Hezekiah Cleaned

Synopsis    2Chron 29:12-22     5/5/2020 

King Ahaz hated when people worshiped God. Accordingly, he shut up the Temple so no one could worship God there.

So, when King Hezekiah began his rule, he ordered the priests and Levites to reopen the Temple.  

In order to do so, they began by sanctifying themselves. And then they cleaned and sanctified the Temple. Remarkably, it took eight days to remove the foreign objects and filth that had accumulated inisde the Temple.  

After the cleansing, King Hezekiah gathered all the leaders of Israel who lived in Jerusalem. And together, they came and began to offer a special sacrifice before the Lord at the Temple. 

Clean and Sanctify 

In accordance with Hezekiah’s command, the priests came together. They abstained from any activities that could make them ceremonial unclean. And after this, they went to work removing anything that made the Temple ceremonially unclean.  

After this, the priests reported to the king that the Temple was once again ready. And so, with the preparations complete, King Hezekiah summoned a convocation. His intent was that all the leaders of the land would come together and worship God together.  

And this was a sign for the rest of the community. 

Sanctification and Community 

Sometimes, I feel tempted to think that it doesn’t matter that much if I miss mass. My inclination is to think that sanctification is an inner work that only God can do in me. And, of course, it is true that I can’t sanctify myself in this sense. 

But the way of Jesus isn’t a solitary work. And Christians are more than a collection of solo sanctification projects.  

We are a community called and chosen by God for His purpose. And we can function as a community only by coming together in shared experience. Essentially, in the strictest sense, communion is for community.  

“We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Heb 10:25