Hezekiah sets up reforms

2 Chronicles Chapter 31

After the huge celebration and festival of Passover, the Israelites who attended went to the towns who had Asherah poles and pagan shrines and altars and tore them all down. King Hezekiah then organized the priests and Levites into divisions to offer burnt and peace offerings and to worship and give thanks to the Lord. The King made contributions of livestock for offerings and he required the people in Jerusalem to bring a portion of their income to the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the law of the Lord.

The people responded generously and tithed from what they owned. They piled their tithes into great heaps and the heaps grew until early autumn. When Hezekiah saw these piles, he thanked the Lord and his people Israel. Then he decided to have storerooms prepared in the Temple for the gifts and tithes and appointed a Levite to be in charge and supervisors to assist.

Kore was put in charge of the East Gate and was in charge of distributing freewill offerings of God. With his assistants, they distributed gifts among the families of priests in towns, by divisions, dividing the gifts fairly among young and old alike. They gave gifts to all males three years old or older, regardless of their place in genealogical records, who came daily to the Temple. They distributed gifts to the priests who were listed in the genealogical records by families and to the Levites twenty years old or older. Food allotments were given to the sons and daughters for they had all been faithful in purifying themselves. As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived in open villages around the towns, men were appointed to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to all the Levites listed in geneaological records.

In this way, King Hezekiah handled the distribution throughout all Judah, doing what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Hezekiah organized the priests and resumed the work of the Temple according to the plan originally set up by David. He reinstated the practice of tithing so the priests and Levites had an income.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Like the people of these times, we today have idols that mean more to us than our God. We are just as guilty of worshiping idols such as wealth, pleasure, prestige or material possessions. And do you tithe and give a regular percentage of your income to the church? Generosity makes our giving delightful to us and to God. How different our churches would be today if all believers followed this pattern. Hezekiah was a role model. You can be one too, if you contribute generously to God's work!

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH:
Update on my niece Suzanne, she is healing but her leg was crushed and will take many months of doctoring. She is in a nursing home for rehab care. Pray for her healing. Also Gabe, Wanda, Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother whose cancer has returned and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them.
And pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life. Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
Pray for Cyndi Sullivan who was given 14 months to live with cancer, but has made it six years. The pain has returned and she needs our prayers.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Update on Marthaline Sargent. She lost her battle with health problems and passed away last Tuesday. Our condolences to her son Patrick and daughter Stacey. Continue to pray for her husband Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and pray he can stop smoking.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.