2 Chronicles 31:1-21 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is on 2 Chronicles 31:1-21. Let’s go!
2 Chronicles 31:1 (NIV)
1 When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property.
On verse 1: Notice that after the worship festival ended, the Israelites continued their worship by destroying the things that had been used to worship idols. What can we learn from this? A natural outflow of revival, a natural fruit of the Holy Spirit working in your heart, is that you want to tear down the things that don’t give God glory.
2 Chronicles 31:4-5 (NIV)
4 He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD.
5 As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything.
On verses 2-12a: Notice that at the same time that Hezekiah assigns the priests to serve and offer offerings at the Temple (v2), Hezekiah orders the people to tithe and to “give the portion due the priests and Levites” (v4) so that they could “devote themselves to the law of the Lord” (v4). So the people tithe faithfully, and as a result the priests and Levites had more than enough and can focus on their duties (v10) and the left overs are stored for future use.
What can we learn from this? It is imperative that God’s people tithe faithfully so that those who work in the church can focus on leading the church and not have to worry about holding second jobs. Do you tithe faithfully? If not, not only are you stealing from God (Malachi 3:8), but you are also stealing from and short changing those who work in the church, and you’re preventing your church from fulfilling all of its God-given mission. Tithe faithfully so that you yourself can be blessed, and so that those who have dedicated their full time to working in the church can be well provided for and can focus singlemindedly on leading the church.
2 Chronicles 31:17-18 (NIV)
17 And they distributed to the priests enrolled by their families in the genealogical records and likewise to the Levites twenty years old or more, according to their responsibilities and their divisions.
18 They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community listed in these genealogical records. For they were faithful in consecrating themselves.
On verses 12b-19: After receiving the tithe from the people, the priests and Levites in charge distribute a portion of those tithes to the other priests and Levites so that their respective families and children can be taken care of. The fact that these verses specifically name the people in charge of that distribution shows how important it is to have trustworthy, responsible people in charge of distributing church resources.
2 Chronicles 31:20-21 (NIV)
20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God.
21 In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
On verses 20-21: Because Hezekiah sought God, did what was right and worked wholeheartedly, he prospered. God’s principles continue to work the same way today. Even in the kingdom of God I find that a lot of times what you put in is very much what you get out. Put God first, pursue excellence in what you do, work super hard, and you will prosper. Those who really try to honor God and pursue excellence in all they do tend to do very well in life. On the other hand, there are plenty of Christians out there who put a mediocre effort in loving and serving their church, a mediocre effort at their work or studies, a mediocre trust in God, a mediocre effort to love those around them, and as a result they live mediocre lives that don’t encourage anyone but confuse everyone, including both the Christians and non-Christians around them. Then they blame God or abandon God for their lack of success.
Listen to me, Christian: You were not made to live a mediocre life. You were made to give God your very best in all that you do, to seek His kingdom first, to trust Him in your practical day to day decision making and find that He causes you to prosper when you do.
Heavenly Father, thank You that those who trust in You wholeheartedly, who really want to honour You and pursue excellence in all they do prosper. May I not settle for mediocrity and give You a mediocre effort in my ministry, my work, my studies, my home life and in how much I trust You. Thank You that when I pursue excellence in all that I do, trust You and seek You first in my practical day and day, I will prosper. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
