2 Chronicles 30:21

2 Chronicles 30:21 says, And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the Lord.  The people of Israel continued the feast of unleavened bread for a week and did so with gladness.  The priests and Levites praised God all day, singing with loud instruments.  We too often get upset if the worship service lasts over an hour and often are not there rejoicing in the Lord but worrying about the rest of the day.  We also no longer want revival services that last a week, saying that this is too long to expect people to be able to give up the time to attend that long, or the favorite, "Nobody does that anymore."  Verse twenty-two adds, And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the Lord God of their fathers.  Hezekiah, the king, talked comfortably with the Levites and they continued to eat and feast while offering peace offerings and making confession to the Lord God of their fathers.  I would think that they had to see Him not just as the God of their fathers in order to worship Him, but as their God also.  I do know that we must see Jesus Christ not just as the God of our fathers but as our personal Savior and Lord if we are going to successfully worship Him.  It was also good that the King was in agreement with them and worshipped God as well, and it would be good if government leaders today put their faith in God alone and worshipped Him.  Of course, we also might be able to get Christians to attend longer services if we were eating and feasting during them, not that I am endorsing that.  Verse twenty-three continues, And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness.  Everyone agreed to keep the seven days and kept another seven days with gladness.  Matthew Henry says that they had been so long without celebrating this feast that they didn't want it to end so the continued for this second week.  I believe that we as Christians need this same kind of commitment to worshipping God today, so that instead of looking for the least amount of time we can spend worshipping Him, that we will not want it to end.  Verse twenty-four states, For Hezekiah king of Judah did give to the congregation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.  The king and the princes all gave many animals for the sacrifice, and we need governmental and church leaders today who are willing to give to God from the things He has blessed them with, especially the church leaders.  Often, they are all looking for what will bring them the most material wealth unfortunately.  Verse twenty-five adds, And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.  Everyone from the priests and Levites to the congregation of Israel as well as the strangers that dwelt in Judah rejoiced.  We may not get the strangers, or non-Christians to rejoice in the Lord, but we as Christians need to always do so.  Verse twenty-six continues, 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.  There was joy in Jerusalem that had not been seen since the time of Solomon since the people had devoted themselves to worshipping God in accordance with His commandments.  If we want joy in our lives and in the church as a whole, we need to be committed to following God and obeying His commandments.  Verse twenty-seven concludes, 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.  When the priests and Levites purified themselves, they were successful in praising God and having their prayers heard by Him.  I don't believe that God ever fails to hear and answer the prayers of Christians, though the answer is often no, but if we have sanctified ourselves and pray in accordance with the leadership of the Holy Spirit and pray for God's will to be done in our lives, I believe we will always see His answer to our prayers and give Him the glory.

2 Chronicles 30:13

2 Chronicles 30:13 says, And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.  A very large congregation then assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of unleavened bread.  We as individual Christians need to gather often to celebrate our new life given to us by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  We should not just do this on special occasions like Christmas and Easter but should do so at least weekly.  Verse fourteen adds, And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.  They began to remove the altars to false gods that were in Jerusalem.  When we become Christians, we need to remove all false gods from our lives, and as a body of believers, when we gather to worship God, we need to make sure we have not allowed any false ideas to proclaimed, and if we see that they have been, we need to remove them.  Verse fifteen continues, Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the Lord.  When they killed the Passover sacrifice, the priests and Levites were ashamed and cleansed and sanctified themselves, which they should have done beforehand.  The people were ready for the celebration, but the priests and Levites weren't ready to offer the sacrifice.  To effectively worship God, we must be purified and sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ and those in charge of the worship service should certainly be so.  Verse sixteen states, And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites.  At least after they sanctified themselves the priests and Levites conducted the service in accordance with God's law.  We need to always conduct our worship services in accordance with the laws of God.  This doesn't mean by a specific order of service, but by doing things for God's honor and glory under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse seventeen adds, For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the Lord.  The Levites killed the sacrifice, which was not in accordance with God's law, which specified that the priests alone could do so.  In our worship services, we need to make sure that they are carried out in accordance with God's will.  Many people were not ceremonial clean, so the priests and Levites had to kill the Passover for everyone who was not clean.  We are spiritually unclean and can only have God's judgment pass over us by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, since He is the only One Who is spiritually clean and qualified to do so.  Verse eighteen continues, For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord pardon every one.  Several people, many from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulon being specified did not purify themselves before participating in the Passover meal, so Hezekiah prayed and asked God to forgive them.  If people who are not saved participate in worship services today, we cannot purify them, but we can ask God to help them come to Jesus Christ so they can be purified.  Verse nineteen says, That prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.  Hezekiah's prayer was that those who we not spiritually purified would be, and that should be our prayer for the lost people of the world today.  We should never look down on them but should lift them up to God by prayer. Verse twenty adds, And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.  God listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.  I believe the people had a change of heart and repented and were purified in God's sight and not that Hezekiah was able to bring them forgiveness without them confessing and asking for forgiveness, just as Jesus Christ intercedes for all sinners with the Father, but it does them no good, unless they accept Him as their Savior and Lord and ask for forgiveness.  We cannot bring anyone to God's saving grace by our own abilities, but we can only bring them to God in prayer.  Then, it is up to them to accept the gift of salvation and God will forgive them if they do.

2 Chronicles 30:1

2 Chronicles 30:1 says, And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel.  Hezekiah sent word to all of Israel and Judah, and wrote letters to Ephraim, and Manasseh and invited them to come to the Passover.  All of those who were called God's people were invited. Though they had revolted against God, Hezekiah invited them to return and worship Him.  We, who call ourselves followers of Christ need to be united in serving Him, and if some have strayed, we need to invite them back to worship and serve Him once more.  Verse two adds, For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.  Hezekiah is said to have asked all the princes and congregation in Jerusalem about keeping the Passover in the second month.  We need to listen to try to be united in what we do for God as Christians and not just make decisions on our own believing that what we think is always going to be right.  Verse three continues, For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.  It is said that they could not keep it until then because the priests had not sanctified themselves.  As a part of the priesthood of believers, we as Christians should always be sanctified, or set apart form the world, and ready to serve and worship God at any time.  Verse four states, And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.  Setting up a time for the Passover pleased both the King and the people.  We as believers should be pleased any time people are coming together to worship God.  Verse five adds, 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.  A proclamation was made and sent throughout all of Israel to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover, which they had not done in a long time.  The people of Israel, the ten tribes that broke away, were invited as well, even though they often were at war with Judah. If we as Christians have been fighting against each other, we need to come together in unity to serving and worshipping God once more.  Verse six continues, So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.  Hezekiah did not invite the people of Israel to return to following him, but to return and follow God's commandments. They weren't invited for political purposes, but for spiritual ones. Hezekiah was not asking them to follow him, but to follow God. We don't need people to follow a particular leader but to follow God alone, then He will lead them to the ones they need to follow in the running of the country.  Verse seven says, And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.  Hezekiah asked them to not be like their fathers and brothers who had led them away from God, which resulted in desolation.  We as Christians need to pray that we never lead anyone away from God, either by our words or our actions.  Verse eight adds, Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.  The people of Israel, who once again we need to remember were a part of God's chosen people, were asked not to be stiff-necked, or set in their resolve to not listen to God.  People today often refuse to listen to the gospel because they will not turn away from their own desires.  Verse nine continues, For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.  Hezekiah said that if they returned to following God, He would be with them and bless them once more, setting them free from their captors.  If we put our faith in Jesus Christ, He will set us free from the captivity of sin, and if we have put our faith in Him and strayed away, He will restore us to a right relationship with Him if we confess our sins and ask His forgiveness.  Verse ten states, 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.  The messages went out, but the people who received them laughed at it with scorn and mocked those who sent it.  When we share the gospel today, people are often going to laugh at us and mock us with scorn, but we are still called on to present the gospel.  It is then up to the individual how he or she receives it.  Verse eleven adds, Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.  Not everyone mocked the proclamation, because some of the people of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun heeded the call and returned to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.  The gospel is going to be received by some people today even if it is being rejected by the majority and those who accept it will be restored to God.  Verse twelve continues, 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.  The people of Judah were united in heart to do the commandment of the king and princes, which was to repent and come worship God at the Passover.  We as Christians need to be united in heart as followers of God, and our hearts must be set on following and worshipping God.  

2 Chronicles 29:28

 2 Chronicles 29:29 says, And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped.  After the offering was completed, the king and all those with him bowed and worshipped God.  We need to bow in worship as soon as we enter the church building, and I believe we need to bow in worship at the beginning of each day and throughout the day and not just on Sunday at church.  Verse thirty adds, Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.  Though Hezekiah ordered the Levites to sing praises to God with the psalms of David and Asaph, two of the writers of Psalms, they sang with gladness.  We should not have to be ordered to sing praises to God, but we should do so willingly and with gladness.  Verse thirty-one continues, Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings.  Hezekiah told them to then bring their sacrifices and thanks offerings and those who would did so willingly, along with free-will burnt offerings.  We should not just sing praises to God willing, but we should bring our tithes and offerings to God.  We always need to bring our tithes to God, but we should willingly go above that and freely bring our offerings as well, though no one should ever be forced to do either.  Verse thirty-two states, And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord.  Seventy bulls, a hundred rams and two hundred lambs were offered as a burnt sacrifice.  I know many people today might say that was animal cruelty and that these people should be punished for it, but God Himself initiated the sacrificial system   Others might say that this was a waste of resources just as giving to the church is in their opinion, but we need to follow what God says and not what the world says.  Verser thirty-three adds, And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.  There were also six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep that were brought and referred to as consecrated things.  I believed that everything we have as Christians should be consecrated to God since He has blessed us with it, and we should use everything under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  Verse thirty-four continues, But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.  There were too many things brought to sacrifice for the priests to do it, so the Levites helped them.  We don't usually have a problem with there being too much given to the church for those in charge of it to deal with.  It also says that the priests had to first sanctify themselves, but the Levites were more upright in their heart and had already purified themselves.  We need to pray that religious leaders today will be upright in their heart and purify themselves, but each individual Christian should also do so as well, even if the leaders are slower at doing so.  Verse thirty-five says, And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the Lord was set in order.  There was plenty for all the offerings and the house of the Lord was set in order.  We need to do all that we can to make sure that the house of the Lord is in order today, starting with our lives as the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus Christ has already provided all the sacrifice for sin that can ever be offered, but if we have put our faith in Him, we need to give to make sure there is always enough resources to carry out His work today.  Verse thirty-six adds, And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.  Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced, especially those that God had prepared to do the work which was necessary because this was done suddenly.  We should be prepared to make the most of every opportunity God gives us to advance His kingdom, even if this opportunity comes to us suddenly.  We should also rejoice in the Lord no matter what is happening in our life.

2 Chronicles 29:20

2 Chronicles 29:20 says, Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord.  Hezekiah got up early, gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the temple.  It would be wonderful if people in power in the world today would get up early everyday ready to worship and serve God, but that is unlikely to happen.  Verse twenty-one adds, And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the Lord.  There were several animals brought to sacrifice for the sins of the people, and Hezekiah had the priests offer them in accordance with God's law.  We have only one High Priest, Jesus Christ, Who can offer an acceptable sacrifice for our sins, but we as a part of the priesthood of believers are still called to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God.  We cannot an offer an acceptable sacrifice for our sins, but we must sacrifice all that we are or have to God to be used for His purpose and glory after we accept the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for our sins.  Verse twenty-two continues, So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar.  The bulls, rams and lambs were killed, and their blood was sprinkled on the altar to pay the price of the sins of the people.  Verse twenty-three states, states, And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them:  I know many people today would say this was animal abuse and claim that anyone who claimed to be following God wouldn't have done this, but God Himself initiated the sacrificial system, and we don't follow it today not because killing animals to do so would be wrong, but because when Jesus Christ shed His blood for us, it was an everlasting sacrifice.  Verse twenty-four adds, And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.  Hezekiah commanded the priests to offer blood and burnt offerings for all people of Israel.  We cannot command anyone to offer a sacrifice for our sins, but Jesus Christ willingly offered Himself as the only sacrifice acceptable for the sins of all mankind, but it does us no good if we don't accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty-five continues, And he set the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets.  Hezekiah also had the Levites in the temple with musical instruments ready to offer praises to God.  When we gather to worship God today, we should worship with praises of song and music as well as with preaching and our tithes and offerings.  Verse twenty-six concludes, And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.  The Levites stood ready with the musical instruments of David while the priests stood by with the trumpets.  We should always stand ready to praise God, even if we personally don't play any musical instrument.  Of course, now Jesus Christ stands by ready for the final trumpet sound when it will be time for His return to claim His people.  Verse twenty-seven says, And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel.  At the command of Hezekiah, the burnt offering was offered and the trumpets and other musical instruments ordained by David were played.  Some people might say that this means only certain musical instruments are to be used in worship services, but I think it means we can use any and all musical instruments in worship service as long as they are used to bring glory to God.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.  All the congregation worshipped God while the singers sang, and the trumpets sounded until the burnt offering was finished.  We need to be actively involved in worship service today, even if it is only by attentively listening to God's word as it is taught and preached.  It is not enough to be physically present if we are not spiritually involved. 

2 Chronicles 29:12

2 Chronicles 29:12 says, Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel: and of the Gershonites; Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah:  This is the beginning of a list of some of the Levites who began to arise to do their duty.  Verse thirteen adds, And of the sons of Elizaphan; Shimri, and Jeiel: and of the sons of Asaph; Zechariah, and Mattaniah:  Verse fourteen continues, And of the sons of Heman; Jehiel, and Shimei: and of the sons of Jeduthun; Shemaiah, and Uzziel.  If we have been spiritually asleep and neglecting our calling as Christians, we need to awaken and rise up and get back to doing what God has called us to do, just as these Levites did.  Verse fifteen states, And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord.  These Levites mentioned then gathered their brothers, who are not named, and they sanctified themselves and did what the king had called on them to do, but more importantly they did what the word of God told them to do and cleansed the temple.  It might be good to do what the people in power tell us to do, but only if it is not against God's commandments.  We need to make sure that our lives are cleansed for God today as followers of Christ.  Verse sixteen adds, And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.  The priests went into the inner part of the temple, where only priests were allowed to go, and brought out all the uncleanliness that they found there.  The Levites took it to the brook of Kidron.  When Jesus Christ died, he removed the restriction of who could come to God for people, and all people now can once they accept His gift of salvation, but we need to remove any uncleanliness from our lives as Christians, since our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we can only come to God to do so.  Verse seventeen continues, Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the Lord: so they sanctified the house of the Lord in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.  It took them eight days to cleanse the temple, which would indicate that it was in pretty bad shape.  We need ask God to cleanse our lives spiritually every day so that we don't allow them to become filled with sin and corruption.  Verse eighteen says, Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof.  The priests and Levites then went to Hezekiah the king and told him they had cleansed the temple and the altar and vessels of the temple.  As Christians, we need to be able to go to our King, Jesus Christ, and tell Him that we have cleansed our lives of all sinful acts by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Of course, we can never restore ourselves except thorough putting our faith in Jesus Christ and being cleansed by His blood, but we can then live by the leadership of the Holy Spirit to keep sin from coming into our life again.  Verse nineteen adds, Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they are before the altar of the Lord.  They also said that they had prepared and sanctified all the vessels that Ahaz in his sin had cast away.  Ahaz may have cast them away, but the priests and Levites who were in charge during his reign had either gone along with him and had not done their duty to protect the protect the things of God.  As Christians, if the church is being destroyed or corrupted today, if we have not taken a stand for God, we are part of the problem. 

2 Chronicles 29:1

2 Chronicles 29:1 says, Hezekiah began 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 Zechariah.  Hezekiah reigned for twenty-five years, starting from when he was twenty-five years old.  He had a fairly long reign.  Verse two adds, And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.  Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of God as had David, who is referred to as his father, but Hezekiah was just a descendant of David and not his actual son.  We are all the children of God as followers of Christ and not just a far-removed descendant.  Verse three continues, He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.  From his first day as king, he reopened the house of God, or temple, and repaired its walls.  From our first day as Christians, we need to repair our relationship with God, since our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  It had been David's desire to build the temple, even though he wasn't allowed to, and Hezekiah was like David in wanting the temple of God to be there to worship God in.  Verse four states, And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,  Hezekiah brought the priests and Levites back to perform their duties.  If we have strayed away from God as Christians, we need to return to Him and begin to once again do what He has called us to do.  Verse five adds, 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.  Hezekiah then told the Levites to sanctify themselves then sanctify the temple and to carry the filthiness out of it.  Of course, the Levites should have already been doing this, but probably had stopped out of fear.  We as Christians must sanctify, or set aside, our bodies, or life, to the use and glory of God, and remove any filthiness from them.  We should not need the government to call on us to do this nor should we allow fear of the government to stop us from doing what God has called us to do. Verse six continues, 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.  Hezekiah told the Levites that their fathers had turned away from the temple, God's house, and had done what was evil in His sight.  These were the religious leaders of God's chosen people, and Hezekiah should not have needed to tell them this.  As Christians, we should never need anyone to tell us that we are out of God's will, but if we recognize that those who are leaders in the church are out of God's will, we need to tell them so.  Verse seven says, 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.  Again, since a lot of what Hezekiah was talking about not being done, the closing of the doors and not burning offerings in the holy place were the responsibility of the priests and Levites, they should have known this, because they had abandoned their calling.  I believe the Holy Spirit will let us know if we have abandoned our spiritual calling and will call us to return to it, and if He does, we need to listen to His call to return to do so.  Verse eight adds, 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.  Hezekiah said that when the people of Judah turned away from God, He removed His protective hand from them, and they had been defeated and looked down on by the rest of the world.  If those who call themselves Christians are following the ways of the world instead of God's ways, the people of world are going to look down on us and laugh at us, which they often do today.  Verse nine continues, For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.  Hezekiah reminded them that their fathers had died by the sword and that their wives and sons and daughters had been taken away captive.  If we begin to turn away from God as His people, we may find our witness for Him killed and our families taken captive by sin as well.  Every Christian should set a good example for those who are close to them, especially fathers for their wives and children.  Verse ten states, 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.  Hezekiah said it was in his heart to establish a covenant relationship with God.  I had first thought that he would be reestablishing a covenant relationship with God, but we do not have that covenant relationship with Him until we personally establish it by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, just as Hezekiah had to personally establish a covenant relationship with God then.  If we do, then we will never have to face God as a wrathful Judge.  Verse eleven adds, My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.  Hezekiah called the Levites his sons, but they were just those chosen by God to serve Him.  We are not the spiritual sons and daughters of anyone except God, and He will call us to do what He needs us to do.  Like the Levites needed to remember their calling was from God, we need to remember what God has called us to do as individuals and as His people collectively.