The Pilgrim Path---Second Chronicles 29: 18—36

Then they went in to Hezekiah the king and said, “We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, the altar of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering and its utensils, and the table for the showbread and its utensils. All the utensils that King Ahaz discarded in his reign when he was faithless, we have made ready and consecrated, and behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.

Then Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the officials of the city and went up to the house of the LORD. And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD. So, they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood and threw it against the altar. And they slaughtered the rams, and their blood was thrown against the altar. Then the goats for the sin offering were brought to the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them, and the priests slaughtered them and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, TO MAKE ATONEMENT FOR ALL ISRAEL. For the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

And he stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the commandment of David and of Gad the king’s seer and of Nathan the prophet, for the commandment was form the LORD through his prophets. The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. Then Hezekiah commanded that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song to the LORD began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. The whole assembly worshiped, and the singers sang, and the trumpets sounded. All this continued until the burnt offering was finished. When the offering was finished, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped. And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang [raises with GLADNESS, and they bowed down and worshiped.

Then Hezekiah said, “You have now consecrated yourselves to the LORD. Come near; bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.” And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all WHO WERE OF A WILLING HEART BROUGHT BURNT OFFERINGS. The number of the burnt offerings that the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. And the consecrated offerings were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep. But the priests were too few and could not flay all the burnt offerings, so until other priests had consecrated themselves, their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was finished---for the Levites were more upright in heart than the priests in consecrating themselves. Besides the great number of burnt offerings, there was the fat of the peace offerings, and there were the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. Thus, the service of the hose of the LORD was restored. And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had provided for the people, for the thing came about suddenly.

HEZEKIAH & THE PEOPLE DEAL WITH SIN…

My Oh My---Temple worship is restored. With that---the blood is shed again. It had been a long time since “sin” had been dealt with--- in such a formal, religious, public manner. Sinner that I am---I am drawn to verses 23 and 24. Hezekiah and the leaders of the assembly place their hands upon the heads of the goats for the sin offerings. Transference and disappearance of sin. The blood is shed---For “all” Israel. Then---there is some tremendous worship—with cymbals, lyres, trumpets---singers. It lasts until all the burnt offerings are consumed---and as you read, there were many of those given by a grateful people!

When you begin to take sin seriously and turn from it---wonderful things occur. Life looks sweeter. Generosity returns. Deceit begins to vanish. Denial goes away. Defrauding--- will take a hike. Deception will wander off. People will stop calling evil good and good evil. Truth will be seen for what it is: Glorious! People will stop doing “three wrongs” in order “to do” some supposed right…You yield to King Jesus with gladness and pleasure: “Not my will, but thine be done.”

The Ole Rev. Joseph Irons, “Thankfulness Among the People”----They Were Happy:

---In the knowledge of their acceptance with God

---In the extension of the life of God in their souls

---In the revival of the worship of God among them

---In the expression of their ardent concern to rival one another in the service of God---for they ALL brought their thank-offerings to the LORD

Hebrews 10: 11—14: “And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

“A saint, when overcome by indwelling sin, ought to comfort himself with the thought that a prisoner of war is not a deserter.” John Duncan

“Grace withereth without adversity. The devil is but God’s master fencer, to teach us to handle our weapons.” Samuel Rutherford

HYMN

I love thy kingdom, LORD,

The house of thine abode,

The church our blest Redeemer saved

With his own precious Blood.

Timothy Dwight, 1800

Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ Our Risen LORD, Pastor Jason