The times were so very evil. Sexual immorality reigned as “worship” to the Baals and Asherahs. Children were sacrificed in the fire to the god of Molech. And the people followed the king away from the Lord.
There is nothing new under the sun.
King Ahaz was just plain and simply a wicked king. Although very few people in the world consider themselves wicked. Everyone does what is right in their own eyes. But right in one’s own eyes is not right in the eyes of the Lord.
When King Ahaz died, everyone wondered how his son Hezekiah would reign. Would it just be a continuation of his father’s rule like so many sons previous? Would he try to up the severity like Solomon’s son did (2 Chr 10)? Hezekiah was also the grandson of Zechariah, was there reason to hope?
Out of the gate Hezekiah instituted massive reform in the nation of Judah. He ordered that all the gods of the land be removed and thrown out, and the temple of the LORD restored. He recognized that his father and ancestors had done evil, and he had planned to be a nation that worshiped the Lord.
When the priests and Levites had cleansed the temple from the evil, and consecrated it unto the LORD, Hezekiah held a significant and powerful event. He ordered sacrifices to cleans the nation and the people and the king of their sins. And while these were being sacrificed, the musicians were unleashed to worship the LORD, “singing praise to the LORD in the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with rejoicing and bowed down and worshiped” (2 Chr 29:30).
There were so many sacrifices to the LORD that there was not enough priests, so they had to recruit their Levite brothers until the priests could take over again. All the offerings were abundant.
It was such a 180 degree turn from what had been under Ahaz. Ahaz had brought to the land so much evil and wickedness. And now his son Hezekiah had cleansed the land from that wickedness and committed to fully worship the LORD. The Scriptures say this:
“So the service of the LORD’s temple was established. Then Hezekiah and all the people rejocied over how God had prepared the people, for it had come about suddenly” (2 Chr 29:35-36).
So do not despair whatever nation you are in. Sometime it looks like evil is going forward and faster than a runaway train. And yet there are times where everything can turn “suddenly.” When God prepares the people, they are looking to Him with great hope and faith in their hearts, He can do this kind of thing. He has done it before.
Let’s prepare out hearts and pray that God would do this once again.
