Hezekiah Cleanses the Temple
(2 Kings 18:1–12)
Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah, 1 the daughter of Zechariah. 2Ki 18:1-31Ch 3:132Ch 26:5Hos 1:1Isa 1:1Isa 8:2Mat 1:9-10Mic 1:1 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 2Ch 28:12Ch 34:2
In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah opened and repaired the doors of the house of the LORD. 2Ch 28:242Ch 29:7Mat 6:332Ch 34:32Ki 16:14-18Ecc 9:10Gal 1:16Psa 101:3 Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the square on the east side. 2Ch 32:6Jer 19:2Neh 3:29
“Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity. 2Ch 35:61Co 3:16-171Ch 15:122Ch 34:3-8Ezk 8:9-182Ch 29:15-162Ch 29:342Co 7:1
For our fathers were unfaithful and did evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned Him, turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him. Ezk 8:16Jer 2:272Ch 28:2-42Ch 28:23-252Ch 34:21Dan 9:16Ezr 5:12Ezr 9:7 They also shut the doors of the portico and extinguished the lamps. They did not burn incense or present burnt offerings in the Holy Place of the God of Israel. 2Ch 28:24Lev 24:2-82Ch 29:32Ki 16:17-18Mal 1:10
Therefore, the wrath of the LORD has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, horror, and mockery, as you can see with your own eyes. Jer 25:18Jer 25:92Ch 24:18Deu 28:25Jer 19:8Jer 29:181Ki 9:82Ch 34:24-25 For behold, this is why our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity. 2Ch 28:172Ch 28:5-8Lam 5:7Lev 26:17
Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger will turn away from us. Jer 50:52Ch 23:16Ezr 10:32Ch 15:12-132Ch 34:30-322Ch 6:7-82Co 8:52Ki 23:26 Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, to minister before Him, and to burn incense.” Deu 10:8Num 8:6-14Num 18:2-7Num 3:6-9Gal 6:7-8Num 16:35-40
Then the Levites set to work: 1Ch 15:5-71Ch 23:7-231Ch 6:16-211Ch 6:442Ch 31:13Exo 6:16-25Num 3:17Num 3:19-20
Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites;
Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites;
Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites;
Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphanites; 1Ch 6:391Ch 15:81Ch 15:171Ch 25:2Lev 10:4
Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaphites;
Jehiel and Shimei from the Hemanites; 1Ch 6:331Ch 15:191Ch 25:11Ch 25:31Ch 25:6
and Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthunites.
When they had assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves, they went in to cleanse the house of the LORD, according to the command of the king by the words of the LORD. 1Ch 23:282Ch 30:122Ch 29:5
So the priests went inside the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out to the courtyard all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the LORD. Then the Levites took these things and carried them out to the Kidron Valley. 2Ch 15:161Ki 6:19-202Ch 3:82Ch 5:72Ki 23:4-62Sa 15:23Exo 26:33-34Ezk 36:29 They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days they consecrated the house of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month. 1Ch 28:111Ki 6:32Ch 29:32Ch 29:72Ch 3:4Exo 12:2-8
Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported, “We have cleansed the entire house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the showbread with all its utensils. 2Ch 13:112Ch 4:12Ch 4:7-8 Moreover, we have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz in his unfaithfulness cast aside during his reign. They are now in front of the altar of the LORD.” 2Ch 28:24
Hezekiah Restores Temple Worship
Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went up to the house of the LORD. Exo 24:4Gen 22:3Jer 25:4Jos 6:12 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And the king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD. Lev 4:3-14Ezk 45:23Job 42:81Ch 15:26Ezr 8:35Num 23:1Num 23:14Num 23:29
So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. And they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. Lev 4:18Lev 8:19Lev 8:24Heb 9:21-22Lev 1:5Lev 4:34Lev 4:7Lev 8:14-15
Then they brought the goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, who laid their hands on them. Lev 4:15Lev 1:4Lev 4:24 And the priests slaughtered the goats and put their blood on the altar for a sin offering, to make atonement for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel. 2Co 5:18-21Col 1:20-21Dan 9:24Ezk 45:15Ezk 45:17Heb 2:17Lev 14:20Lev 4:13-35
Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets. 2Ch 8:141Ch 23:51Ch 15:16-221Ch 16:4-51Ch 16:421Ch 25:1-71Ch 9:332Ch 35:15 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. 1Ch 23:51Ch 15:24Amo 6:51Ch 16:62Ch 5:12-13Isa 38:20Jos 6:4-9Num 10:10
And Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be sacrificed on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD and the trumpets began as well, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. 2Ch 23:182Ch 20:212Ch 7:3Psa 136:1Psa 137:3-4 The whole assembly was worshiping, the singers were singing, and the trumpeters were playing. All this continued until the burnt offering was completed. Psa 68:24-26Psa 89:15Rev 5:8-14
When the offerings were completed, the king and all those present with him bowed down and worshiped. 2Ch 20:181Ch 29:20Php 2:10-11Psa 72:11Rom 14:11 Then King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD in the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped. Php 4:4Psa 32:11Psa 95:1-21Ch 16:7-36Psa 100:1-2Psa 149:22Sa 23:1-2Psa 95:6
Then Hezekiah said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, 2 come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.” 2Ch 13:9Exo 35:22Exo 35:5Ezr 1:4Lev 1:1-3Lev 23:38Lev 7:12
So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings. The number of burnt offerings the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. 1Ch 29:211Ki 3:41Ki 8:63Ezr 6:17 And the consecrated offerings were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep.
However, since there were not enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings, their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests had been consecrated. For the Levites had been more diligent in consecrating themselves than the priests had been. 2Ch 35:112Ch 30:31Ch 29:172Ch 29:52Ch 30:16-17Num 18:3Num 18:6-7Num 8:15
Furthermore, the burnt offerings were abundant, along with the fat of the peace offerings and the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. So the service of the house of the LORD was established. Exo 29:13Num 15:5-101Ch 16:37-42Gen 35:14Lev 23:13Lev 3:15-161Co 14:40Ezr 6:18 Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had prepared for the people, because everything had been accomplished so quickly. 1Ch 29:91Th 3:8-9Act 2:41Ezr 6:22Pro 16:1Psa 10:171Ch 29:17-182Ch 30:12