4. In re-dedication. "A great number of priests sanctified themselves." Some of the priests, probably many, if not most of them, had shown slackness and had held back (2 Chronicles 29:34); they had some reason for being ashamed (see verse 15). But in this hour of widespread enthusiasm they came forward and made themselves ready for their sacred functions. At such a time, much is gained if those who have become cool in the service of their Lord, whose faith is failing and whose zeal is dying down, re-consecrate themselves to him, take afresh upon them his vows, and solemnly and formally undertake to live and labour in his cause.
5. In expansiveness. Room was found for "the strangers that came out of the land of Israel"—room in the hearts and at the tables of the people. Nothing can be better than that our own great gladness of heart in God should overflow to those beyond our own pale. By all means let there be a generous expansiveness at such a time; let the stranger, let the "outsider," let the outcast, let the "abandoned," let those who have come to despair of themselves, be remembered, be sought out, be encouraged, be enlightened, be admitted and welcomed. We tread closely in the steps of our Leader when we act thus.
6. In liberality. In the generous use of our substance (see verse 24). When we are receiving freely of God's good gift of sacred joy, we should give freely of the good he has entrusted to our care.—C.
HOMILIES BY T. WHITELAW
2 Chronicles 30:1-12
Preparations for a grand national Passover.
I. A PASSOVER DECIDED ON. (2 Chronicles 30:1, 2 Chronicles 30:5.)
1. By whom! Hezekiah, his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, with both of whom he had taken counsel. The important step, not adopted without deliberation, was concurred in by the entire body of the people (2 Chronicles 30:4). If any in the nation held aloof, these were the priests and the Levites (2 Chronicles 30:15).
2. For whom? All Israel and Judah. The contemplated Passover should not be sectional or provincial, but national. For "all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan"—for the inhabitants of the two kingdoms, which ought never to have been divided, and in religion at least should ever have been one.
3. On what ground?
II. THE TIME OF CELEBRATION FIXED. (Verse 2.)
1. In the second month.
2. In the first or sixth (perhaps seventh) year of Hezekiah's reign.
III. THE INVITATIONS ISSUED. (Verses 6-10.)
1. In whose name they were given. In that of Hezekiah and his princes. The absence of any reference to Hoshea points to a time subsequent to the captivity of Israel.
2. By whom they were carried. The pests, or runners, i.e. king's messengers (Esther 3:13, Esther 3:15; Esther 8:14), who may have been members of the royal body-guard (2 Chronicles 12:10).
3. To what purport they ran.
(a) To turn again to Jehovah, renouncing idolatry and embracing the religion prescribed by Moses (verse 6).
(b) Not to imitate the stubborn conduct of their fathers, who had been carried away captive (verses 7, 8).
(c) To resume attendance at the sanctuary, which Jehovah had sanctified for ever as the central place of his worship (verse 8).
(a) Duty. Jehovah was the Lord God of their fathers, even of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and, as the one living and true, gracious, and covenant-keeping God, was entitled to their allegiance (verses 6, 7).
(b) Fear. If they continued rebellious, Jehovah's anger would fall on and consume them who were but a remnant, as already it had fallen on and consumed their fathers.
(c) Clemency. If they returned to Jehovah, Jehovah would turn away the fierceness of his anger from them, and extend mercy to those who had been carried away captive, causing them to find favour in the eyes of their captors and even to return to their own land (verse 9).
(d) Hope. The certainty that they would thus be treated was guaranteed by the fact that Jehovah, whom they had forsaken, and to whom they were now invited to return, was a gracious and merciful God (verse 9). Or otherwise, Hezekiah pleaded with them to return on the grounds of national unity—Jehovah was Israel's God as well as Judah's; of historic continuity—Jehovah had been the Lord God of their fathers; of self-interest—it was the only way to avert their total extinction; of brotherly compassion—it was the most effectual means of helping their exiled brethren.
IV. THE RECEPTION ACCORDED TO THE MESSENGERS. (Verses 10-12.)
1. In Israel.
2. In Judah. The people generally responded to their sovereign's invitation.
Learn:
1. The unspeakable blessing to a land of a pious king and court.
2. The certainty that God will aid all who seek to extend his cause and kingdom.
3. The necessity of diligence, fidelity, sympathy, and courage on the part of all "runners" to the King of heaven.
4. The hopefulness with which divinely commissioned preachers may enter on their mission—there will always be found a remnant to hear and obey.
5. The excellence of a humble spirit in disposing one to listen to the gospel.—W.
2 Chronicles 30:13-27
A national Passover at Jerusalem.
I. THE CELEBRATING CONGREGATION.
1. Large. "Much people; … a very great congregation" (2 Chronicles 30:13). Though this was usual at the chief religious festivals of the nation, probably so vast a concourse of people as assembled at Jerusalem in answer to the king's invitation, in the second month of the first or seventh year of his reign (see preceding homily), had not been witnessed since the days of Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 23:2) or of Asa (2 Chronicles 15:9, 2 Chronicles 15:10). Something stimulating and impressive in the sight of a crowded city, even when its seething population drifts aimlessly about, much more when all are swayed by a common feeling and moved by a common impulse.
2. Mixed. Composed of
3. United. All actuated by one purpose—that of keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread (verse 13), which probably none of them in their lifetime had ever done. It was such a festival as could be rightly celebrated only by a united people, and such as was fitted to draw closer the bonds of union between the celebrants.
4. Resolute. Prepared to undergo any sacrifices and attempt any labours necessary to carry the feast through with success, determined to be hindered by nothing and no one from their great act of religious homage to the Lord God of their fathers (verses 19, 22).
5. Joyous. Inspired with feelings of gladness (verse 23), even "great gladness" (verse 21), and "great joy" (verse 26), which found expression in peace offerings and penitential confessions (verse 22), accompanied by vocal and instrumental strains, and abated not during the seven days of the feast proper (verse 21), but sustained the people throughout seven superadded days (verse 23). Indeed, so high ran the enthusiasm, and so overflowing became the joy, that nothing like it had been witnessed since the days of Solomon, when the dedication of the temple had been celebrated by a double period of rejoicing (2 Chronicles 7:1-10). The occasion certainly was fitted to excite gladness—the return of the nation to its allegiance to Jehovah. So is the soul's return to God in penitence, faith, and holy obedience a cause of jubilation not only in heaven (Luke 15:7,Luke 15:10), but also on earth (Acts 8:8); and not among spectators merely, but also in the souls of them who return (Luke 24:52; Acts 8:39; Romans 5:11). Moreover, the service of God and Christ should always be accompanied with gladness, as in gladness it will invariably result (Psalms 64:10; Isaiah 48:18; Isaiah 51:11; Romans 14:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:16).
II. THE CELEBRATED FESTIVAL.
1. The zeal of the people.
2. The behaviour of the priests and Levites.
3. The piety of the king.
(a) To whom addressed. "The good Lord." Goodness an attribute of the Divine nature (Psalms 25:8; Psalms 34:8; Nahum 1:7), in its ideal character belonging only to him (Matthew 19:17), infinite in its measure (Exodus 34:6) and excellence (Psalms 36:7), unwearied in its operation (Psalms 33:5; James 1:5), ever-during in its continuance (Psalms 52:1).
(b) For whom presented? "Every one that prepareth [Authorized Version, or 'setteth' Revised Version] his heart to seek the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary;" i.e. for every one who approached God with earnestness and resolution, "preparing and setting his heart"—in the margin, "his whole heart" (2 Chronicles 15:12; Psalms 119:2); with humility and faith, seeking "the Lord God of his fathers" thereby acknowledging he believed in Jehovah as his rightful Lord, and had sinned in turning aside to idolatry ( 10:10; 1 Samuel 12:10; 2 Chronicles 6:37; Psalms 106:6; Jeremiah 14:7); with obedience and submission, embracing the right way of seeking God, in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 12:5), at his temple (Exodus 25:8), through the sacrificial worship by him appointed (Hebrews 9:13)—as under the New Testament dispensation no one can approach God acceptably except through Christ (John 14:6), though with imperfection and defect in external ceremonial—which showed that the be, t spirits in the Hebrew Church had some conception of the spirituality of all true worship of God, of the value of real heart-adoration even when accompanied by errors in form, and of the worthlessness of the most externally correct, complete, aesthetically beautiful, and perfect performance when divorced from the inner homage of the heart.
(c) What it sought. The pardon of every one who had approached the Divine altar without complying with the Divine prescription as to self-purification. A sin of ignorance in case of some, in that of others a sin of involuntary disability, it was nevertheless a violation of the divinely appointed order, as real though not as heinous as that of Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:18), and as such fitted to evoke a display of Divine anger similar to that which fell on Uzziah.
(d) How it fared. "The Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people" (verse 20); which may signify either that symptoms of bodily malady had begun to appear among the people, or that Hezekiah feared they would. In either case Hezekiah's prayer was successful for his people, as afterwards was his supplication for himself (2 Chronicles 32:24). Cf. the intercession of Abraham for the cities of the plain (Genesis 18:23-32), of Moses for Israel (Exodus 32:31, Exodus 32:32), of David for his people (2 Samuel 24:17), of Daniel for Jerusalem (Daniel 9:17-19), of Paul for his converts (Ephesians 3:14 19; Philippians 1:3-9).
(a) The recipients of it. "All the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord" (Authorized Version), i.e. "who were more skilled and able to instruct" others in the proper method of worshipping Jehovah (Piscator); or, more accurately, "all the Levites that were well skilled in the service of Jehovah" (Revised Version), or as regards Jehovah; i.e. "who had distinguished themselves by intelligent playing to the honour of the Lord" (Keil).
(b) The spirit of it. He spake comfortably, or to the heart, of all. No doubt there were degrees of excellence amongst the players and their music, but the king made no distinction in his treatment of them; he spake to the hearts of all His words of encouragement and good cheer were needed by all, perhaps most by those least skilled who yet were doing their best. Leaders of men, pastors of Churches, and such-like, sometimes forget this, and, by making distinctions between the more gifted and the less, do injury to both—inflate the former with pride, and cast down the latter with discouragement.
(a) Munificent. Hezekiah presented to the congregation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep.
(b) Catching. "The princes gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep."
(c) Timely. It enabled the people to carry out their good resolution to prolong the feast for seven more days.
(d) Appreciated. It filled the people's hearts with gladness, and doubtless contributed largely to entwine their affections round the person and the throne of the king.
Learn:
1. The duty of not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together for Divine worship (Hebrews 10:25).
2. The excellence of unity among the people of God (Psalms 132:1; Acts 4:32; 1 Corinthians 1:10).
3. The joyous character of all true worship (1 Chronicles 16:27; Psalms 32:11; c. 1, 2; Luke 24:52; Ephesians 5:18, Ephesians 5:19).
4. The acceptableness of sincere worship even when mingled with imperfection (Acts 10:35).
5. The beauty as well as propriety of Christian liberality (Exodus 23:15; 2 Corinthians 8:9).—W.
2 Chronicles 30:26
An ideal city: Jerusalem in the first days of Hezekiah.
I. ITS GOD WAS GRACIOUS. (2 Chronicles 30:9.) Its people had a Divinity who was:
1. Propitious towards their persons. He had given them one heart (2 Chronicles 30:12).
2. Propitious towards their sacrifices. He accepted them, although offered not in perfect accordance with the Law of Moses (2 Chronicles 30:16).
3. Propitious towards their prayers. He heard the king's intercession (2 Chronicles 30:20), the priests' prayers (2 Chronicles 30:27), and the people's confessions (2 Chronicles 30:22).
II. ITS KING WAS RELIGIOUS, (2 Chronicles 29:2.) This was manifested by:
1. His care for the institutions of religion. Exemplified in his purification and dedication of the temple, including his rearrangement of the Levitical orders of musicians.
2. His zeal in the observances of religion. Shown by his revival of the Passover ordinance, and the efforts made by him to secure a national observance of the same (2 Chronicles 30:1).
3. His possession of the spirit of religion. Besides being a man of prayer (2 Chronicles 30:18), he delighted to encourage others in good works (2 Chronicles 30:22), and evinced his own sincerity by the abundance of his liberality (2 Chronicles 30:24).
III. ITS MINISTERS WERE INDUSTRIOUS. (2 Chronicles 30:17.)
1. In attending to their own personal sanctification. (2 Chronicles 30:15.) This no ministers of religion under the New Testament dispensation can afford to neglect. He who cares nothing for the cultivation of piety in himself is not likely to be zealous in aiming at the good of others.
2. In discharging the public services of the sanctuary. Under the Hebrew economy these services were the offering of sacrifice and the blessing of the people (2 Chronicles 30:27) by the priests, with the making of music by the Levites; under the Christian economy they are chiefly the preaching of the gospel, the conducting of worship, and the superintendence of the Church. Where the ordinances of religion fall into abeyance and neglect, and the ministers of religion are as heedless of the souls of others as of their own, it is idle to expect prosperity, in either Church or state, in city or in country.
IV. ITS INHABITANTS WERE JOYOUS. (2 Chronicles 30:26.)
1. Exulting in Jehovah's favor. Without a conviction that they possessed this, the mere external celebration would not have filled them with such long-continued, deep, and exuberant emotion (Psalms 33:21; Isaiah 12:2; Romans 5:11).
2. Observing the rites of religion. In turning from the worship of idols to serve the living God, they experienced an inward satisfaction which made them "sing in the ways of the Lord" (Psalms 138:5).
3. Enjoying the affection of their brethren. Of one heart and mind, there was not a jarring note in their melody. They dwelt together in peace, and loved as brethren, each esteeming the other as better than himself, and all preferring one another and honouring one another.—W.
2 Chronicles
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