Study notes

2 Chronicles 31

Introducing 2 ChroniclesWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

29:1–32:33 Section

Right away when he started ruling, Hezekiah opened the doors of the temple. This was a sign of everything he did to help God’s people worship God faithfully.

Hezekiah led the people to once again worship God according to the Mount Sinai covenant. That was how the Israelites had worshipped God when David and Solomon were kings. Hezekiah made many changes in Judah so that this could happen. The changes included having the priests and Levites once again do their work. Each group of priests and Levites had been given their duties when David was king.

The changes included making all places and objects used in worship clean and pure. The changes included the king and the people giving a tenth of everything they had. They gave it freely to provide for the priests and Levites. This allowed the Levites and priests to spend their time leading worship and teaching the people.

Worshipping God faithfully included celebrating the feasts the way Moses had taught the Israelites to. The people celebrated the Day of Atonement. That is the day when sins were paid for.

Hezekiah wanted all 12 tribes of Israel to celebrate the Passover Feast together again. That hadn’t happened since Solomon was king. Hezekiah invited all Israelites left in the land of the northern kingdom. These people had been left behind after the Assyrian army took control of the northern kingdom. They hadn’t been forced to live in exile in Assyria.

Some people from a few tribes went to Jerusalem for the feast. Some outsiders living among them also went. Even people who hadn’t made themselves pure and clean could be part of the feast. This was because they wanted to worship God with all their heart. Hezekiah’s prayer showed that he understood something about God. God cares deeply about people being committed to him in their heart. God forgave the people’s sins and healed them.

Many years before God had promised Solomon that he would do this. He would forgive his people and heal their land. He would do this if they turned away from evil. He would do it if they were humble and prayed to him (2 Chronicles 7:14).

31:1

After purifying and rededicating the temple, the city of Jerusalem, and its people, Hezekiah started the third stage of his reform. He removed pagan worship objects from all of Judah and the northern territories.

31:3–10

Both the king and his people provided supplies for the temple. Israel came together to support the temple, and their response exceeded expectations and needs.

31:6

The large piles of animal tithes might refer to the money from selling animals, not the animals themselves. The law allowed people to exchange their field's produce for money (Deuteronomy 14:24–26) and to eat the meat at home (Deuteronomy 12:15).

31:10

The people's great generosity reminds us of when they first built the tabernacle (Exodus 36:3–5).

31:14–19

Many Levites, mostly from small towns, could serve. Small groups traveled to Jerusalem in shifts for short periods (see 1 Chronicles 24:1–19). All Levites received shares of the offerings given at the temple.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources