The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 354

needed to be done. (1) Because, through the wickedness of their fathers in forsaking; God, the temple had fallen into disrepair; its doors had been closed, its lamps put out, its altars left witho·.1t offerings (vers. 6, 7). What their fathers then had done it became them to undo. Unless they would be sharers in their fathers' guilt, they must separate themselves from their fathers' sin. Their fathers' trespass would not condemn them if they disowned it by actine; differently. (2) Because on account of this wicked- ness the wrath of God had fallen upon the nation, "upon Judah and Jerusalem," upon the inhabitants of the cities and of the metropolis; their troops had been slaughtered in the field (eh. :u:viii. 6), their sons and wives and daughters carried into captivity (eh. :u:viii. 6, 8), their country delivered to trouble, to astonishment, to hissirw. (3) Because it was the king's intention, in restoring the ancient worship of Jeho~ah, to renew the covenant between himself with his people and Jehovah (ver. 10), as had formerly been done by Joash and his subjects (eh. x.xiii. 16), and earlier by Asa and his warriors (eh, xv. 12)-being moved to this by the consideration that not otherwise could they escape the fierce wrath their national apostasy had. kindled against them. 3. The argument why they should do the work. The Lord had selected them to be his temple ministers-the Levites and priests together to stand before him and serve him, the priests to burn incense upon his altar. (N.B.-This is an indirect proof that "Levites" in ver. 6 includes the "priests.") Hence (1) faithfulness should lead them to do the work specially assigned them, and (2) honour impel them, seeing Jehovah had chosen them, rather than others, to be his ministers. III. THE RESPONSE GIVEN BY THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES TO THE KING. (Vers. 12-16.) 1. The absent members of the order were collected. Fourteen Levites had heard the king's speech-two from each of the great families of Kohath, Gershon, and :Merari; two of the sons of Elizaphan, the son of Uzziel, the son of Kohath (Exod. vi. 18), and in Moses' time the head of the family of Kohath (Numb. iii. 30); two of the sons of A.saph, who belonged to the family of Gershon; and two of the sons of Heman, who again proceeded from the family of Kohath; and two of the sons of Jeduthuo, an offshoot from the family of Merari (on these names see Expo~ition). Responding with alacrity and gladness to the king's summons, they went forth and mustered the whole body of their brethren in Jerusalem. The work to which they had been called should be done by a united body, all hands and one heart-a good model for the Christian Church. 2. The duty of personal sanctifi,cation was sr:rupulously attended to. God's work must be done in God's way; always with fear and trembling, never with irreverent presumption; always in the beauty of holiness, never in the uncleanness of sin. 3. The work was divided between the Levites and the priests. To each was assigned that for which he was qualified and had been appointed; the cleansing of the temple proper to the priests, since these alone could enter the holy place; the removal of that which the priests brought from the interior of the sanctuary into the porch to the Levites, who bore it thence to the brook Kidron, which flowed through the valley of Jehoshaphat, on the east of the temple hill. So should all in the Christian work be content to do the work to which they are called, and for which they are qualified. As all have not the same gifts, so all are not intended for the same spheres of Christian activity. 4. The work was carried on until it was completed. It bega!l with the purification of the buildings exterior to the temple, which occupied eigbt days. In eight days more they had finished the temple proper, both the por~u and the sanct_ua_ry. On the Bixteenth day they made an end. How much good work 1s begun by Christian people without being ended! How many become weary in well-doing before they have half completed what they havo put their hands to! 6. A report of the w_ork do~e was carried to the king. The whole house of the Lord had been cleansed, all Its furm- ture and utensils puritied, the vessels found wanting replaced. Learn: 1. '!'hat God can be worshipped only in the beauty of holiness. 2. That as God calls none of his servants to uncleanness, he can be served only by the clean. 3. '£hat God's house-whether heart or church-should be studiously guarded against defilement. 4. That God's people, like God himself, should be unwearied in doing good. 6. '!'hat God's servants must one day render to him an account of their works.- \Y. Vers. 20-36.-The re-dedication of the temple. I. THE TIME OF TIIE CEREMO:S-Y. Early on the following morning. Hezekiah lost not a moment in entering upon thq  358 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [on. xx1x. 1-36,