Hezekiah realized that his country men were sinning against God and so he decided to clean up that sin. In II Chronicles 30, Hezy sends out a letter "that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel." - (This was an OT tradition)
In the letter he writes these words that are so appropriate for today.
And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. 8 Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.9 For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.So we see this beautiful plea for the nation of Israel and, while reading, we consider that our country needs to do these same things:
- Humble yourself
- Yield yourself
- Get back into his presence. (through a personal walk, going to church to worship...)
- Serve the Lord
Then we see the awesome promise of God: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.
Like today's crowd many scoffed at the Lord:
10 So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.
BUT YET...there is hope...
11 Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. 12 Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord. 13 And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.
This is the result of getting back into His presence...
14 And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.
These altars were not used to worship God but other idols in their life. Think to yourself, what altar do I need to get rid of? What idol do I have in my life that comes before God? Is it my friends? Popularity? The Media? Having to have the newest thing? My time? Money?
Before you even get back into His presence, before you sacrifice and worship to Him, get rid of those other altars.
15 Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the Lord.16 And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites.
The END RESULT...
20 And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. - AMEN AND AMEN!!!
If we want God to heal our nation; do the above. First get it right in your life and then pray for the others who will not humble themselves...
18 For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord pardon every one
-rejoicing in the present
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