The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 363

Vers. 17-20.-The one essential thing. A very interesting and instructive incident occurred in the celebration of this great Passover. Many who presented themselves and ?ronght their l:i:mb had not gone thr?ugh ~he prescribed purifications before engaging m an act of sacn6ce, and they were d1squahficd to slay the lamb. So the Levites, under the peculiar circumstances, took this part for them. It was a formal irregularity• it was not accordin~ to the letter of the Law; there had been a breach of the enactmen't. But Hezekiah prayed God on behalf of those who had transgressed, and his prayer was heard, and the Lord "healed the people "who had so done. There is one lesson which stands out from the others; but before we learn that, we may gather on our way the truths- !. THAT SUBSTITUTION AND L'ITEROESSION HAVE THEIR PLACE IN THE KINGDOM OF GoD. The Levites were permitted to take the parents' place on this occasion, and Hczekiah's prayer for the pardon of the irregularity was granted. We may do some things for our fellow-men, and we do well to pray God for their enlightenment and restora- tion. But it is not far tha.t either of these two principles can be permitted. "Every man must bear his own burden" of responsibility before God; must repent of his own sin; must approach his Maker in the spirit of self-surrender; must enter by himself the kingdom of Christ. The work we can do for others, though not without its value, is narrow in its range. To every human soul it belongs to realize his position, to hearken when Heaven is speaking, to make his final and decisive choice, to ta.ke his place among the friends or among the foes of Jesus Christ. We may not build on a brother's help, nor presume even on a mother's prayers. Il. THAT PRIVATION OF PRIVILEGE IS TAKEN INTO THE DIVINE CONSIDERATION. The principal if not the only defaulters here were the men of" Ephraim and Manasseh," etc. (ver. 18); i.e. those who had been living in the idolatrous kingdom of Israel, those who had been far from the temple of Jerusalem, and had lived with little (ir a.ny) instruction in the Divine Law. Much leniency might justly be accorded to these; and much allowance was made for them. Goel requireth of us "not according to that we have not, but according to that we have." From those to whom but little privilege and opportunity are given, the slighter service will be demanded. Our God is just, considerate, gracious. III. THAT S!N IS A VEBY DISABLING THING. "The Lord healed the people." By their offence against the Law they had lost their wholeness, their health, and needed to " be healed." Sin is a moral sickness ; it is the disorder of the spirit; it is that which weakens, which disables, which makes the sinner unable to be and to do what he was created to be and to do. But the main lesson is this- IV. THAT THE ESSENTIAL THING IS SPIRITUAL INTEGRITY, 'l'hese transgressors were forgiven partly in virtue of Hezekiah's prayer. But may we not say principally because the righteous Lord discerned in them tlie spirit of obedience P They had come up to Jerusalem that they might return upon Jehovah their God. It was in their heart to cast off their old and evil practices, and to begin a new life of uprightness before God : was their ceremonial irregularity to outweigh, in the estimate of the J nst One, the integrity of their heart before him? The purpose of their soul was toward God and toward his service : was not that to be accepted, in spite of a legal impropriety or necrliuence ? Cerl:Ainly it was ; and these men went down to their homes in Israel ju;tified before the Lord. It is the spirit of obedience which our God demands of us, for which he looks in us. If that be absent, nothing else of any kind or magnituda will suffice. If that be present, we may be defaulters in many small particulars, but rieither we nor our offering will be refused. To have a. pure, deep, fixed desire to seek nud to serve the Lord Christ-that is the one essential thing.-C. Vers. 21-21.-Beligwus enthusiasm. This chapter read~ as if written by an eye- witucss of the scenes described, so vivid is the account, so much colour is in t,he picture. It was evidently a tirne of very great cnLhusiasm, of spiritual exuberance. These are 011, xxx. 1-27.J 'fHE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 367