11 Chronicles Chapter 31

Hezekiah Organizes the Priests

2Chronicles 31:1 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.

Although I believe in freedom of religion, idolatry is so evil and is a blatant insult to our creator. They did the right thing in distroying the groves, high places and the worship of idols. Remember that child sacrifices were offered in these places. That is how deceived idol worshippers had gotten. When a religion harms innocent children it has to be stopped. That steps over the line because it is not real freedom to the innocent.

The word all Israel only refers to those that escaped the captivity of the Assyrians and went south to join the kingdom of Judah. Judah was the real Israel anyway.

2Chronicles 31:2 And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the LORD.
3 He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD.
4 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.

This is great to hear but to all who can now read the accounts of Chronicles and Kings, we know that a bad king can undo all these things. For now they enjoyed the revived state of the kingdom under Hezekiah. What causes the children to fall away from the truth could be lack of proper teaching or assuming they are right with God when they may not be or else it is just something that happens and we have no explanation for it. They have to make their own choice to love God or depart from God. Sometimes we just don't know why except that enemy of our souls continually tries to deceive who he can and to turn all he can away from God.

2Chronicles 31:5 And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
6 And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the LORD their God, and laid them by heaps.
7 In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.

Heaps are a great surplus of tithes ordained of God to support the priesthood required under the law of Moses.

2Chronicles 31:8 And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD, and his people Israel.
9 Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
10 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.
11 Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the LORD; and they prepared them,
12 And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: over which Cononiah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next.
13 And Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God.
14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of the LORD, and the most holy things.
15 And next him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their set office, to give to their brethren by courses, as well to the great as to the small:
16 Beside their genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even unto every one that entereth into the house of the LORD, his daily portion for their service in their charges according to their courses;
17 Both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses;
18 And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness:
19 Also of the sons of Aaron the priests, which were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every several city, the men that were expressed by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites.
20 And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.
21 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.

This is something to think about. When the kings forsook God, the priests of the Lord that stayed faithful probably had to get their provisions some other way. Tithing grain and food was under the law of Moses to provide for the Levites because they did not own land but were scattered into the cities of all the tribes to do the service of the Lord. They didn't have an inheritance like the other tribes. They made a living through tithing. That is why tithing was instituted. So I'm guessing when they stopped following the Lord the priests and Levites probably were not getting much to live on. Hezekiah was restoring all this the way it should be. To rob them of their God ordained support was to rob God.

Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

They must have had it hard in the days where they had a wicked king who led the people into idolatry unless those priests who went along with the program so to speak or those who used their services for idol worship may have been supported by the wicked kings. I really never thought much on this before. The faithful among them surely must have had it hard at those times. However if they were faithful to God He would have provided for them somehow.

For now though we see the Hezekiah did what was right according to the law and the whole kingdom was blessed. DJC

11 Chronicles Chapter 32