[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SUNDAY MAY 8

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SUNDAY MAY 8

DAILY BIBLE READING

2 Chronicles 28-30 New King James Version
Ahaz Reigns in Judah
28 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen
years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the
Lord, as his father David had done. 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings
of Israel, and made molded images for the Baals. 3 He burned incense in the
Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according
to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the
children of Israel. 4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the [a]high
places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

Syria and Israel Defeat Judah
5 Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of
Syria. They defeated him, and carried away a great multitude of them as
captives, and brought them to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the
hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter. 6 For
Pekah the son of Remaliah killed one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in
one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their
fathers. 7 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son,
Azrikam the officer over the house, and Elkanah who was second to the king.
8 And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two
hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much
[b]spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

Israel Returns the Captives
9 But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out
before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: "Look, because the
Lord God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into
your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. 10
And now you propose to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem to be your
male and female slaves; but are you not also guilty before the Lord your
God? 11 Now hear me, therefore, and return the captives, whom you have taken
captive from your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you."

12 Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of
Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum,
and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war,
13 and said to them, "You shall not bring the captives here, for we already
have offended the Lord. You intend to add to our sins and to our guilt; for
our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel." 14 So the
armed men left the captives and the [c]spoil before the leaders and all the
assembly. 15 Then the men who were designated by name rose up and took the
captives, and from the [d]spoil they clothed all who were naked among them,
dressed them and gave them sandals, gave them food and drink, and anointed
them; and they let all the feeble ones ride on donkeys. So they brought them
to their brethren at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to
Samaria.

Assyria Refuses to Help Judah
16 At the same time King Ahaz sent to the [e]kings of Assyria to help him.
17 For again the Edomites had come, attacked Judah, and carried away
captives. 18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and
of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Sochoh
with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages;
and they dwelt there. 19 For the Lord [f]brought Judah low because of Ahaz
king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been
continually unfaithful to the Lord. 20 Also Tiglath-Pileser[g] king of
Assyria came to him and distressed him, and did not assist him. 21 For Ahaz
took part of the treasures from the house of the Lord, from the house of the
king, and from the leaders, and he gave it to the king of Assyria; but he
did not help him.

Apostasy and Death of Ahaz
22 Now in the time of his distress King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful
to the Lord. This is that King Ahaz. 23 For he sacrificed to the gods of
Damascus which had defeated him, saying, "Because the gods of the kings of
Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me." But they
were the ruin of him and of all Israel. 24 So Ahaz gathered the articles of
the house of God, cut in pieces the articles of the house of God, shut up
the doors of the house of the Lord, and made for himself altars in every
corner of Jerusalem. 25 And in every single city of Judah he made [h]high
places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of
his fathers.

26 Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, indeed
they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 So Ahaz
[i]rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem;
but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Then
Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

Hezekiah Reigns in Judah
29 Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned
twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was [j]Abijah the daughter
of Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord,
according to all that his father David had done.

Hezekiah Cleanses the Temple
3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of
the house of the Lord and repaired them. 4 Then he brought in the priests
and the Levites, and gathered them in the East Square, 5 and said to them:
"Hear me, Levites! Now [k]sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the
Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place. 6
For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the Lord our
God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the
[l]dwelling place of the Lord, and turned their backs on Him. 7 They have
also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not
burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of
Israel. 8 Therefore the wrath of the Lord fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and
He has given them up to trouble, to desolation, and to jeering, as you see
with your eyes. 9 For indeed, because of this our fathers have fallen by the
sword; and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity.

10 "Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel,
that His fierce wrath may turn away from us. 11 My sons, do not be negligent
now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that
you should minister to Him and burn incense."

12 Then these Levites arose: Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel the son of
Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; of the sons of Merari, Kish the son
of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; of the Gershonites, Joah the son
of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah; 13 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and
Jeiel; of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; 14 of the sons of
Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.

15 And they gathered their brethren, sanctified[m] themselves, and went
according to the commandment of the king, at the words of the Lord, to
cleanse the house of the Lord. 16 Then the priests went into the inner part
of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and brought out all the debris that
they found in the temple of the Lord to the court of the house of the Lord.
And the Levites took it out and carried it to the Brook Kidron.

17 Now they began to [n]sanctify on the first day of the first month, and on
the eighth day of the month they came to the vestibule of the Lord. So they
sanctified the house of the Lord in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of
the first month they finished.

18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, "We have cleansed all the
house of the Lord, the altar of burnt offerings with all its articles, and
the table of the showbread with all its articles. 19 Moreover all the
articles which King Ahaz in his reign had cast aside in his transgression we
have prepared and [o]sanctified; and there they are, before the altar of the
Lord."

Hezekiah Restores Temple Worship
20 Then King Hezekiah rose early, gathered the rulers of the city, and went
up to the house of the Lord. 21 And they brought seven bulls, seven rams,
seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, for
the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he commanded the priests, the sons of
Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord. 22 So they killed the bulls,
and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Likewise
they killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed
the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. 23 Then they brought out the
male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they
laid their hands on them. 24 And the priests killed them; and they presented
their blood on the altar as a sin offering to make an atonement for all
Israel, for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering
be made for all Israel.

25 And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with
stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David,
of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the
commandment of the Lord by His prophets. 26 The Levites stood with the
instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. 27 Then Hezekiah
commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt
offering began, the song of the Lord also began, with the trumpets and with
the instruments of David king of Israel. 28 So all the assembly worshiped,
the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the
burnt offering was finished. 29 And when they had finished offering, the
king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped. 30 Moreover King
Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the Lord
with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with
gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.

31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, "Now that you have consecrated
yourselves to the Lord, come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings
into the house of the Lord." So the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank
offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.
32 And the number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was
seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a
burnt offering to the Lord. 33 The consecrated things were six hundred bulls
and three thousand sheep. 34 But the priests were too few, so that they
could not skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brethren the Levites
helped them until the work was ended and until the other priests had
[p]sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more diligent in sanctifying
themselves than the priests. 35 Also the burnt offerings were in abundance,
with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for every
burnt offering.

So the service of the house of the Lord was set in order. 36 Then Hezekiah
and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the
events took place so suddenly.

Hezekiah Keeps the Passover
30 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to
Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at
Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel. 2 For the king
and his leaders and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to keep the
Passover in the second month. 3 For they could not keep it at [q]the regular
time, because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves,
nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem. 4 And the matter pleased
the king and all the assembly. 5 So they [r]resolved to make a proclamation
throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that they should come to keep
the Passover to the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem, since they had not done
it for a long time in the prescribed manner.

6 Then the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters
from the king and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the
king: "Children of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the
hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 And do not be like your fathers and your
brethren, who trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, so that He
gave them up to desolation, as you see. 8 Now do not be stiff-necked,[s] as
your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord; and enter His
sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God,
that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. 9 For if you return
to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion
by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for
the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from
you if you return to Him."

10 So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim
and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; but they laughed at them and mocked them.
11 Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves
and came to Jerusalem. 12 Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them
singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the
word of the Lord.

13 Now many people, a very great assembly, gathered at Jerusalem to keep the
Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14 They arose and took away
the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the incense altars
and cast them into the Brook Kidron. 15 Then they slaughtered the Passover
lambs on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites
[t]were ashamed, and [u]sanctified themselves, and brought the burnt
offerings to the house of the Lord. 16 They stood in their place
[v]according to their custom, according to the Law of Moses the man of God;
the priests sprinkled the blood received from the hand of the Levites. 17
For there were many in the assembly who had not [w]sanctified themselves;
therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for
everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the Lord. 18 For a multitude
of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not
cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written.
But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the good Lord provide atonement
for everyone 19 who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his
fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the
sanctuary." 20 And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.

21 So 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 the Lord day by day, singing to the Lord, accompanied by
loud instruments. 22 And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who
taught the good knowledge of the Lord; and they ate throughout the feast
seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to the Lord God
of their fathers.

23 Then the whole assembly agreed to keep the feast another seven days, and
they kept it another seven days with gladness. 24 For Hezekiah king of Judah
gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the
leaders gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a
great number of priests sanctified[x] themselves. 25 The whole assembly of
Judah rejoiced, also the priests and Levites, all the assembly that came
from Israel, the sojourners who came from the land of Israel, and those who
dwelt in Judah. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time
of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like
this 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
dwelling place, to heaven.

Footnotes
2 Chronicles 28:4 Places for pagan worship
2 Chronicles 28:8 plunder
2 Chronicles 28:14 plunder
2 Chronicles 28:15 plunder
2 Chronicles 28:16 LXX, Syr., Vg. king (cf. v. 20)
2 Chronicles 28:19 humbled Judah
2 Chronicles 28:20 Heb. Tilgath-Pilneser
2 Chronicles 28:25 Places for pagan worship
2 Chronicles 28:27 Died and joined his ancestors
2 Chronicles 29:1 Abi, 2 Kin. 18:2
2 Chronicles 29:5 consecrate
2 Chronicles 29:6 Temple
2 Chronicles 29:15 consecrated
2 Chronicles 29:17 consecrate
2 Chronicles 29:19 consecrated
2 Chronicles 29:34 consecrated
2 Chronicles 30:3 The first month, Lev. 23:5; lit. that time
2 Chronicles 30:5 established a decree to
2 Chronicles 30:8 Rebellious
2 Chronicles 30:15 humbled themselves
2 Chronicles 30:15 set themselves apart
2 Chronicles 30:16 Or in their proper order
2 Chronicles 30:17 consecrated
2 Chronicles 30:24 consecrated