RESTORE THE TEMPLE FOR WORSHIP

By Cathy Weymouth

Tuesday 7/20/10 – 2 Chr 29-31; Jas 4 – RESTORE THE TEMPLE FOR WORSHIP

S – 2 Chr 29:1-5, Hezekiah was 25 years old when he became king... he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done... he opened the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired them. He brought in the priests and the Levites... and said, “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove all defilement from the sancturary.”

O- Hezekiah took over reign after his father Ahaz died; unlike his father, who was an idol worshiper, Hezekiah took a shift in his leadership and restored temple worship to the Lord. He gave specific instructions to the Levites to consecrate themselves, to remove all defilement from the temple, to purify the temple by removing everything unclean (vs 15-16), to consecrate and return articles that had previously been removed (v 19). Worship in the temple returned as the Levites offered burnt offerings, bowed in singing, playing instruments, and praising the Lord with words. (v 19, 28-32)

A – Wow! We are the temples of the living God. We carry His Spirit and worship happens here, in our bodies. Everything we do in this life is carried out through these temples. How's your temple doing? Do you need to consecrate your temple? Do you need to remove uncleanliness (excess food or drink, unclean viewing with your eyes, etc)? Do you need to restore good things (full night of sleep, drinking water, good nutrition, exercise, etc)? We only get one body and it is His temple. Let's take good care of this temple from which worship flows!

P – Father, forgive us for the negligence. We may not have recognzied our responsibility to restore the temple for worship by taking good care of it. And, like Hezekiah, even if our parents were not good at it, enable us to be great caretakers! He chose to restore the temple and then put action to his decision. May we do likewise.