The Sunday School Lesson Hezekiah The Reformer by David McGee
Sep 25, 2016
Hezekiah The Reformer (40:28)
Referenced Scriptures: 2 Chronicles 19:1-36; 2 Chronicles 30:1-27; 2 Chronicles 32:1-23
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King Hezekiah was only twenty-five years old when he inherited the kingdom of Judah from his ungodly father, Ahaz. This kingdom was in desperate need of spiritual renewl.
Today's study exmines that need, and how Hezekiah led God's people in spiritual renewal.
The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
2 Chronicles 19:1-36
1) Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.
2) Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Should you help the wicked, and love those who hate Yahweh? for this thing wrath is on you from before Yahweh.
3) Nevertheless there are good things found in you, in that you have put away the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.
4) Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem: and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill-country of Ephraim, and brought them back to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
5) He set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,
6) and said to the judges, Consider what you do: for you don‘t judge for man, but for Yahweh; and [he is] with you in the judgment.
7) Now therefore let the fear of Yahweh be on you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with Yahweh our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.
8) Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites and the priests, and of the heads of the fathers‘ [houses] of Israel, for the judgment of Yahweh, and for controversies. They returned to Jerusalem.
9) He charged them, saying, Thus shall you do in the fear of Yahweh, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.
10) Whenever any controversy shall come to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them, that they not be guilty towards Yahweh, and so wrath come on you and on your brothers: this do, and you shall not be guilty.
11) Behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of Yahweh; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king‘s matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and Yahweh be with the good.
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2 Chronicles 30:1-27
1) Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel.
2) For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the assembly in Jerusalem, to keep the Passover in the second month.
3) For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
4) The thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly.
5) So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem: for they had not kept it in great numbers in such sort as it is written.
6) So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, You children of Israel, turn again to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to the remnant that have escaped of you out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.
7) Don‘t be you like your fathers, and like your brothers, who trespassed against Yahweh, the God of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as you see.
8) Now don‘t you be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; but yield yourselves to Yahweh, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve Yahweh your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.
9) For if you turn again to Yahweh, your brothers and your children shall find compassion before those who led them captive, and shall come again into this land: for Yahweh your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.
10) So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.
11) Nevertheless certain men of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
12) Also on Judah came the hand of God to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the word of Yahweh.
13) There assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly.
14) They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.
15) Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth [day] of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the house of Yahweh.
16) They stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood [which they received] of the hand of the Levites.
17) For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Levites had the charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to Yahweh.
18) For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the Passover otherwise than it is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, The good Yahweh pardon everyone
19) who sets his heart to seek God, Yahweh, the God of his fathers, though not [cleansed] according to the purification of the sanctuary.
20) Yahweh listened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.
21) The children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised Yahweh day by day, [singing] with loud instruments to Yahweh.
22) Hezekiah spoke comfortably to all the Levites who had good understanding [in the service] of Yahweh. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace-offerings, and making confession to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
23) The whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days; and they kept [other] seven days with gladness.
24) For Hezekiah king of Judah did give to the assembly for offerings one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.
25) All the assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly who came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and who lived in Judah, rejoiced.
26) So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.
27) Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.
2 Chronicles 32:1-23
1) After these things, and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to win them for himself.
2) When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
3) he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the springs which were outside of the city; and they helped him.
4) So there was gathered much people together, and they stopped all the springs, and the brook that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?
5) He took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised [it] up to the towers, and the other wall outside, and strengthened Millo [in] the city of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.
6) He set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the broad place at the gate of the city, and spoke comfortably to them, saying,
7) Be strong and of good courage, don‘t be afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude who is with him; for there is a greater with us than with him:
8) with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is Yahweh our God to help us, and to fight our battles. The people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
9) After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (now he was before Lachish, and all his power with him,) to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying,
10) Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do you trust, that you abide the siege in Jerusalem?
11) Does not Hezekiah persuade you, to give you over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, Yahweh our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
12) Has not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, You shall worship before one altar, and on it shall you burn incense?
13) Don‘t you know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands in any wise able to deliver their land out of my hand?
14) Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand?
15) Now therefore don‘t let Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you after this manner, neither believe you him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of my hand?
16) His servants spoke yet more against Yahweh God, and against his servant Hezekiah.
17) He wrote also letters, to rail on Yahweh, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of the lands, which have not delivered their people out of my hand, so shall the God of Hezekiah not deliver his people out of my hand.
18) They cried with a loud voice in the Jews‘ language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.
19) They spoke of the God of Jerusalem, as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men‘s hands.
20) Hezekiah the king, and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried to heaven.
21) Yahweh sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains, in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. When he was come into the house of his god, those who came forth from his own bowels killed him there with the sword.
22) Thus Yahweh saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all [others], and guided them on every side.
23) Many brought gifts to Yahweh to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah; so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.
The WEB Bible is provided by Public Domain.