The Joy of a New Start (2 Chron 29.30)

King Hezekiah and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and of the seer Asaph. They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshipped.

Every so often, we need to cleanse and rededicate our life. Hezekiah’s religious reforms and the prayers of rededication are an excellent model for us to follow.

Background

After King Uzziah’s death, his son Jotham became king. Though he gets only nine verses in 2 Chronicles, he is described as a good leader. He is the first king in 170 years about which nothing bad is said by the writer!

Unfortunately, his faithfulness made no difference among the people. They continued in their corrupt and unfaithful ways. God still blessed them, though, for Jotham’s sake—an example of God’s generosity and grace.

Jotham’s son, Ahaz, was a complete contrast. Nothing positive is said about him. He is corrupt, he worships foreign gods, and the people’s attitudes and actions move ever further from their God. He shut down the Temple in Jerusalem and allowed the priesthood to languish. Near the end of his life, rather than turning back to God, he appeals to his foreign gods. Though he was buried in Jerusalem, he was not buried with the rest of the kings.

The Chronicler briefly mentions the northern kingdom, which was, by then, conquered by Assyria. Her king and leaders were taken away. But the writer offers a note of hope: the people are still one, and when a prophet came to them, they listened and repented.

The north, invaded and without leaders, are closer to God’s ways than the south, with a descendant of David on the throne. But it is not the end for Judah—not yet.

The next King is Hezekiah, a king that the writer compares to David. He orders the Temple repaired and worship and sacrifices restarted. It is during the rededication of the Temple that we find the first mention of prayer since three kings have ruled.

Meaning

While the writer of Second Kings only used four verses to describe the religious reforms of Hezekiah (2 Ki. 18:3-6), the Chronicler gives us eighty-four. As noted before, the Temple is a key focus of First and Second Chronicles, so the emphasis is no surprise.

The writer also gives some foreshadowing of the growing power of Assyria, hinting that this will become a problem for Judah. But at least there is a faithful king in place.

Much of the religious reforms leading up to the prayers of praise recall what Solomon did at the beginning of his rule. Hezekiah focuses on the Temple, having it cleansed and repaired, its furnishings restored, and the Levites and Temple officials back into their proper roles. Like Solomon, once the work was done, Hezekiah held a dedication ceremony (a re-dedication ceremony). All the people gather, just like at the original dedication when the Temple was built. Music is once again a large part of the ceremony, singing and playing of instruments by the Temple priests and musicians. Proper sacrifices are offered. The people worship and sing, and priests sing prayers of praise to God—songs written by David. Like Solomon, Hezekiah offers a speech that urges the people to reject their past ways and follow God.

The focus of the prayers (and the hymns, which are prayers), are all on God: praises and thanksgivings. The people have turned back to God, and it is a time of great joy.

Application

We can all remember times of joy and relief after a dark time. New starts, clean slates, and fresh beginnings are things of happiness and celebration. Throughout Israel’s dark times, we see that God was patient with them, even blessing them when they didn’t deserve it. He does the same for us.

Sometimes our lives need cleaning, repair, and restoration. Perhaps it is only that we have become complacent in prayer and worship. Or perhaps we have quit, being lured by shallow but inviting temptations.

As I write this, hundreds of thousands of people in Texas and Florida are cleaning up their communities after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. While they face a long time of cleansing, repairing, and rebuilding, there is a focus and positivity because they are no longer huddled in fear, but working towards a happy goal—restoration.

A wound festers if it is not cleaned properly. The cleaning may be painful, and it may even seem like it is making things worse, but cleansing is necessary for the healing to come. It marks the beginning of better days to come.

With all this talk of cleansing, and especially in relation to the Jerusalem Temple, we might think of another cleansing of the Temple, which would come many centuries later. Jesus found the Temple corrupt, having become a way for the priestly class to make money off the backs of the poor and the travelers, who only wanted to come to worship God (John 2:17 and his quote of Ps 69.9). Jesus symbolically cleansed that Temple, foreshadowing a new Temple that would live in the midst of his people as the Church, embodying the spirit of God.

Taking stock of our lives and our relationship with God brings us to a time of joy. Re-dedicating ourselves puts past failures where they belong and gives us hope and focus on a better future.

Focus on God, rather than on ourselves, brings a positive approach to life, and therefore we find ourselves happier and our life more meaningful.

Prayers of praise are perfect for times of rededication and new beginnings. It helps is to turn our focus back to God, away from ourselves, to the One who gives us life, offers us patience, and blesses us when we haven’t deserved it.