Priesthood and Covenant Renewal (2 Chronicles 31)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:06.400 Please turn your attention with me to second chronicles, Chapter Thirty one. Second 2 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:13.949 Chronicles thirty one, second chronicles thirty one. We are continuing to read about 3 00:00:13.949 --> 00:00:20.429 the godly reign of this good and righteous king has a Kaiah. Give your 4 00:00:20.429 --> 00:00:25.620 attention to the words of the Lord. Now, when all this was finished, 5 00:00:26.300 --> 00:00:30.379 all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke 6 00:00:30.460 --> 00:00:35.659 in pieces the pillars and cut down the Ashrom and broke down the high places 7 00:00:35.700 --> 00:00:41.649 and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manassa, until 8 00:00:41.770 --> 00:00:45.729 they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their 9 00:00:45.810 --> 00:00:52.159 cities, every man to his possession, and Heze Kai appointed the divisions of 10 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:56.960 the priests and of the Levites, division by division, each according to his 11 00:00:57.119 --> 00:01:03.000 service. The priests and the Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings to Minister 12 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:06.790 in the gates of the camp of the Lord and to give thanks and praise 13 00:01:07.709 --> 00:01:11.829 the contribution of the king from his own possessions was for the burnt offerings, 14 00:01:11.549 --> 00:01:17.349 the burnt offerings of morning and evening and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, 15 00:01:17.950 --> 00:01:21.819 the new moons and the appointed feasts, as it is written in the law 16 00:01:21.859 --> 00:01:26.060 of the Lord, and he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give 17 00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:30.420 the portion due to the priests and the leave bites that they might give themselves 18 00:01:30.859 --> 00:01:34.969 to the law of the Lord. As soon as the command was spread abroad, 19 00:01:36.329 --> 00:01:40.730 the people of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, wine, 20 00:01:41.409 --> 00:01:45.930 oil, honey and all of the produce of the field, and they 21 00:01:46.010 --> 00:01:51.079 brought in abundantly the tie of everything, and the people of Israel and Judah 22 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:53.799 who lived in the cities of Judah, also brought in the tithe of cattle 23 00:01:53.879 --> 00:01:59.519 and sheep and the tithe of the dedicated things that have been dedicated to the 24 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:05.069 Lord, their God, and laid them in heaps. In the third month, 25 00:02:05.109 --> 00:02:07.669 they began to pile up the heaps and finished them in the seventh month. 26 00:02:08.629 --> 00:02:13.710 When Hez a Kai and the princes came and saw the heaps, they 27 00:02:13.870 --> 00:02:19.139 blust the Lord and his people Israel, and has a Kai a question the 28 00:02:19.180 --> 00:02:23.139 priests and the Levites about the heaps. As a Riah, the chief priest, 29 00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:25.900 who was of the House of Zadoc, answered him. Since they began 30 00:02:25.979 --> 00:02:30.210 to bring the contributions into the House of the Lord. We have eaten and 31 00:02:30.409 --> 00:02:36.250 had enough and have had plenty left, for the Lord has blessed his people 32 00:02:36.770 --> 00:02:42.330 so that we have this large amount left. Then has a Kaiah commanded them 33 00:02:42.490 --> 00:02:46.240 to prepare the chambers in the House of the Lord, and they prepared them 34 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:51.520 and they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tie this and the dedicated things. 35 00:02:52.680 --> 00:02:55.680 The chief officer in charge of them was Conanhaiah, the Levite, with 36 00:02:55.879 --> 00:03:01.750 Shemai his his brother, as second while Jehe Jaheel as Isaiah, Nay Hath 37 00:03:02.270 --> 00:03:09.710 Asahl Jeremoth, jaws a bad Eliel Isamachiah, Mahof and Ben and I ah 38 00:03:09.789 --> 00:03:15.659 were overseers assisting coin, and I and Chmai, his brother, by the 39 00:03:15.740 --> 00:03:20.300 appointment of Hezekiah, the king in Azariah, the chief officer of the House 40 00:03:20.379 --> 00:03:24.620 of God and corps, the son of MNA, the Levite, keeper of 41 00:03:24.659 --> 00:03:28.930 the East Gate, was over the free, you will, offerings to God 42 00:03:29.770 --> 00:03:35.770 to apportion the contribution reserved for the Lord and the most holy offerings. Eden 43 00:03:36.449 --> 00:03:43.800 men and men, miniemen, Jeshua, Shamiyah a Mariah and Shech and I 44 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:49.199 were faithfully assisting him in the cities of the priests to distribute to the portions 45 00:03:49.240 --> 00:03:53.039 to their brothers, old and young alike, by divisions, except those enrolled 46 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:59.270 by genealogy. Males from three years old and upward, all who entered the 47 00:03:59.349 --> 00:04:03.710 house of the Lord as the duty of each day required for their service according 48 00:04:03.750 --> 00:04:09.629 to their offices, by their divisions. The enrollment of the priests was according 49 00:04:09.629 --> 00:04:13.460 to their father's houses. That of the Levites, from twenty years old and 50 00:04:13.620 --> 00:04:17.699 upward was according to their offices, by their divisions. They were enrolled with 51 00:04:17.779 --> 00:04:23.139 all their little children, their wives, their sons and their daughters, the 52 00:04:23.220 --> 00:04:27.610 whole Assembly, for they were faithful in keeping themselves whole fully, and for 53 00:04:27.689 --> 00:04:30.329 the sons of Aaron, the priests who were in the fields of common land 54 00:04:30.490 --> 00:04:34.889 belonging to their cities. There were men in the several cities who were designated 55 00:04:34.970 --> 00:04:41.360 by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and everyone among the 56 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:46.720 Levites who was enrolled. Thus Haze Kaiah did throughout all Judah, and he 57 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:50.319 did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord, his God, 58 00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:55.509 and every work that he undertook in the service of the House of God and 59 00:04:56.110 --> 00:05:00.589 in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God. He did 60 00:05:00.709 --> 00:05:05.790 with all his heart and prospered. Sends the Reading of God's word. He 61 00:05:06.300 --> 00:05:14.100 blessed it to us. If you like to read history, you'll know that 62 00:05:14.540 --> 00:05:21.410 sometimes there are chapters, chapters that deal with some of the mundane things of 63 00:05:21.610 --> 00:05:28.410 history and full of so for example, perhaps you like to read history about 64 00:05:28.730 --> 00:05:33.009 World War Two, and some chapters are going to be about a great battle 65 00:05:33.329 --> 00:05:41.279 that's exciting and interesting and full of plot turns and changes and heroes and conquerors 66 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:46.480 and villains and all the rest. But then there's other chapters that simply go 67 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:54.750 through the details of amassing weapons and cataloging various things and showing how order happens, 68 00:05:54.910 --> 00:05:59.750 how things are established. That's something of what's going on here. Are 69 00:05:59.790 --> 00:06:04.819 there's no great battle, no great intrigue. I'm instead and second chronicles thirty 70 00:06:04.860 --> 00:06:12.220 one. What we have is a king simply being faithful, simply ordering his 71 00:06:12.459 --> 00:06:18.209 kingdom according to as it says at the end the in accordance with the law 72 00:06:18.689 --> 00:06:24.689 and the commandments, seeking his God. Of course, it's not just has 73 00:06:24.730 --> 00:06:27.649 a Kaia that's doing this, but it's all the people of Israel, as 74 00:06:27.730 --> 00:06:31.050 we see when he commands them and calls them to give of these things, 75 00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:42.360 they do so, and very willingly. In this we may not have one 76 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:46.870 of the most exciting stories of second chronicles, but we do learn several very 77 00:06:46.910 --> 00:06:53.509 important things about God and what he's doing in the story of the world, 78 00:06:54.430 --> 00:07:00.829 what he's doing in history and what is he's doing even now today, as 79 00:07:00.910 --> 00:07:03.180 we look at that and consider as a Kiah thirty one, it's helpful to 80 00:07:03.259 --> 00:07:09.579 remember what's going on in the broader, the broader chronicles here, the broader 81 00:07:09.740 --> 00:07:15.769 history. Remember Hez a KIA is restoring Israel after a lot of faithless kings 82 00:07:15.970 --> 00:07:23.449 and idolatry. He is re establishing worship. In Chapter Twenty Nine, we 83 00:07:23.569 --> 00:07:27.449 read about out how the temple was a re established. There was all sorts 84 00:07:27.490 --> 00:07:31.879 of offerings and things going on. The Passover was celebrated. In chapter thirty, 85 00:07:32.680 --> 00:07:39.639 more sacrifices were made. The celebrations of the Feast of unloved bread were 86 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:45.550 extended even for another week. But these special moments in Israel's history, there 87 00:07:45.910 --> 00:07:51.189 re establishing of the Covenant with God now needs to be settled down in a 88 00:07:51.310 --> 00:08:01.339 more regular way. These special events that happened this special celebrations and historic moments 89 00:08:01.100 --> 00:08:07.540 need to be regularized and in a way, the worship of God in Israel 90 00:08:07.139 --> 00:08:11.699 and among us as well. It's not something that's supposed to just happen once 91 00:08:11.860 --> 00:08:16.529 every now and then in a special moment. The whole point of the sacrificial 92 00:08:16.649 --> 00:08:20.569 system, or the whole point, but one of the main points of the 93 00:08:20.610 --> 00:08:24.930 sacrificial system was to show the or the regularness of it all. Even here 94 00:08:26.089 --> 00:08:31.200 we read of mourning and evening burnt offerings, Sabbath sacrifices, new moon sacrifices. 95 00:08:31.679 --> 00:08:37.279 There's a calendar of regular worship that's going on and it must go on. 96 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.269 But in order for that to happen, there's two things. One, 97 00:08:41.509 --> 00:08:46.190 false worship needs to be put away, and that happens in verse one when 98 00:08:46.190 --> 00:08:52.029 they cut down the pillars and the Ashrem polls, they break down the high 99 00:08:52.070 --> 00:08:56.500 places and the altars throughout Judah. They're not merely going to worship the Lord 100 00:08:56.659 --> 00:09:03.539 God alongside of other Gods. Know he alone is God over Israel and they 101 00:09:03.659 --> 00:09:09.409 recognize that fact by taking away the idolatry and false worship. But there's a 102 00:09:09.490 --> 00:09:13.690 positive side that has to happen as well, and that's that the priests and 103 00:09:13.809 --> 00:09:20.169 the Levites must be established in their duties. There's a lot of work that 104 00:09:20.330 --> 00:09:26.480 goes on and maintaining a temple and in keeping sacrifices going remember, to this 105 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:31.039 temple was not just about sacrifice, but other things went on their prayer and 106 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:35.759 various offerings. There were gates, it was something that needed to be protected. 107 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:39.669 There was some kind of there was a type of even military force in 108 00:09:39.750 --> 00:09:45.830 a way. There not just they're at the temple and in Jerusalem, but 109 00:09:45.950 --> 00:09:52.220 the priests and Levites had roles to play even outside of Jerusalem. We read, 110 00:09:52.340 --> 00:09:56.659 for example, of these in nine and Chati, sorry verse Nineteen, 111 00:09:58.620 --> 00:10:01.539 and says that the sons of Aaron, the priests who were in the fields 112 00:10:01.179 --> 00:10:07.409 of common land belonging to their cities. This is a reference to the fact 113 00:10:07.409 --> 00:10:13.809 that all throughout Israel the priests and the Levites were scattered in individual towns and 114 00:10:15.370 --> 00:10:18.370 cities. There had been parts of land that had been designated for them to 115 00:10:18.450 --> 00:10:24.159 live on. This is a very significant because you remember that Israel is divided 116 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:30.519 up by tribe geographically, Judah and one part, epre him in another part, 117 00:10:30.679 --> 00:10:35.909 and so on. Not so for the Levites, though. From the 118 00:10:35.950 --> 00:10:39.990 very beginning, the Levites never had any land. They never had a particular 119 00:10:41.429 --> 00:10:46.590 geographic place on the map to call their own, and that's because they were 120 00:10:46.750 --> 00:10:50.139 the they were to be spread out throughout they were to be ministers to the 121 00:10:50.299 --> 00:10:56.259 people throughout Israel, centering in Jerusalem, yes, but throughout all the land, 122 00:10:56.299 --> 00:11:01.779 and that means that those as these these men and their families lived throughout 123 00:11:01.779 --> 00:11:05.370 the land. They had to be a cared for in their duties in those 124 00:11:05.409 --> 00:11:11.289 cities and in their duties when they would come to Jerusalem. All this to 125 00:11:11.370 --> 00:11:15.450 say is that there's several important things going on here. One is that, 126 00:11:15.610 --> 00:11:20.159 as all of Israel is finally coming together again after all of these years of 127 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:24.799 being separated between Judah and Israel, now, as the tribes come together to 128 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:31.279 worship God, the Levites must not be forgotten. They are an essential part 129 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:37.710 of these brothers of Israel, these twelve tribes. The Levites are essential. 130 00:11:37.830 --> 00:11:43.789 Not only is one of one tribe of this great family, but they're essential 131 00:11:43.950 --> 00:11:50.139 because they are the ones who are the intrusted with the worship of God, 132 00:11:52.620 --> 00:11:56.059 and because they are entrusted with the worship of God, and that is their 133 00:11:56.139 --> 00:12:01.379 primary purpose. God establishes in his law that it is the other tribes that 134 00:12:01.450 --> 00:12:07.570 are called to care for the priests and the Levites. They had no means 135 00:12:07.809 --> 00:12:13.090 really of providing for themselves. Otherwise. Occasionally they would farm some land, 136 00:12:13.690 --> 00:12:20.159 have some animals and things like that, but their primary their primary calling was 137 00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:22.519 in service to the Lord in this way and they were to be provided for 138 00:12:24.759 --> 00:12:28.759 by the people. So, in other words, an order for worship to 139 00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:33.789 happen in Israel, the Levites and priests needed to be there and needed to 140 00:12:33.870 --> 00:12:39.629 be provided for, and Hezekai understood this. Hezekiah knew that order and discipline 141 00:12:39.710 --> 00:12:46.340 and division must be in place. A system of care and provision for the 142 00:12:46.419 --> 00:12:50.460 priests and the Levites had to happen if the worship of God was going to 143 00:12:50.620 --> 00:13:00.210 happen. And Order and division and systematizing and framework and leadership and management. 144 00:13:00.250 --> 00:13:05.730 That's throughout this chapter. Throughout we read words about division. So, for 145 00:13:05.850 --> 00:13:09.009 example, in verse two, Hez a Kaia appointed the divisions of the priests 146 00:13:09.090 --> 00:13:13.759 and of the Levites, division by a division, each according to his service. 147 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:20.039 This is the language of of classification, of paying attention to distinctions, 148 00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:26.799 making sure each person is in the right place at the right time. This 149 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:31.470 kind of thing goes on when we read these lists of names, when we 150 00:13:31.590 --> 00:13:35.350 read about enrollment, when we read about certain people. So, for example, 151 00:13:35.590 --> 00:13:39.710 verse fourteen and Core A, or core the son of MNA, the 152 00:13:39.710 --> 00:13:45.259 levite keeper of the East Gate, was over the free will offerings of God. 153 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:50.580 There's a high priest as well. There are orders within the priesthood, 154 00:13:50.179 --> 00:13:58.450 various people assigned to various tasks, people assigned to assist. Again, for 155 00:13:58.570 --> 00:14:03.690 some of you these kind of details probably get you really excited. For others 156 00:14:03.730 --> 00:14:09.769 you maybe not so much. The point is, either way, this framework 157 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:16.919 of rules and order and discipline has to be an order in order for the 158 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:22.039 worship of God to take place. And this is true of every part of 159 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:26.309 God's work in the world, whether it's in our families or in our churches 160 00:14:26.389 --> 00:14:31.830 today, in our governments. I'm in the animal world and all kinds of 161 00:14:31.950 --> 00:14:37.909 places we see the God is a god of order, a God who is 162 00:14:37.029 --> 00:14:43.740 working of things at the very detailed level. Even in the heavenly places. 163 00:14:43.940 --> 00:14:52.460 There is orders within the angels, various degrees of glory and assignments and provisions. 164 00:14:52.769 --> 00:14:56.970 There are those who lead and those who have follow there are those who 165 00:14:56.970 --> 00:15:03.370 assist, those who work together those who work separately, but all together, 166 00:15:03.730 --> 00:15:09.679 though there are differences, it's all to the glory of God. Hezekiah, 167 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:16.679 this great king, understands that he doesn't let the worship of God be a 168 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:22.110 fly by night kind of thing, an emotional experience of wonderful high that sort 169 00:15:22.149 --> 00:15:26.590 of passes into the night. No, he recognizes that this is to be 170 00:15:26.669 --> 00:15:33.950 a regular part of Israel, and so he wants to make sure that the 171 00:15:33.070 --> 00:15:41.860 priests and Levites are provided for. He begins by his own he begins by 172 00:15:41.940 --> 00:15:48.220 leading with his own example. Verse Three, the contribution of the king from 173 00:15:48.220 --> 00:15:52.850 his own possessions was for the burnt offerings, the burnt offerings of the morning 174 00:15:52.929 --> 00:15:56.330 in the evening and of the sabbaths and so on. And then in verse 175 00:15:56.409 --> 00:16:00.529 four we read that that example is to be followed. Verse four he says 176 00:16:00.570 --> 00:16:03.360 and he commanded the people who lived in Drudam, or, I'm sorry, 177 00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:10.200 Jerusalem, to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites. Why 178 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:17.960 that they might give themselves to the law of the Lord. So as a 179 00:16:17.960 --> 00:16:22.389 Kiah begins with this example and he calls other to people to to this as 180 00:16:22.470 --> 00:16:29.269 well. And what happens is truly remarkable. The people start giving and giving 181 00:16:29.350 --> 00:16:33.259 and giving and giving and giving and giving and giving and giving, until there 182 00:16:33.299 --> 00:16:38.899 are heaps of things. Heaps of things. Some are according to the tithes 183 00:16:40.179 --> 00:16:44.139 that there were many different kinds of tithes in the Old Testament, in a 184 00:16:44.299 --> 00:16:47.610 court of in court with all the Times these things were brought in, but 185 00:16:47.769 --> 00:16:52.169 other things as well, things that have been specially designated or, as we 186 00:16:52.289 --> 00:16:56.850 read earlier, of core the son of MNA, there were also free will 187 00:16:56.970 --> 00:17:00.250 offerings that were given, offerings that were given above and beyond even what was 188 00:17:00.370 --> 00:17:07.519 required. The people were giving and giving and giving. As a Kiah being 189 00:17:07.640 --> 00:17:14.240 a good leader. Here a follows up in verse nine, after commanding that 190 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:17.509 this had been done, he goes to the priests and he says, well, 191 00:17:17.630 --> 00:17:21.670 how's it going? Is it working? Are you being provided for? 192 00:17:22.630 --> 00:17:25.230 And as a Ryan? Verse Ten, the Chief Priest, who was of 193 00:17:25.269 --> 00:17:29.069 the House of Zadok, answers the king and he says, since they began 194 00:17:29.190 --> 00:17:32.980 to bring the contributions into the House of the Lord, we have eaten and 195 00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:37.740 had enough and had plenty left, for the Lord has blessed his people so 196 00:17:37.859 --> 00:17:45.490 that we have this large amount left. There are so many examples of this 197 00:17:45.609 --> 00:17:49.089 in life. The one it reminded me of was the feeding of the five 198 00:17:49.250 --> 00:17:53.250 thousand and the feeding of the four thousand, which were mentioned earlier in Matthew. 199 00:17:55.410 --> 00:18:00.720 Do you remember what happens there when Jesus provides, even, as Z 200 00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:04.720 as a Riah says here, the Lord is blessed his people so that we 201 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:10.519 have this large amount left, remember Jesus with with his people. And there 202 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:14.950 was food that needed to be eaten people, that the people needed to be 203 00:18:15.190 --> 00:18:21.710 provided for. So what happened? He asked that a donation be given and 204 00:18:21.869 --> 00:18:26.940 it was a small donation and one case just five loaves of bread. Do 205 00:18:27.019 --> 00:18:32.180 you remember what he did with that? Is Loaves of bread, by his 206 00:18:32.819 --> 00:18:38.059 by his miracle, by a great miracle, he multiplied them to feed five 207 00:18:38.420 --> 00:18:44.329 thousand people. And not only did he meet their need, but they picked 208 00:18:44.369 --> 00:18:49.490 up twelve baskets full. Afterwards, he asked his disciples, is twelve disciples, 209 00:18:49.569 --> 00:18:56.079 to go throughout with baskets and pick up leftovers, a kind of imagine, 210 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:59.240 you know, after the state fair leaves and there's this trash everywhere. 211 00:18:59.720 --> 00:19:03.359 They're sort of going through the ground just picking up bread, picking up bread, 212 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:11.349 and they fill so much the Lord over an abundantly blesses his people, 213 00:19:11.470 --> 00:19:15.549 and that's what's happening here. Not Smart. It's very important to point this 214 00:19:15.829 --> 00:19:21.150 out, because there's two kinds of giving that's going on, isn't there? 215 00:19:22.109 --> 00:19:26.180 On the one hand, the people are most definitely giving right. They are 216 00:19:26.259 --> 00:19:30.099 giving of their money, they or their grain, their oil, their honey, 217 00:19:30.539 --> 00:19:34.059 their animals, all of this is going to feed and take care of 218 00:19:34.180 --> 00:19:38.809 the priests and the Levites. And yet when, as a Riah describes it, 219 00:19:40.009 --> 00:19:41.769 he says that it is the Lord who is blessed, the people, 220 00:19:42.369 --> 00:19:48.490 and we have this large amount left here, we are reminded that the purpose 221 00:19:48.609 --> 00:19:52.319 for peat the people being in this land from the very beginning was that so 222 00:19:52.519 --> 00:19:57.200 that God could bless them in this abundant way, so that there would be 223 00:19:57.240 --> 00:20:03.160 so much provision, so much blessing, that people would have more to more 224 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:07.990 than enough, more to know, more than they knew what to do with. 225 00:20:08.950 --> 00:20:15.109 And that's what's happening here. As the people dedicate themselves to the Lord, 226 00:20:15.470 --> 00:20:19.150 he blesses and he blesses and he blesses, and he is, it 227 00:20:19.269 --> 00:20:26.180 says at the very end, he prospers, King Hezekiah. This is a 228 00:20:26.500 --> 00:20:30.059 foil to the things that we have seen before where people have gone, kings 229 00:20:30.099 --> 00:20:34.769 have gone after false gods and followed false patterns of worship and if sought to 230 00:20:34.930 --> 00:20:41.089 secure the blessings of the land in other ways. And what happens when they 231 00:20:41.089 --> 00:20:45.809 do that? They die, they end up in trouble, they end up 232 00:20:45.809 --> 00:20:49.599 being conquered by foreign kings and all kinds of things like this. But when 233 00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:56.960 God's people go under him and under his authority, he pours out his blessing 234 00:20:56.119 --> 00:21:02.279 on them. That's what's happening here to Hezekiah, that's what's happening to Azariah, 235 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:07.869 and they're all recognizing it, they're all seeing it. The greatness of 236 00:21:07.029 --> 00:21:14.069 these heaps is ultimately a test is ultimately a testimony to the greatness of the 237 00:21:14.190 --> 00:21:22.140 Lord's generosity, the Lord's goodness and the Lord's grace. Behind all that's going 238 00:21:22.299 --> 00:21:27.700 on, behind the generosity of the people, behind King Hezekiah's faithfulness, behind 239 00:21:27.779 --> 00:21:33.170 the good work of the priests and the Levites, behind it all is God 240 00:21:33.490 --> 00:21:40.089 who is caring for his people, God who loves them so much that he 241 00:21:40.210 --> 00:21:48.759 is providing for their every need, not just physically, but their spiritual needs 242 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:55.039 as well, as he is establishing the regular worship of Israel. In Israel, 243 00:21:56.519 --> 00:22:03.029 of course, God is more than capable of providing directly from heaven. 244 00:22:03.109 --> 00:22:07.950 Let's say. You remember that when the people were going from Egypt to the 245 00:22:07.990 --> 00:22:14.069 land of Canaan, God literally brought down bread out of heaven so that the 246 00:22:14.109 --> 00:22:18.740 people could eat. If God wanted to provide for the priests and the Levites 247 00:22:18.819 --> 00:22:25.220 this way, he certainly could have. It's not a weakness, however, 248 00:22:25.420 --> 00:22:33.769 on God's part that he uses humans to provide for each other. It's a 249 00:22:33.809 --> 00:22:40.049 sign, I believe, of his great strength. He can provide directly, 250 00:22:40.289 --> 00:22:45.759 and he does, but when he also uses tools and means, like you 251 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:53.440 me to provide for one another, we see this marvelous work of grace going 252 00:22:53.839 --> 00:23:00.750 on in a body, a group of people who are described as a family 253 00:23:00.789 --> 00:23:07.990 or members of one another. That's remarkable enough in Israel that's full of people 254 00:23:08.109 --> 00:23:14.420 that are belong to one another by blood. How much more remarkable is that 255 00:23:14.579 --> 00:23:18.500 when God does this with a people that are separated from from each other in 256 00:23:18.579 --> 00:23:25.220 all kinds of ways? US, we only being able to trace our common 257 00:23:25.339 --> 00:23:33.970 ancestry back to Noah Radom, we are very diverse. We're from all kinds 258 00:23:33.009 --> 00:23:40.369 of places, all kinds of backgrounds. We come from different kinds of families 259 00:23:40.529 --> 00:23:47.640 and so many other things, but God brings us together and helps us to 260 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:52.240 take care of one another. He gives us gifts of love and generosity and 261 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:59.710 service to provide for one another, and as we do that, he is 262 00:23:59.789 --> 00:24:08.950 glorified. God draws us into his work of love, not just participating in 263 00:24:10.099 --> 00:24:21.940 it even, but sanctifying us. He makes us a useful people. How 264 00:24:22.019 --> 00:24:27.329 does that happen? How do we go from being people at war with one 265 00:24:27.369 --> 00:24:33.089 another, people angry at one another, people with all kinds of reasons not 266 00:24:33.210 --> 00:24:41.039 to like one another, to people that are bound together in this one faith? 267 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:48.519 What happens because of the work of God here. God does it through 268 00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:59.910 Hezekiah, but he later sends Hezekiah a son, David's son, Jesus, 269 00:25:00.349 --> 00:25:04.150 who does a similar kind of work and is doing that in our midst, 270 00:25:06.150 --> 00:25:11.539 but he does it to an even greater degree. If you understand has a 271 00:25:11.539 --> 00:25:15.259 KIA, or in order to understand has a Ki, you have to understand 272 00:25:15.339 --> 00:25:22.609 who Jesus is. Jesus is like has a KI and stablishing good order and 273 00:25:22.730 --> 00:25:26.890 providing for his people and distributing gifts and leaders and all of these kinds of 274 00:25:26.970 --> 00:25:34.759 things, but he's unlike has a Chiah in that what he establishes is eternal. 275 00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:41.599 When Jesus, the King, comes into the world and organizes his people 276 00:25:42.039 --> 00:25:48.799 in all of the Lu tiniest little details of our lives, he does so 277 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:55.750 in a way that will last forever. Indeed, the New Testament tells us 278 00:25:55.789 --> 00:26:03.309 that we ourselves are the temple in whom the Holy Spirit is dwelling, with 279 00:26:03.430 --> 00:26:10.099 Jesus Christ himself as the corner stone. The work of Jesus in the world 280 00:26:10.259 --> 00:26:15.059 is much like Hezekiahs, but it's a work that will last forever and it's 281 00:26:15.099 --> 00:26:18.970 a work that's going on here and now. We are who we are, 282 00:26:19.650 --> 00:26:23.809 providing for each other as we do, taking care of one another, each 283 00:26:23.809 --> 00:26:30.970 according to our callings, showing love and service in time and money and all 284 00:26:30.009 --> 00:26:37.480 kinds of other things, because of what Jesus is doing. Israel, we've 285 00:26:37.720 --> 00:26:45.279 been, just like us, is entirely incapable of holding themselves together as a 286 00:26:45.400 --> 00:26:52.269 family of God apart from God's divine intervention, and that's what Jesus has come 287 00:26:52.869 --> 00:27:03.539 to do, and to do once and for all. So when you give 288 00:27:03.619 --> 00:27:10.099 of yourself to others, when you give of your time, when you give 289 00:27:10.140 --> 00:27:15.170 of your money, when you give of your emotional energy, learn to give 290 00:27:15.210 --> 00:27:22.369 it as Hezekiah does, as the people do, as they follow after him. 291 00:27:23.329 --> 00:27:27.730 Do it in accordance with the law and the commandments, but do it 292 00:27:27.970 --> 00:27:36.799 seeking God, do it with all your heart, and do it through Jesus 293 00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:41.960 and faith in him, because he's the one who's upholding us, he's the 294 00:27:42.079 --> 00:27:48.950 one who's pulling us together, he's the one who's establishing his worship here and 295 00:27:48.109 --> 00:27:59.539 now, into son in all the world and forever. Let us give unto 296 00:27:59.579 --> 00:28:04.980 the Lord and Watch how he bless us. Let's pray