The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Chronicles 31:1,
"When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property."
The "this", in "When all this had ended" was the reestablishment of worship in the nation. Following a period when the nation had abandoned the Lord, King Hezekiah led the people back to him. He had the temple purified, had the Levites consecrated, and began the temple worship with its sacrifices and sacred celebrations.
The above observation was made following the celebration of Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. We are told following this celebration of worship "The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place." 2 Chronicles 30:27.
"When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property."
The "this", in "When all this had ended" was the reestablishment of worship in the nation. Following a period when the nation had abandoned the Lord, King Hezekiah led the people back to him. He had the temple purified, had the Levites consecrated, and began the temple worship with its sacrifices and sacred celebrations.
The above observation was made following the celebration of Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. We are told following this celebration of worship "The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place." 2 Chronicles 30:27.
Following this wonderful season of worship, the folks went out and destroyed all of the idols that had led them to abandon the Lord. Worship has a wonderful way of cleansing our hearts from sin, from rebellion against the Lord and the like.
When you or I may find ourselves slipping from the devotion and reverence for the Lord that is his due from us, when we find ourselves straying into sin, into anything that may distract us from the Lord, here is our path back: worship!
Worship necessarily focuses our minds on the transcendent majesty of the Lord. Worship necessarily focuses our minds on his many-splendored perfections. Worship necessarily focuses our minds on the amazing and wonderful acts of the Lord. It is within worship we find the dynamic to energize our spiritual lives in a way that expresses itself by clearing sin out of our lives, clearing out anything that might cause us to drift from him.
It certainly happened in Hezekiah's day and it certainly will in ours!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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