. Behold, they are before 72 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: Yahway's altar. Then Hezekiah the King arose early, gathered the 73 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: princes of the city and went up to Yawai's house. 74 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven 75 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: mail goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, for 76 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: the sanctuary and for Judah. He commanded the priests, the 77 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,080 Speaker 1: son of Erin, to offer them on Yawai's altar. They 78 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and 79 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: sprinkled it on the altar. They killed the rams and 80 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the 81 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They brought 82 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: near the male goats for the sin offering before the 83 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: King and the assembly, and laid their hands on them. 84 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: Then the priest killed them, and they made a sin 85 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: offering with their blood on the altar to make atonement 86 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: for all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt 87 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 1: offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel. 88 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: He set the Levites in Yawi's house with symbols, with 89 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 1: stringed instruments and with harps, according to the commandment of 90 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: David of Gad, the King's seer, and of Nathan, the 91 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: prophet for the commandment was from Yahweh by his prophets. 92 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: The Levites stood with David's instruments and the priest with 93 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: the trumpets. Hezeki commanded them to offer the burnt offering 94 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: on the altar. When the burnt offering began, Yahweh's song 95 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: also began, along with the trumpets and the instruments of David, 96 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: King of Israel. All the assembly worshiped, The singer sang, 97 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 1: and the trumpeters sounded. All this continued until the burnt 98 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: offering was finished. When they had finished the offering, the 99 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: king and all who were present with him bowed themselves 100 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: and worshiped. Moreover, Hezekiah, the king and the princes commanded 101 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: the levites to sing praises to Yahweh with the words 102 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: of David and of Asaph the Seer. They sang praises 103 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped. Then 104 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: Hezekiah answered, now you have consecrated yourselves to Yahweh, come 105 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into Yawi's house. 106 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: The assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as 107 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,280 Speaker 1: many as were a willing heart brought burnt offerings. The 108 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought with 109 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs. All 110 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: these were for a burnt offering to Yahweh. The consecrated 111 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: things were six hundred head of cattle and three thousand sheep. 112 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: But the priests were too few so that they could 113 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: not skin all the burnt offerings. Therefore their brothers, the Levites, 114 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: helped them until the work was ended, and until the 115 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:52,720 Speaker 1: priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more upright 116 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. Also, the 117 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: burnt offerings were in abundance with the fat of the 118 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: peace offerings and with the drink offerings of every burnt offering. 119 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,360 Speaker 1: So the service of Yaway's house was set in order. 120 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: Hezekiah and all the people were rejoiced because of that 121 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: which God had prepared for the people. For the thing 122 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: was done suddenly. So what we read today is a 123 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: very unique story because it is not found anywhere else 124 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: in the Bible. You know, Second Chronicles is often thought 125 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: of as a retelling of First and Second Kings, But 126 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: this story right here is unique to Second Chronicles alone. 127 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 1: You won't find the same story in Second Kings. And 128 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: I think the reason that is is because you can 129 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: tell the author of First and Second Chronicles was very 130 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,679 Speaker 1: focused on the temple. In fact, you could even argue 131 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: that the entire theme of First and Second Chronicles, other 132 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,559 Speaker 1: than the Kings, of course, was the Temple to God. 133 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: And I find that kind of cool. It says in 134 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: verse one that Hezekiah began to reign when he was 135 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: twenty five years old, and he reigned twenty nine years 136 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Baijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 137 00:06:58,120 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: It says in verse two that he did that which 138 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: was right in Yahwai's eyes, according to all that David 139 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: his father had done. Now if he turned to a 140 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: similar retelling in Second Kings eighteen, here's what it says 141 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: about Hezekiah. It says in verse three that he did 142 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: that which was right in Yahwai's eyes, according to all 143 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: that David his father had done. It says he removed 144 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: the high places, broke the pillars, cut down the Asherah. 145 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses 146 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: had made, because in those days the children of Israel 147 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: burned incense to it and called it Nahushtan. He trusted 148 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: in Yahweh, the God of Israel, so that after him 149 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, 150 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: nor among them that were before him. For he joined 151 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: with Yahweh. He didn't depart from following him, but kept 152 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 1: his commandments which Yahweh commanded Moses, Yahweh was with him 153 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: wherever he went, he prospered. He rebelled against the king 154 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: of Assyria and didn't serve him. He struck the Philistines 155 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: to Gaza and its borders, from the Tower of the 156 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 1: Watchmen to the fortified city. So that shows how righteous 157 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: of a king Hezekiah was. And this is kind of 158 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: interesting considering the fact that Hezekiah's father, a Has, who 159 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 1: he just spent several days discussing, was the worst king 160 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 1: in Israel's history, specifically for the spiritual health of Judah, 161 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: because a has introduced all sorts of idolatry into Judah. Now, 162 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: of course, there is always idolatry in Judah because the 163 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 1: people were constantly turning away from Yahweh every chance that 164 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: they got. But a Has went above and beyond with 165 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 1: his idolatry. He even introduced human sacrificed and sacrificed one 166 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: of his own children, his firstborn son, and then after 167 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: that most likely his second born son was killed in 168 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: a raid that happened on Judah, and now Hezekiah most 169 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 1: likely was the third born son. And Hezekiah became a 170 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: fantastic king where it says in Second Kings, chapter eighteen 171 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: that he was so good that no king was like 172 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: him before or after him. So he was even better 173 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: than King Asa, who we discussed not too long ago. 174 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: I don't know if he was better better than King David, 175 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: but it does say that he walked in all of 176 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: David's footsteps in verse two of our passage for today. 177 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: So he was a great king. And even scripture gives 178 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: him a lot of credit for being a fantastic king. 179 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: And one of the reasons he was a fantastic king 180 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: was because of our passage that we're reading today where 181 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:24,559 Speaker 1: he just immediately started getting rid of the idolatry, out 182 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:27,920 Speaker 1: of God's Temple and out of Judah as a whole. 183 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: It says in verse three of Second Chronicles twenty nine 184 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:33,960 Speaker 1: that in the first year of his reign, in the 185 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,559 Speaker 1: first month, he opened the doors of Yahway's house and 186 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,719 Speaker 1: repaired them. Now, the reason he had to do this 187 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: was because his father had closed the doors to the 188 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 1: sanctuary that's talked about in the previous chapter. Second Chronicles 189 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: twenty eight, Verses twenty four and twenty five. It says 190 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: A has gathered together the vessels of God's house, cut 191 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: the vessels of God's house into pieces, and shut the 192 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,439 Speaker 1: doors to Yahwai's house. So A has shuddered the door 193 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: to the temple. So we don't know how long God's 194 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: house had no visitors. We don't know, but it's so 195 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,079 Speaker 1: sad that that's what A has. Did you know, one 196 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: of the kings of Judah treated God with so much 197 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: contempt and utter hatred essentially, And Hezekiah caught on to 198 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:21,559 Speaker 1: all of this because he gives this speech in verse 199 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: four through eleven about how his father and the kings 200 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: before his father had done so much evil that it 201 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: was causing Judah to be completely destroyed. We talked about 202 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 1: the intense wars that were happening under a Has his watch. 203 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: Every single nation was targeting Judah, from Israel up north 204 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,479 Speaker 1: to eat them down in the south, to the Philistines 205 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: in the east, to the Assyrians and the Syrians in 206 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 1: the west. Tons of people were coming after Judah during 207 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: the days of King a Has. But he never not 208 00:10:56,640 --> 00:11:01,080 Speaker 1: once asked Yahweh for any help whatsoever, even when God 209 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,320 Speaker 1: came to a Has directly and was like, I will 210 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 1: help you, no strings attached, I will help you. Just 211 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: ask me for anything, ask me for a sign, and 212 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: a Has wouldn't do it. He wouldn't even ask God 213 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: for anything. He didn't want a relationship with God. He 214 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 1: didn't want to talk to God. He wanted nothing to 215 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 1: do with Yahweh. Hezekiah figures out the problem, and maybe 216 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: he figured it out because he saw the depravity that 217 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,719 Speaker 1: was taking place in Israel and in Judah. Maybe he 218 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: heard about his big brother being sacrificed to an idol, 219 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: maybe he saw other people sacrificing their children to the idols. 220 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 1: From the day pretty much that he becomes the king, 221 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 1: he does a complete one point eighty and Judah goes 222 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: from a nation in deep trouble with attackers on every side, 223 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 1: to a nation that is actually very, very prosperous. So 224 00:11:57,440 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: he tells the priests about his discovery, starting in verse 225 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:01,959 Speaker 1: for it says he brought in the priests and the 226 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 1: Levites and gathered them together into the wide place on 227 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: the east, and he said to them, listen to me. 228 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: You Levites, sanctify yourselves and sanctify the house of Yahweh, 229 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: the God of your father's and carry the filthiness out 230 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,079 Speaker 1: of this holy place. Now, I'm sure that Hezekiah was 231 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 1: probably talking about both physical filthiness like just the house 232 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 1: being in disarray, but also idols that people had started 233 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: erecting inside of God's temple, because that is what Satan 234 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: always wants to do. Satan hates God, so he wants 235 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: to destroy anything that belongs to God, and he tempts 236 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: the people to do this. And unfortunately this is true 237 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 1: even today. We can see idols in our churches right now. 238 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: Maybe it's an idol of money, maybe it's an idol 239 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 1: of a pride flag. Maybe it's an idol of always 240 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: trying to see signs or see miracles or healings or 241 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: something like that. Even now there are idols in our churches, 242 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 1: and Hezekiah wants to remove all of this filthiness out 243 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 1: of God's holy place. He says in verse six, for 244 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 1: our fathers were unfaithful and have done that which was 245 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:15,240 Speaker 1: evil in Yahweh, our God's sight. They have forsaken him 246 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 1: and have turned away their faces from the habitation of 247 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: Yahweh and turned their backs. Also, they have shut up 248 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: the doors of the porch and put out the lamps, 249 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 1: and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in 250 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: the holy place to the God of Israel. Therefore he 251 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: always wrath was, and he has delivered them to be 252 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: tossed back and forth, to be an astonishment and a hissing, 253 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: as you see with your eyes, and there you go. 254 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 1: Maybe that's what caused Hezekiah to have his heart be 255 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: so in lined with God was because he could see 256 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: what was happening in Judah. And that's exactly why God 257 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,439 Speaker 1: would take his hand of blessing off of Judah if 258 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 1: they stopped worshiping him. Was to show the nations, to 259 00:13:56,400 --> 00:14:00,679 Speaker 1: show the people that he was their God, that if 260 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: they started worshiping other gods and abandoning Yahweh, God would 261 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 1: be like, okay, okay, fine, the hand of blessing is gone. 262 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 1: Have your gods help you see if they can help you. 263 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 1: If that's what you want, if you want to pray 264 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 1: to these idols, then they can help you out. Hezekiah 265 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 1: saw the problems that took place in Judah because of 266 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: the idolatry. He saw that no matter how much the 267 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: Judaites prayed to these false idols, these idols would not 268 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: and could not answer, because they were fake. They could 269 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: not hear, they could not see, they could not talk, 270 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 1: they couldn't do anything to help the people. Hezekiah saw 271 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: all of this, and that was the reason God would 272 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: take his hand of blessing off the people when they 273 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 1: stopped worshiping him, to show them what it was like 274 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: to not have Yahweh. Verse nine, Hezekiah continues, for behold, 275 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons, 276 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: and our daughters and our wives are in captivity. For 277 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 1: this now, it is in my heart to make a 278 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 1: covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel, that his fierce 279 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 1: anger may turn away from us. My sons, don't be 280 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 1: negligent now, for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before him, 281 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 1: to minister to him, that you should be his ministers 282 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 1: and burn incense. And of course this is Hezekiah talking 283 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 1: to all of these priests, these levites. So the Levites arose. 284 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 1: In verse twelve, it says, and from verses twelve through 285 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: thirteen it mentions all the names of these different levites 286 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 1: and I am not going to attempt to repeat them. 287 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 1: If you want to hear my first attempt, you can 288 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 1: go back and listen to when I read this portion 289 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: of scripture. But a whole bunch of Levites stood up 290 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: and started doing this thing that Hezekia commanded them to do. 291 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: It says that they gathered their brothers in verse fifteen, 292 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 1: and they sanctified themselves and went in according to the 293 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: commandment of the king, by Yahwei's words, to cleanse Yahweh's house. 294 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: And then in verses sixteen through nineteen, that's exactly what 295 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 1: they do. It says they went into the holy place, 296 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: in the most holy place, and they got all the 297 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: filth out of there, and they put it in the 298 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: courtyard of God's house so that the people could see 299 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: it all. And then after this, it says they carried 300 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:12,400 Speaker 1: it out to the brook Kidron. Now this brook you 301 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: might have heard me mentioned a handful of times because 302 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: we've talked about it before on the podcast. The brook 303 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 1: Kidron was historically where idols would get dumped because Asasaurus 304 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: started that when Asa began his religious reform one hundred 305 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: and fifty years before this, he took the asher a 306 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: pole out to the brook Kidron and cut it up 307 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: into pieces and destroyed it at that point. And this 308 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: is what Hezekiah does to all of these idols found 309 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: in God's temple. He takes them out to the brook 310 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 1: Kidron and does the exact same thing. And this all 311 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: took about eight days to complete, it says in verse eighteen. 312 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 1: They went into Hezekiah the king within the palace, and 313 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 1: they said, we have cleansed all of Yahway's house, including 314 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: the altar of burnt offering with all of its vessels, 315 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: the table of showbread, all of its vessels. Moreover, we 316 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 1: have prepared and sanctified all the vessels which King a 317 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:08,439 Speaker 1: has threw away in his reign. Behold there before Yahwey's altar. 318 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: So Hezekiah is super excited, it says. He arose early 319 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:13,919 Speaker 1: the next day, and he gathered the princes of the 320 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 1: city and went to Yahwai's house. They brought seven bulls, 321 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a 322 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:24,440 Speaker 1: sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. 323 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: He commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer 324 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: them on Yahway's altar. So they killed the bulls and 325 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. 326 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 1: They also did the same with the rams, the lambs, 327 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 1: and the male goats. Now specifically, it says in verse 328 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:42,119 Speaker 1: twenty three that they brought near the male goats for 329 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and 330 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: they laid their hands on them. Now, this was a 331 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: very important thing to note because I don't know if 332 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 1: you guys remember me talking about all of the different 333 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: sacrifices that were laid out in the Book of Leviticus. 334 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 1: It was like the first eight chapters where it went 335 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 1: through every single different type sacrifice you could bring to God. 336 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 1: You know. The first chapter I think discussed burnt offerings, 337 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:09,399 Speaker 1: which that was a sacrifice of just complete giving to God. 338 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 1: And the second type of offering was a sin offering, 339 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 1: which that would be when you commit a sin before God, 340 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 1: you would bring an offering so that you could be 341 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: forgiven of that sin. Same with a guilt offering. People 342 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 1: aren't really sure what the difference between a sin offering 343 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:29,199 Speaker 1: and a guilt offering was, but they are considered to 344 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: be different in scripture. In fact, even this chapter differentiates 345 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 1: the sin and the guilt offering but no one's really 346 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:39,159 Speaker 1: sure how they're different, if that makes sense. But the 347 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: people back in these days would have known that. And 348 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 1: then there was peace offerings and free will offerings, and 349 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:50,360 Speaker 1: you know, wave offerings and drink offerings and grain offerings 350 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:52,639 Speaker 1: and first fruit offerings. There is a whole bunch of 351 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,399 Speaker 1: different offerings that people could bring to Yahweh. But some 352 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 1: of the most important offerings that you could bring was 353 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: obviously the sin and the guilt offerings, because those are 354 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 1: the ones that sanctified the people. And there are specific 355 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 1: rules that were laid out for how to sacrifice the 356 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 1: sin offerings. One of the rules was that you had 357 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 1: to lay your hands on the animal and then slaughter it, 358 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: and this was done so that the people would have 359 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: to reflect on their sins. This innocent animal is about 360 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: to die in my place. And also these sacrifices had 361 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 1: to be perfect as well. No lame, or diseased or 362 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 1: blind animals could be offered as a sacrifice. These animals 363 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 1: were pristine and innocent, and the people would have to 364 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: lay their hands and reflect on their sins. We are 365 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: doing this to this animal, and thankfully, this is exactly 366 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: what Hezekiah did. In verse twenty three. It says that 367 00:19:57,600 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: the Levites brought near the mail goats for the sin 368 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 1: offering for the king and the assembly, and they laid 369 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: their hands on them, and then the priests killed them 370 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:07,680 Speaker 1: and made a sin offering with their blood on the 371 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: altar to make atonement for all Israel. And the king 372 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 1: commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should 373 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: be made for all Israel. So this was done the 374 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 1: correct way. This was done to make atonement not just 375 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: for the king and for the Levites, but for all 376 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 1: of Israel. Unfortunately, Judah had stopped doing these sacrifices during 377 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:32,199 Speaker 1: the days of King AHAs they completely stopped them. But 378 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 1: this was God's law for the people. And God was 379 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: not doing this because he enjoyed animals suffering. He was 380 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,440 Speaker 1: not doing this because he wanted people to just give 381 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: him something. You know, God doesn't eat meat, He doesn't 382 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 1: need our animals. Everything belongs to him. God was doing 383 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,240 Speaker 1: this because this was the way for the people to 384 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 1: be forgiven before Jesus came down to earth. This was 385 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 1: how it was done. It was called the law of 386 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 1: sin and death. The wages of sin is death, meaning 387 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 1: the payment for sin is death. If you sin, you 388 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: have to pay something, and that payment you have to 389 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 1: make is death. Now, you could either die in your 390 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: sins and experience the unforgiveness and the wrath of God 391 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 1: in that way, or you could transfer your sins onto 392 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 1: an innocent animal in the Old Testament, where that animal 393 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 1: would take your place and pay for your sins essentially. Now, 394 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: of course, an animal, even if it is a perfect animal, 395 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:41,919 Speaker 1: is still not a perfect sacrifice, because it's just an animal. Jesus, 396 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 1: who is God in human flesh and completely perfect, was 397 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 1: the one who could truly remove the payment for sins 398 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:53,920 Speaker 1: for all time, past, present, and future. So now that's 399 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: why people don't do animal sacrifices anymore. That is why 400 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:02,120 Speaker 1: Christians don't do animal sacrifices, because Jesus's sacrifice was enough. 401 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:05,399 Speaker 1: We don't have to do any of this anymore. Our 402 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,640 Speaker 1: payment has been made by Jesus, if that makes sense. 403 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 1: But back in these days of King Hezekiah, this payment 404 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 1: had not been made yet by Jesus. It had to 405 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: be made by these animals. And the last thing I 406 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: want to mention about this before I move forward, is 407 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: that Hezekiah also did something else right here. Besides the 408 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,919 Speaker 1: laying of the hands on the animal. He offered the 409 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 1: correct amount of animals. It wasn't a bazillion like we 410 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:39,200 Speaker 1: see Solomon doing just a few hundred years before this. 411 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 1: You know, Solomon had offered so many animals like it 412 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 1: was crazy, the amount of animals he sacrificed. Hezekiah is 413 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: offering seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and also seven 414 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 1: male goats for himself, for the priests and for all 415 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:03,440 Speaker 1: of Israel. That's an appropriate amount, you know, because even 416 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 1: when you see in the Old Testament, when God laid 417 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: down the laws for how animal sacrifices were supposed to 418 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 1: be done, it wasn't like a bazillion jillion animals that 419 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:15,479 Speaker 1: had to die. It was a lot less than people 420 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 1: actually think. And so that's another thing that Hezekiah did right. 421 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 1: I believe with these sacrifices, he was trying to get 422 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:26,119 Speaker 1: back to the Old Testament laws and the way things 423 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:28,800 Speaker 1: were done. And it also says in verse twenty five 424 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:35,080 Speaker 1: through twenty eight that he reinstated the musical priests. Something 425 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:38,160 Speaker 1: in verse twenty five that I found interesting. It says 426 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: that he set levites in Yawa's house with symbols with 427 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: stringed instruments and with harps according to the commandment of David, 428 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:46,920 Speaker 1: of God the King Seer, and of Nathan, the prophet 429 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:50,639 Speaker 1: for the commandment was from Yahweh by his prophets. And 430 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 1: this was something I never realized before, was that when 431 00:23:53,720 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: David actually instituted the musical priests way back in his day, 432 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:04,919 Speaker 1: he was doing it because that was God's command. I 433 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: find that kind of interesting that God actually commanded the 434 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:11,520 Speaker 1: people to sing to him. God loves music. God is 435 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 1: the great musician. We're going through the book of the 436 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 1: Psalms right now with the members on Fridays, and oftentimes 437 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: the psalms will start out by saying a psalm by 438 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 1: David to the Chief Musician, and a lot of people 439 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:30,879 Speaker 1: actually do think that the chief musician is God himself, 440 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,679 Speaker 1: because he is the one who created music, and He 441 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:39,120 Speaker 1: is truly a musician through and through the Chief Musician. 442 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:42,479 Speaker 1: So I really like that that God actually commanded people 443 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,920 Speaker 1: to worship Him through music, and that show's right there 444 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,360 Speaker 1: that worship does not have to be boring, because when 445 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:53,639 Speaker 1: David instituted those levites to praise God, there was nothing 446 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,639 Speaker 1: boring about that. They were playing all sorts of instruments. 447 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: They were playing trumpets and layers and horns and symbols 448 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: and harps, and there was choirs that were performing this music. 449 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 1: You know, this was not boring worship. I think a 450 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: lot of people think that, you know, if a church 451 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:16,400 Speaker 1: service isn't boring, then it's not reverent. And that's absolutely 452 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:21,439 Speaker 1: not the case. So Hezekiah reinstates the musical priests, and 453 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 1: it says that when he finished offering in verse twenty nine, 454 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:27,120 Speaker 1: the king and all who were present with him bowed 455 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 1: themselves down and worshiped. Moreover, Hezekiah, the king and the 456 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,159 Speaker 1: princes commanded the levites to sing praises to Yahweh with 457 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,360 Speaker 1: the words of David and of Asaph the seer. They 458 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 1: sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped. 459 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:43,920 Speaker 1: Hezekiah asks the people themselves if they want to bring 460 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 1: sacrifices on their own, like either free will offerings or 461 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:52,199 Speaker 1: burnt offerings, or whatever else they might want to do, 462 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 1: and it says that a bunch of people brought some offerings. 463 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 1: The number of burnt offerings which the assembly brought was 464 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:02,640 Speaker 1: seventy bulls, one hund rams, and two hundred lambs. These 465 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: were for a burnt offering to Yahweh. And it also 466 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:07,879 Speaker 1: says that the consecrated things were six hundred head of 467 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,879 Speaker 1: cattle and three thousand sheep. So I believe the consecrated 468 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 1: animals were ones that weren't going to be used as 469 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,159 Speaker 1: sacrifices right then and there, but would go out to 470 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: the pasture where the Levites would take care of them. 471 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 1: And these animals would be potential sacrifices in the future, 472 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: like for the morning sacrifice, in the evening sacrifice, and 473 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:33,480 Speaker 1: any other sacrifice that the priests would have to do 474 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: on a day to day basis or something along those lines. 475 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:42,240 Speaker 1: So the people brought their animals forward and offered them 476 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:44,960 Speaker 1: to God. But it mentions right here in verse thirty 477 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:47,800 Speaker 1: four that the priests were too few so they could 478 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:51,119 Speaker 1: not skin all the burnt offerings. Therefore, their brothers, the 479 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,160 Speaker 1: Levites helped them until the work was ended and until 480 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:57,200 Speaker 1: the priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more 481 00:26:57,280 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: upright in heart to sanctify themselves and the priests. That's 482 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 1: pretty sad because it's showing that the priests the paid 483 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: professionals that understood God's laws were less upright in heart 484 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 1: than the average Levite. And I mean that's not very 485 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 1: much of a shock, especially if you read Second King's sixteen. 486 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:22,200 Speaker 1: We just read that actually on Monday, where it mentions 487 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 1: this guy named Eurija, the high priest who built a 488 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:33,959 Speaker 1: foreign altar to a Damascan god because a has Hezekiah's 489 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:36,439 Speaker 1: father had commanded him to do so. That was the 490 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:40,680 Speaker 1: caliber of priest that Judah had at this point in time. 491 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:44,840 Speaker 1: So it's really not shocking that the ordinary Levite was 492 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:49,119 Speaker 1: more upright in heart than these priests were. And that 493 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: shows right there that sometimes the average humble person is 494 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: more upright in heart than the pastor of a church, because, 495 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: you know, pastors, they can get big heads, they can 496 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:07,959 Speaker 1: get greedy for money, they can start wanting to control people. 497 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:10,880 Speaker 1: A lot of things can go wrong with pastors. I mean, 498 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 1: we've been talking about that like crazy over on the 499 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:17,440 Speaker 1: New Testament side of stuff, where Paul was, you know, 500 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: teaching Timothy and Titus how to find good leaders for 501 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:25,400 Speaker 1: these churches and the qualifications that men needed to have 502 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:28,439 Speaker 1: in order to become a pastor or an elder or 503 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 1: a leader in the church. And then to conclude this chapter, 504 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: It says in verse thirty six that Hezeki and all 505 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 1: the people rejoiced because of that which God had prepared 506 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: for the people. For the thing was done. Suddenly, the 507 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 1: people were happy to have God's house back in order. 508 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,840 Speaker 1: They were ecstatic about it because they knew deep down 509 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 1: inside that God was their God. And also they were 510 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: probably happy because the persecution of those who wanted to 511 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: worship Yahweh was over with. And they probably saw the 512 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 1: corruption that was happening with all this idolatry. They probably 513 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:09,520 Speaker 1: were terrified of all of these nations trying to conquer them. 514 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: And now they see Hezekiah, who is a changed man, 515 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:17,959 Speaker 1: a different man from his father AHAs, and how Hezekiah 516 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:21,080 Speaker 1: wants to do things differently, get things back on the 517 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 1: right track, do things the way David had done two 518 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 1: hundred years prior to this. All right, faith for listener, 519 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 1: Here is a quick word from a sponsor before I 520 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 1: let all of you guys go for today. So I 521 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:40,040 Speaker 1: hope you guys enjoyed learning about Hezekiah today and discussing 522 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: this very unique passage in scripture where we don't see 523 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 1: this anywhere else. You know Hezekiah immediately from the minute 524 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 1: he becomes the king pretty much opening the doors back 525 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 1: to God's house and not just opening them, but we're 526 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: storing everything inside the temple, getting all of the crap 527 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,479 Speaker 1: out and bringing the good stuff back in, you know, 528 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: re dedicating the temple. So this really shows where Hezekiah's 529 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 1: heart was and how he truly was in line with David, 530 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:13,800 Speaker 1: his forefather. There's not very many kings of Judas history 531 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: that mention that they were similar to David. Hezekiah is 532 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:20,120 Speaker 1: one of them. So I'm excited to get more into 533 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: the story of Hezekiah in the next coming chapters and 534 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: discuss everything that he goes through, the good, the bad, 535 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:30,080 Speaker 1: and the ugly. So I hope you guys tune in 536 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: for Monday's episode where we'll get into more of Hezekiah's 537 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 1: story and discuss his life in more detail, but also 538 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 1: tune in tomorrow because we're in the Book of Hebrews 539 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:43,440 Speaker 1: now and we started Hebrews yesterday that we've only talked 540 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:46,440 Speaker 1: about four verses so far in Hebrews. It's been a really, 541 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 1: really great thing to talk about. So we'll get more 542 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: into angels and how Jesus has power over the angels. 543 00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 1: We're going to talk about the angelic realm quite a bit, 544 00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:58,360 Speaker 1: so I hope you guys tune in for all of 545 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 1: that until tomorrow, happy listening, and God bless. I just 546 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 1: want to take a second to thank the team at 547 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio for their partnership with me on the Bible 548 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 1: Explain podcast. In fact, if you go to lifeaudio dot 549 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 1: com you will find dozens of other faith centered podcasts 550 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: in their network. They've got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, 551 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:22,720 Speaker 1: and more.