What Happened
2 Chronicles 29:6, “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 eturned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and †turned their backs.” [2]
I. Who
A. Before
B. Because
II. Walked
A. Beyond
B. Behind
III. Withdrew
A. Being
B. Backs
Introduction: This seems to be revival season. Many of our local churches have held revival meetings lately. We might think of the revival of the church meaning people come back to attend church. We might think of Christians reviving their want to congregate with their church families.
When we were holding the special prayer meetings before our week of homecoming and revival, the question was asked each night, “What do you want to happen?” The question still stands though not only for one week. Many of my thoughts of what I want to happen deal more with the response of other people than a change in my own spiritual life. We can think about what we want but what is it that God wants from a revival? He wants a closer personal relationship with each of us individually.
Instead of considering what would be a good change for our local church, what do you want to happen in your life that would show the world that a change has happened in your life? That is a more personal question. If nobody can see that there has been a change in your life, then why would anyone want to happen to someone else the nothing that has happened to you?
Many people have the same answer for why they are as they are. They tell you, “I am what I am and nothing is going to change me.” If that is true, then there will be no personal revival. If a person realizes that there is something within themselves that God could change and they refuse that change, God will not interfere. That person will have nobody to blame. They can say “not me” all they what but there will be nobody else but them.
Many people look back at the way they were raised and blame what they are on others who came before them. That surely must make their parents proud; NOT! I don’t want my offspring to gollow in my wicked ways. I want my offspring to learn from my wicked mistakes! What do you want? What does God want?
Today we will talk about one of the kings of Judah who led that half of the divided kingdom of God’s chosen people. He reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. Yes, the same Jerusalem that is in the news today. Hezekiah learned some stuff from those who came before him. He did some really good things with what he learned. He did some really stupid things too. Today we will talk about the good thing that might be the best thing that Hezekiah did. It happened when Hezekiah learned from the mistakes of those who came before him and did something about it.
Follow as we read from 2 Chronicles 29:1-2, "*Hezekiah abegan to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of bZechariah. 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.” [3] Hezekiah’s father Ahaz didn’t do as his son. Ahaz fought against what was good and something had to change.
Scripture: The scripture for this message is 2 Chronicles 29:6. Please Stand Under the reading of God’s word.
Prayer: Please be seated.
Message: Looking back in chapter twenty-eight we learn that Ahaz led Judah away from God. When Judah left God, God let Judah go their own way. Ahaz was being besieged from the surrounding nations. He tried to gain help from king Tilgath-pilnexar of Assyria. Ahaz even led Judah to worship foreign gods because He no longer felt God’s presence and protection.
Finally Ahaz totally trespassed against God. We will read starting at 2 Chronicles 28:21, “fFor Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not. 22 And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz. 23 For ghe 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, hthat they may help me. But they iwere the ruin of him, and of all cIsrael. 24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and jcut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and kshut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and lhe made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 And in every several city of Judah he made high places ||to burn incense unto other gods, and mprovoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers. 26 nNow the rest of his acts and of all his ways, ofirst and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: pbut they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of cIsrael: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.” [4]
Hezekiah might have followed in his father’s footsteps. Instead, Hezekiah learned from his father’s mistakes and did something about bringing the nation back to God. Somebody always is to blame. Sometimes we continue in the trespass as we decide to pass the blame for our decisions on those who came before us. Hezekiah made his own decisions. He chose to return to God.
As we read beginning at 2 Chronicles 29:3, This is what Hezekiah did, “He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, copened 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, dsanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.” [5]
That is the who part of our outline. Ahaz trespassed against God. It is Ahaz who caused Judah to have the hedge of protection from God to be removed because of his choices. It was because of Ahaz who came before Hezekiah; his choices caused the problems for Judah. We see that in the beginning of the focal verse for today. “For our fathers have trespassed.” [6]
When do the problems of those who came before us become our problems? When we let them! If Hezekiah had decided to walk away from God as his father had done, then it would have been Hezekiah’s problem. He could not have blamed his problem on what Ahaz had done before him.
Hezekiah saw the problem and did something about it himself. He decided not to continue in the evil that Ahaz had done. Hezekiah decided not to forsake God by living beyond God. For that time Hezekiah walked with God and got behind those things that brought him closer to God.
As we pray for revival we often pray for things beyond our control. Most things actually are beyond our control. As we pray for revival we sometimes and often pray for the nation which we are a part of. As we pray for revival, we remember that we are Jesus’ bride and we as His church need to return to Him.
We have watched this nation walk away from God. Hezekiah saw what happened when his nation turned their faces away from God. They withdrew from God that which made them God’s people. They gave themselves to others and all that they considered was about being in the company of anyone who was apart from God.
That was still not enough though. Judah and Israel were separate nations. Judah had watched as Israel forfeited their right to being God’s chosen. Israel turned their back on God. Judah could have learned from the mistakes of Israel but instead turned their backs on God too. They took away being with God and only showed their back to God as they did all they could to leave God’s will.
What if Hezekiah only stood by and asked, “What happened?” Hezekiah knew what happened and he was in the right place at the right time to make a difference. He saw the end of Ahaz’ story as we can read about in 2 Chronicles 29:7-9, “Also they have fshut 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. 8 Wherefore the gwrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to †trouble, to astonishment, and to hhissing, as ye see with your eyes. 9 For, lo, iour fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.” [7]
Hezekiah was in the right place at the right time to make a difference. Here is Hezekiah’s response to what he saw, “10 Now it is jin mine heart to make ka covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. 11 My sons, ||be not now negligent: for the Lord hath lchosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and ||burn incense.” [8]
The Levites burned incense as a public profession of sacrifice. The incense is burned up, but the smoke leaves a fragrance that is sweet to the remembrance. That is what Jesus did. Sin was burned away on the cross and now we remember the wonder of Jesus.
Prayer:
Invitation: Hezekiah gave a command to the Spiritual leaders, The Levites. As the secular leader of his nation, Hezekiah didn’t take matters in his own hands, yet he instructed those who were to lead the nation spiritually to do what they should do.
We live in a time when spiritual leaders are being told to forsake God and only preach false teaching. What can we do about that? If we don’t tell this generation what happens when we walk without God, they will only believe what they hear from those who are walking apart from God.
What can we do? Pray! What can we do? Preach! Christians, we all must preach! The secular leaders will not. They cannot. How will they know unless somebody tells them. Let them know what happened and tell them how to return to God. Jesus is coming again, soon. We will soon be in God’s presence, and all this will be over. I want as many as will come, to come with us when He comes. What do you want?
e ch. 35:22. Comp. Jer. 2:27. Ezek. 8:16.
† Heb. given the neck. Ex. 23:27 (Heb.).
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 2 Ch 29:6). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc..
* B.C. 726.
a To ver. 2, 2 Kin. 18:1–3.
b ch. 26:5? or Isai. 8:2?
[3] Ibid., 2 Ch 29:1–2). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
f 2 Kin. 16:8, 9.
g Comp. ch. 25:14.
† Heb. Darmesek. See ver. 5.
h Comp. Jer. 44:17, 18.
i ch. 25:8 (Heb.).
c See ch. 21:2.
j Comp. 2 Kin. 16:17.
k Comp. ch. 29:3, 7.
l Comp. ch. 30:14.
|| Or, to offer. ver. 3 marg.
m Deut. 4:25.
n To ver. 27, 2 Kin. 16:19, 20.
o See 1 Chr. 29:29.
p ch. 21:20. & 24:25.
c See ch. 21:2.
[4] Ibid., 2 Ch 28:21–27). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
c ch. 28:24. ver. 7.
d ver. 15, 34. See ch. 35:6.
[5] Ibid., 2 Ch 29:3–5). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[6] Ibid., 2 Ch 29:6). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
f ch. 28:24.
g See ch. 24:18.
† Heb. commotion, Isai. 28:19. See Deut. 28:25.
h Jer. 19:8. & 25:9, 18. & 29:18. Mic. 6:16. Comp. Jdg. 5:16 (Heb.). So 1 Kin. 9:8. Jer. 18:16. Lam. 2:15.
i ch. 28:5, 6, 8, 17.
[7] Ibid., 2 Ch 29:7–9). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
j ch. 24:4 (Heb.). See 1 Chr. 22:7.
k See ch. 15:12.
|| Or, be not now deceived. Comp. 2 Kin. 4:28.
l Num. 3:6. & 8:14. & 18:2, 6. Comp. Num. 16:40.
|| Or, offer sacrifice. See ch. 28:3 marg.
[8] Ibid., 2 Ch 29:10–11). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
