What I read today
2 Chronicles 30; Job 5-6; Amos 4; John 15; Titus 2-3
When Hezekiah became King, he conducted a major renovation project. He rebuilt the temple, fixed the alter, put the Levites and Priests back in charge of the church. He did a lot.
But then he set about handling the most challenging task. The task of rebuilding the spiritual life of both Judah and Israel.
It had been a long time since the Passover was celebrated. So long that people actually probably didn’t even remember ever celebrating it.
They were late with the repairs, so they missed the chance to do it during the biblically accepted month. So they moved the celebration out a month.
They called all of Israel, not just those in the kingdom of Judah, Hezekiah extended the invitation to any and all throughout the nation.
Many laughed. Why would this crazy king want to dredge up this old tradition? Who needed that anymore.
But many did come.
But the people had forgotten the rules. They’d forgotten to ritually purify themselves. So Hezekiah did the only thing he could. He asked God for forgiveness and God freely forgave.
I don’t think that God was worried one little bit about whether or not the Jewish people followed the rules to perfection. God accepted each and every one of them in the exact state they were in. Poor, meager sinners who desperately needed to hear the good news that God loved his people and wanted to forgive them in spite of what they’d done. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
