2 Chronicles 29

“My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him.” (2 Chronicles 29:11, NLT)

Years of spiritual neglect had left the nation of Judah in ruins. Wives, sons and daughters had been captured by the enemy. King Ahaz had erected a pagan altar next to the altar of the LORD, and he cut into pieces the articles necessary for worship. The temple was filled with rubbish and the doors were shut.

Now Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, became king, and he was determined not to walk in his father’s footsteps. He knew that the nation’s many problems were the result of abandoning the LORD. They had adopted the ways of the pagan nations around them, and it had brought disaster. But there was still hope.

Hezekiah knew that the LORD was gracious and forgiving. When Solomon dedicated the temple, God said that if His people humbled themselves and prayed, and turned from their sins, then He would hear their prayers, forgive their sins, and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). Hezekiah was counting on this! His mission was to gather the people to worship the LORD. But first the priests and Levites had to be sanctified, and the temple had to be cleansed.

Hezekiah made a covenant with the LORD, and he called the priests and Levites to their tasks. God had chosen them to stand in His presence, to minister to Him, and to lead the people in worship. What a glorious privilege!

Under the New Covenant, we who believe in Jesus Christ are part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). God has chosen, cleansed, and sanctified us to stand in His presence and minister to Him. How do we do this? In Acts 13, the church at Antioch ministered to the Lord through fasting and prayer. Fasting may involve denying ourselves of food for awhile, so that we can focus on the spiriutal, but we can also fast from other desires of our flesh. We minister to the Lord through prayer by devoting our time to worshiping Him and praying for others. We lead others to worshiping God by being witnesses of Jesus Christ. God has given us grace and truth in Christ, not to hoard for ourselves, but to freely share with others. Finally, we are to present the offering of our own bodies to Him as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).

Our time is short, and there is so much work to be done. We must not neglect our duties. Revival starts here!