“In the
first year of his reign, in the first month, he (Hezekiah) opened the doors of the house
of the Lord and repaired them.” (v.3)
Hezekiah, at the age of twenty-five, came to the throne of
Judah and set himself to reverse his father's evil policy concerning the
temple of the LORD. Among his first actions as king, were to have the doors of
the Temple re-opened, and the Levites commissioned to cleanse the desecrated
courts of the rubbish and filth that had been allowed to accumulate.
After eight days of strenuous labor, the Levites were able to
report that their work was successfully accomplished; that the altar of burnt-offering
and the table of showbread were ready for the renewal of service. It was good
news, and in the early morning of a memorable day, the king, accompanied by his
princes and officers of state, took part in a solemn service of re-dedication. Then
Hezekiah commanded that the burnt sacrifice should be offered; and "when
the burnt-offering began, the song of the Lord began also."
For sixteen years no song had poured forth from the sacred
shrine. Ahaz had shut the doors, dispersed the Levites, and allowed the holy
place to remain un-kept, unlit, and unused. There were no sacrifices on the
Altar, no sweet incense in the Holy Place, no blood on the Mercy-Seat, no Song
of the Lord! Just a dryness due to the lack of worshiping the LORD.
Alas, for too many Christians, this is a picture of their life.
The soul, intended to be a holy temple for God, shows signs of disorder and
neglect. The lights are not lit, the sweet incense of prayer does not ascend,
the doors of entrance to fellowship and exit to service are closed. Outwardly
the signs of the religious life are somewhat preserved, but inwardly silence, dryness and darkness prevail. The Song of the Lord has died out of their heart and life.
If your temple needs cleansing, do it. Come back into fellowship
with God, who waits to receive and forgive. Surrender yourself to Him now and
you will find the Song of the Lord breaking forth again in your heart, which
was formerly choked out with debris.
The Truth
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
