God’s Grace In My Life: 2 Chronicles 30:1 – 31:1

 

God’s Grace In My Life
2 Chronicles 30:1 – 31:1

Background

King Hezekiah was the 14th king after David and he was the son of the evil King Ahaz. The Bible considers him the greatest of all the Kings of the divided kingdom of Judah and the king most like his ancestor David. 2 Kings 18:5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.

He reigned during the rising of the Assyrian Empire, for 29 years from 715–686 bc. He probably also co-reigned with his father Ahaz for 14 years before that. (729–715). By this time Israel, the Northern Kingdom, had fallen to the Assyrians in 722 bc. Its people had mostly been deported from their homeland and settled in other countries, but some people either escaped or were overlooked and left by the Assyrians.

It is amazing that Hezekiah was such a good king because he came from a very bad father. Ahaz did more to bring Judah into idolatry and destroy the worship of the true God than any other king and only Athaliah the daughter of Jezebel, who by murder stole the throne, can even be compared

The Evil of Ahaz. Ahaz though may have been worse. We read in 2 Chronicles 28:2-4 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made also molten images for Baalim. 3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 4 He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

2 Chronicles 28:22-23 And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz. 23 For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

The Reforms of Hezekiah Yet when his son Hezekiah came to rule after his father’s death, he undid the evil that his father had imposed on Judah. In 2 Chronicles 29:3-6, 10 He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. 4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, 5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. 6 For our fathers have trespassed and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs. … 10 Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.

After the Temple was reopened and cleaned Hezekiah determined to celebrate the most important of the Lord’s Holy Days, the Feast of Passover. This had not been celebrated for decades under his evil father Ahaz.

We pick up the story in …

The Invitation To Grace - 2 Chronicles 30:1 – 9

 ​1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover unto the LORD God of Israel. 2 For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation 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 sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. 4 And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation. 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 unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written.

Hezekiah Calls

Hezekiah sent out invitations to all the people of God, not just in Judah but also in the northern Kingdom. 2 Chronicles 30:1 Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover unto the LORD God of Israel.

Here is the invitation, sent from Dan to Beersheba, the two furthest cities in the north and the south of the old Kingdom of David and Solomon. Hezekiah wrote 2 Chronicles 30:6-9 Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. 8 Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. 9 For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

His invitation was a call to return to God. We in the New Testament would call it  repentance. “Do not be stubborn, yield yourselves to the Lord. God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away from you, if you repent and come to Him.”

Holy Spirit Calls

Hezekiah is no longer here, nor is there a king or a president who stands in a covenant relationship with God as Hezekiah and the sons of David stood. Though there may not be a king sending out an invitation to come and to repent, the call is going out today more powerfully than any King or ruler could ever attempt.

Today the call to grace is being sent around the world millions of times a day, by millions of God’s people, led by the Holy Spirit. Those believers who take the word of God as their daily bread, the rule of their life and the guide to their walk, in person, on TV, on radio, on the internet, in email, texts and phone calls, God’s people under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit are reaching out to the lost, the dying, the rebellious, the skeptic and the atheist, “Come to God and find grace and mercy.” If you are a true follower of God, then that is what you are trying to do every time God opens a door of opportunity for you.

And that call hasn’t changed it is still a call to return back to God by repenting of sin.

There are some who say it is not necessary to repent. You don’t need to feel sorrow for your sin, or that you don’t even have the ability choose to turn from sin and turn to God’s grace. But that isn’t what an unbiased reading of the New Testament tells us.

The word repent in the Greek is μετανοέω metanoeō; and it means to think differently to reconsider. It is found 34 times in the new Testament and in all but 3 of those times it is a call for men to repent.

John the Baptist called out to those who went into the wilderness to see him, Repent. Jesus called to the crowds who came to hear him, repent. The apostles preached to the Jews on the day of Pentecost and to the Gentiles after the day of Pentecost, repent.

Paul’s Call to Repent - Paul preached to the buyers, the sellers, the philosophers and the lawyers of Athens. Acts 17:30-31 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. The call will even continue during the tribulation, “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

Repentance is the handle that must be grasped before the door of God’s grace will open.

The Gospel is the Holy Spirit’s invitation to return to God and find grace and mercy, but in order for it to be effective it must be responded to in repentance.

Back in 2 Chronicles 30:10 the people of Israel begin to respond to Hezekiah call.

The Response To Grace 2 Chronicles 30:10-15

 10 So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.
13 And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation. 14 And 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 in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.

Two Responses

There were two responses as the runners went from city to city with the invitation of the Passover in Jerusalem. Some of those, who heard of the call to return and find God’s grace and mercy, responded by laughing the messengers, the couriers, to scorn. They mocked them and they rejected the invitation.

But vs. 11 tells us that some men from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulan humbled themselves and come to Jerusalem. In addition, vs. 12 tells us the response of the people of Judah, 2 Chronicles 30:12 in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.

The result is what we see in vs. 13, 2 Chronicles 30:13 And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.

Our Response

Today when the Gospel invitation is given, there are still just two responses mocking God’s grace or humbling ourselves to find God’s grace.

If you ignore the call, walk away or refuse it then just like the people of Hezekiah day, you are mocking the grace, mercy and love of God.

Paul writing to the church at Rome stated this in very strong words, Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?. If you don’t respond to God’s call to grace and repent, then you are despising God’s goodness that gave you time to respond.

I pray that you have responded as those who came to Jerusalem responded, by coming to the Lord, answering the invitation of Grace by humbling ourselves and coming to the throne of Grace, the hill of Calvary, the foot of Jesus Christ the Savior who died for us. If you listen, you can hear Jesus calling you even now. Its right here in Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Over and over and over again we hear in God’s word the call to come but hearing it will never be enough, we must turn around, we must take the step, we must grasp the handle, we must go to the Lord.

Almost the last thing recorded in the New Testament is again the invitation to come. It’s written here so that it could be echoed over and over again from the time of the apostles to the time of Jesus return.

Revelation 22:16-17 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Responding to God’s call is what we must do, but grace is what God and only God can do. We see it next in this passage.

The Prayer for Grace - 2 Chronicles 30:18 -20

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 was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon everyone 19 That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. 20 And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people.

Hezekiah’s Prayer For Grace

The people have assembled in Jerusalem, the Passover lamb was slain but there was a problem. We find it in 2 Chronicles 30:18 For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves.

They had responded, they had returned, they had repented but they could not meet the requirement of the law in order to eat the Passover lamb. There were many requirements of the law but the Israelites from the Northern Kingdom didn’t know them and so they had  not ceremonially cleansed themselves. Now they are not worthy to partake of the Passover.  But notice what the great King Hezekiah does when this problem is brought to him.

It’s in the second half of vs. 18–20 But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

Isn’t that a moving, beautiful example of grace? King Hezekiah prays, he steps in as an intercessor between the unclean people and the holy God. He prays, “may the good Lord, pardon everyone that has set their heart to seek God, the Lord. The Lord heard Hezekiah and cleansed the unclean, he made them worthy.”

The law didn’t cleanse them. The ceremony didn’t cleanse them. Only God could take away their unworthiness, their uncleanness and because of Hezekiah’s intercession and the people setting their hearts to seek God, God made them worthy of the Passover.

Jesus Sacrifice and Prayer for Grace

The Passover was a remembrance of God’s deliverance from Egypt. The lamb without spot of blemish was slain and it blood sprinkled on the lintel and the doorposts of the house. That night when the judgment of God fell upon the Egyptians, God would “pass over” the homes where the Angle of the Lord saw the blood. The Passover was a picture of the future shedding of blood by Jesus Christ. His blood, the seal of his sacrifice, must be applied by faith to the heart of one who seeks God’s forgiveness and His judgment passes over them when He sees we are under the blood of Jesus.

That was what they celebrated that day so many centuries ago and just as they were not worthy of God’s grace then, neither are we now. They were unclean and we are also unclean, but someone has also prayed for us.

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

We could not cleanse our sin by our works, but Jesus shed his blood and paid the price to redeem us and His intercession has cleansed us in the eyes of the Father. That is Grace.

Grace, as we define and experience it in salvation, is the undeserved, unearned mercy, love and forgiveness of God. It is available to all but it is only applied through repentance.

Conclusion

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran Pastor who was hung with piano wire by Adolf Hitler, just before Hitler took his own life. Bonhoeffer had many opportunities to leave Germany but he stayed for his people and to take as stand against the evil of Nazism. He had a great quote about grace.

“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” - Deitrich Bonhoeffer

That isn’t grace at all, it is a sham, an eternally damning hoax, that makes people believe in anything but the truth and anyone but the Lord Jesus. Millions of people today are blind to God’s grace. They have responded with pride, with works, with belief in a false god, who has no grace for them.