The Reviving Reign of Hezekiah

2 Kings 18:1-8 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it and he called it Nehushtan. 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. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

2 Chronicles 31:20-21 And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

Hezekiah sought his God in a way that pleased the LORD. So in what ways did Hezekiah seek his God?

(1) He sanctified the temple and the priesthood.
He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. (2 Chronicles 29:3)
Hezekiah's first priority, the first thing he did in his reign, was to sanctify the temple and the priesthood as God had commanded. Why didn't he address the economy, or foreign policy, or trade relations? After all, his nation was experiencing much trouble.

Here's the reason Hezekiah gives for messing with religious matters in the midst of Israel's national woes.
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. 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. Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel. Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes. For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. 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. (2 Chronicles 29:5-10)

In other words, Hezekiah attributes all the problems of his nation to God's fierce wrath over their wickedness. Hezekiah believes that the best thing he can do to restore peace and prosperity in his nation is to turn his nation back to God.

(2) He resumed the observance of The Passover.
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. (2 Chronicles 30:5)

How did the people respond to Hezekiah's decree?
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. Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. 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. (2 Chronicles 30:10-12)

The response to King Hezekiah's decree was mixed. Some laughed, scorned, and mocked. Others "humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem." The implication here is that the scorners and mockers were not humble, but were prideful. In Judah, the hand of God gave them "one heart to do the commandment of the king... by the word of the LORD".

The Passover celebration resulted in great joy, blessings, and prayers that went unhindered into heaven.
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. 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, even unto heaven. (2 Chronicles 30:26-27)

(3) He removed idolatry from the land.
Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities. (2 Chronicles 31:1)
When the Passover celebration had ended, the people went throughout the land tearing down the idols and groves until they had "utterly destroyed them all". This is a result of true worship of the one true God: the people will destroy their own idols. The government didn't destroy the idols; the priests didn't destroy the idols; the people destroyed their own idols.

(4) He resumed the offering for the priests.
Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD. (2 Chronicles 31:4)
Now Hezekiah commands the people of Jerusalem to give offerings for the support of the priests and Levites, "that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD". In other words, Hezekiah wanted the priests and Levites to be devoted to the law of the LORD, not to making a living. This must be important, or it wouldn't be recorded here in this chronicle of Israel's revival and return to God from idolatry. The spiritual leaders were wholly devoted to spiritual matters and were not distracted by the demands of making a living.

The people offered much more than the priests could even use, and storage houses had to be built to house all the offerings. The priests did not lack for any thing under this system, because God blessed and prospered the people such that their tithes provided much more than the priests needed.
And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty for the LORD hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store. (2 Chronicles 31:10)

Did Hezekiah's strategy work? Yes. The nation is now worshipping in truth, rejoicing, prospering, and giving.