Day 31 – Praise

2 Chronicles 29:1 Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old and reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. 2 He did what was right in the sight of JEHOVAH, according to everything his father David had done.

 3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of JEHOVAH 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 sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of JEHOVAH Elohiym 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 JEHOVAH our Elohiym; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the dwelling place of JEHOVAH, and turned their backs on Him. 7 They 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 Elohiym of Israel. 8 Therefore, the wrath of JEHOVAH 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 JEHOVAH Elohiym of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us. 11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for JEHOVAH has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, 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 They gathered their brethren, sanctified themselves, and went according to the commandment of the king, at the words of JEHOVAH, to cleanse the house of JEHOVAH.

 16 Then the priests went into the inner part of the house of JEHOVAH to cleanse it and brought out the debris they found in the temple of JEHOVAH to the court of the house of JEHOVAH. The Levites took it out and carried it to the Brook Kidron.

 17 Now they began to sanctify on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the vestibule of JEHOVAH. Then they sanctified the house of JEHOVAH in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.

 18 Then they went in unto King Hezekiah and said, “We cleansed the entire house of JEHOVAH, the altar of burnt offerings with its articles, and the table of the showbread with its articles. 19 Moreover, the articles which King Ahaz in his reign had cast aside in his transgression we prepared and sanctified; and there they are, before the altar of JEHOVAH.”

 20 Then King Hezekiah rose early, gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of JEHOVAH.

 21 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 JEHOVAH.

 22 Thus, 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 laid their hands on them. 24 The priests killed them; and presented their blood on the altar as a sin offering to make an atonement for Israel, for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering be made for everyone in Israel.

 25 He stationed the Levites in the house of JEHOVAH 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 JEHOVAH 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. When the burnt offering began, the song of JEHOVAH also began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David king of Israel. 28 Thus, the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; this continued until they finished the burnt offering.

 29 When they finished offering, the king and everyone present with him bowed and worshiped.

 30 Moreover, King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to JEHOVAH with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. Then they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped.

 31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to JEHOVAH, come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of JEHOVAH.” Then the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.

 32 The number of burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; these were for a burnt offering to JEHOVAH.

 33 The consecrated things were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep.

 34 However 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 ended and until the other priests had 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. Thus, the service of the house of JEHOVAH was set in order.

 36 Then Hezekiah and the people rejoiced that Elohiym had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly.

God’s name:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Elohiym – Supreme God

Yeshuwa – Jesus

God’s character:

Holy

Sovereign

You’re in charge. What do you do?

Hezekiah began reigning as king in Judah at the age of twenty-five years. He ordered the repair of the temple, to clean it out and get rid of the debris left behind by the previous false priests and prophets. Then he began to celebrate the cleansing with sacrifices of burnt offerings and with the instruments of music David made for the priests and Levites.

You’re in charge. What do you do? Do you celebrate as Hezekiah did? Most people begin by celebrating and making changes. However, will the changes they make benefit people or make things worse?

For too long Judah saw kings who worshiped Baal and other false elohiym. They brought Judah down and made them a byword in the mouths and ears of the nations around them. Hezekiah made changes to bring JEHOVAH back into the lives of His people; to bring worship back the way David decreed with the instruments he made for worship.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord, what changes did you make in your life? Did you find or buy a Bible so you could read and study it every day? Did you go to church so you could learn what to expect of your new life? Did you join a Bible study with other believers so you could find out Yeshuwa’s heart and know His plans for you? Did you fall on your knees and pray, giving your life to Yeshuwa?

I grew up in church. I attended church every Sunday for most of my life. Going to church didn’t make me a Christian. I attended Sunday school and sang in the choir. Doing those things did not make me a Christian. I met my parent’s next-door neighbor who talked to me about becoming born again. Then one day, I read my Sunday school lesson and came upon a question that changed my life. Do you have faith to die for? I didn’t. Then I heard a voice ask me “Why not?” I bowed my head and asked Yeshuwa for the faith to die for. I asked Him to be my Lord and Savior. That is what made me a Christian. Nothing else. From that day until now, I read my Bible every day, pray, go to church, and attend Bible studies so I can know Yeshuwa’s heart and His plans for my life. Do I fail? Yes. However, I have an Elohiym who forgives me when I fail and sin against Him.

Many Christians go on with their lives after they commit their lives to Him without making changes to their lives. If you are one of those Christians, remember why you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord and recommit your life to Him. Make the necessary changes in your life that will make people look at you and know you have made a significant change in your life. If you are one of those sold-out Christians who rejoice in their salvation every day, people know you and know you will not back down in the face of adversity but will stand firm in your faith. They know you know your Bible, can recite chapter and verse, and more importantly, they know you are a Christian. They also see your failures and how you handle them with prayer and repentance. The song, Praise the Lord, has lyrics that go like this: Don’t let the faith you’re standing in seem to disappear, praise the Lord! He can work through those who praise Him, Praise the Lord!

Hezekiah praised JEHOVAH with instruments of praise. He cleansed the temple and prepared the priests and Levites to praise JEHOVAH. What changes are you making in your life to praise Yeshuwa?

Let’s pray: Father, let my life be an instrument of praise for everything You have done for me. If I need to make changes, show me what changes I need to make so my life reflects You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 18 February 2025 by Valerie Routhieaux