2 Chronicles Chapter 29

Hezekiah and the Cleansing of the Temple

A. The cleansing of the temple

1. (2 Chronicles 29:1–2) The general assessment of his reign

Scripture Text (KJV)
“Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.”

Hezekiah ascended to the throne of Judah at twenty five years of age, inheriting a kingdom spiritually and morally damaged by the reign of his father Ahaz. His reign of twenty nine years stands in contrast to the instability and judgment that marked many of the kings of Judah, indicating divine blessing connected to covenant faithfulness. Chronologically, Hezekiah ruled during a critical transitional period in Israel’s history. The northern kingdom of Israel was nearing its final collapse. Within three years of the beginning of Hezekiah’s reign, Assyria laid siege to Samaria, and three years later the northern kingdom fell completely. This meant Hezekiah ruled with a living, visible example of what covenant rebellion produced, national ruin, exile, and judgment.

The destruction of the northern kingdom served as a sobering warning. Hezekiah witnessed firsthand what happens when God’s people abandon the LORD, reject His Word, and adopt idolatrous worship. This historical reality shaped his reforms and explains the urgency, decisiveness, and thoroughness of his actions. Unlike many kings who delayed obedience or compromised politically, Hezekiah acted early, decisively, and publicly.

The length of Hezekiah’s reign itself testifies to God’s favor. Scripture consistently connects long and stable reigns with obedience to the covenant. His mother Abijah is mentioned by name, which is significant in the historical books. This suggests she was a godly influence in his life, especially notable given the wickedness of Ahaz. God often uses faithful mothers to preserve covenant truth during spiritually dark generations.

There is also a likely connection between Abijah and the prophetic ministry of Isaiah. Isaiah 8:2 refers to a faithful witness named Zechariah, who may well be the same individual mentioned here. If so, this places Hezekiah in close proximity to Isaiah’s ministry from an early age. This would explain Hezekiah’s theological clarity, his understanding of judgment and repentance, and his willingness to submit national policy to prophetic truth rather than political expediency.

Hezekiah is described as doing what was right in the sight of the LORD according to all that David his father had done. David is the standard for covenant faithfulness in Judah, not sinless perfection, but wholehearted loyalty to the LORD. This description places Hezekiah among the small number of kings who ruled with genuine zeal for the worship of God.

One of the most radical acts of Hezekiah’s reform was his removal of the high places, as recorded in 2 Kings 18:4, which states, “He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made, for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it, and he called it Nehushtan.” High places were popular, convenient, and culturally accepted, even among otherwise faithful kings. Yet God had never approved of worship that deviated from His revealed will. Hezekiah alone among the good kings had the courage to abolish them entirely.

Scripture makes an extraordinary assessment of Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18:5–6, which declares, “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.” This is one of the strongest endorsements given to any king of Judah. His greatness was not military success or political genius, but steadfast trust, covenant loyalty, and obedience to the Word of God.

2. (2 Chronicles 29:3–11) Hezekiah exhorts the cleansing and restoration of the temple

Scripture Text (KJV)
“He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs. Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burnt incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel. Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes. For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. My sons, be not now negligent, for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.”

Hezekiah acted immediately. In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. This timing is critical. He did not wait to consolidate power, negotiate alliances, or stabilize the economy. His first priority was restoring worship. Under Ahaz, the temple had been closed, neglected, and defiled. Spiritual decay had reached such a point that even the priests and Levites were inactive, compromised, and unprepared to restore themselves without royal intervention.

Hezekiah called the priests and Levites together publicly and addressed them directly. His command was clear, sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the LORD, and carry out the filthiness from the holy place. This shows that spiritual reform begins with personal holiness before institutional restoration. Those who minister must first be cleansed themselves.

Hezekiah correctly diagnosed the spiritual failure of the nation. They had forsaken the LORD, turned their faces away from His dwelling place, and turned their backs on Him. This language is both moral and symbolic. To turn one’s back on God is to reject His authority, presence, and covenant. Worship requires facing God, not merely acknowledging Him.

There is likely also a literal aspect to this charge. During Ahaz’s reign, according to 2 Kings 16, the altar of the LORD was replaced with a pagan altar modeled after Assyrian designs. This alteration forced worshippers to face east, turning their backs on the temple and the ark of God. What began as political accommodation resulted in theological rebellion.

Hezekiah catalogued the practical signs of spiritual abandonment. The doors were shut, the lamps extinguished, incense neglected, and sacrifices abandoned. When worship ceased, judgment followed. Hezekiah openly acknowledged that the calamities Judah suffered were not random misfortunes but the righteous wrath of God. This theological clarity is rare among leaders. He did not blame circumstances, foreign powers, or fate. He confessed covenant failure.

The consequences were undeniable. Fathers had fallen by the sword, families were shattered, and captives were carried away. Hezekiah understood corporate responsibility. Though he personally had not committed these sins, he identified himself with the people and sought national repentance.

Hezekiah’s solution was covenant renewal. He declared his intent to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel so that God’s fierce wrath might turn away. This reflects the biblical principle that repentance and restoration are covenantal, not merely emotional.

He concluded by calling the priests and Levites back to their divine calling. They were chosen to stand before the LORD, to serve Him, and to minister in His presence. Their negligence was not merely professional failure but covenant betrayal. Renewed obedience required renewed understanding of who they were and why God had set them apart.

Hezekiah himself modeled this zeal for purity by destroying even sacred historical objects when they became idols. The bronze serpent made by Moses, once a means of healing, had become an object of worship. Hezekiah broke it without hesitation, demonstrating that no tradition, artifact, or symbol is exempt from judgment if it competes with the glory of God.

3. (2 Chronicles 29:12–19) Cleansing the temple

Scripture Text (KJV)
“Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites, and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel, and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah, and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel, and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah, and of the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei, and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD. And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron. Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD, so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days, and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof. Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.”

The Chronicler records the response of the Levites in deliberate detail, naming each group and representative by lineage. These men were not outsiders brought in for reform. They were Levites who had lived through the neglect, corruption, and disgrace of the temple during the reign of Ahaz. Many of them were complicit through passivity, fear, or compromise. Yet when confronted with truth and called to obedience, they rose to the task. Scripture honors them by name, demonstrating that repentance followed by faithful action restores usefulness in God’s service.

The listing of Kohathites, Merarites, Gershonites, and the musical families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun highlights that the entire Levitical structure was reengaged. Worship in Israel was never meant to be fragmented or selective. Doctrine, sacrifice, music, and service all belonged together. Restoration required every God ordained function to return to its proper place.

The Levites first sanctified themselves. This order is critical. Spiritual restoration never begins with structures or rituals alone. It begins with personal holiness. Only after sanctifying themselves did they proceed to cleanse the house of the LORD. Their obedience was not merely to the commandment of the king but explicitly described as being by the words of the LORD. Hezekiah’s authority was legitimate because it aligned with divine revelation, not because of royal power alone.

The priests entered the inner part of the house of the LORD, the holy place, where the Levites could not go. This division of labor reflects obedience to the Mosaic Law and respect for God’s holiness. The priests removed the uncleanness and brought it into the court, and the Levites then carried it away to the Brook Kidron. The Brook Kidron had long been associated with the removal of idolatry and defilement, as seen later in 2 Kings 23:4, where Josiah destroyed idolatrous objects in the same location. The symbolism is clear, corruption was not stored, repurposed, or hidden, it was removed completely from the presence of the LORD.

The timeline given underscores the severity of the neglect. They began sanctifying on the first day of the first month, a time associated with new beginnings and preparation for Passover. By the eighth day they reached the porch, yet the entire process took sixteen days to complete. Half the time was spent simply clearing out filth and defilement. This reveals how deeply Ahaz’s apostasy had affected the worship center of Judah. The temple had not merely been closed, it had been abused, polluted, and desecrated.

When the work was finished, the Levites reported directly to King Hezekiah with a full account. Everything was cleansed, the altar of burnt offering, its vessels, the table of shewbread, and all associated articles. Nothing was overlooked. Worship could not resume until every element God had prescribed was restored.

Of particular significance is the recovery of the vessels that King Ahaz had cast aside in his transgression. 2 Chronicles 28:24 records, “And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.” What Ahaz treated as disposable, Hezekiah treated as sacred. These restored articles were sanctified and placed before the altar of the LORD, ready once again for lawful worship.

This passage demonstrates that genuine revival is both destructive and constructive. It destroys what defiles and restores what God ordained. There can be no shortcut to holiness. Sixteen days of hard, unglamorous labor were required before worship could resume. True reform is costly, thorough, and obedient to God’s Word.

B. The restoration of worship

1. (2 Chronicles 29:20–27) Sacrifice and worship are organized again

Scripture Text (KJV)
“Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD. And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD. So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar, likewise when they killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar, they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar. And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation, and they laid their hands upon them, and the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel, for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel. And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet, for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets. And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel.”

Hezekiah moved without delay once the temple had been cleansed. Rising early, he gathered the rulers of the city and led them personally to the house of the LORD. This was not a private devotion but a public, national act. Civil leadership was intentionally brought under spiritual authority. Hezekiah understood that covenant restoration required public acknowledgment of sin and public submission to God’s prescribed means of atonement.

The sacrifices were deliberately extensive. Seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats were offered. The repeated use of seven emphasizes completeness and total consecration. These offerings were made not merely for individuals but for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. This reflects the biblical reality of corporate guilt and corporate responsibility. Sin had polluted the land, the leadership, and the worship system itself, therefore atonement had to be comprehensive.

Hezekiah was careful not to violate God’s law. Though he initiated and commanded the process, he did not offer the sacrifices himself. Only the priests, the sons of Aaron, were permitted to do so. This restraint stands in sharp contrast to King Uzziah, who unlawfully attempted to offer incense and was struck with leprosy, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 26:16–23. Hezekiah’s obedience demonstrates that true zeal for God is always governed by submission to God’s Word.

The laying on of hands upon the goats by the king and the congregation was an act of identification and substitution. This gesture symbolized the transfer of guilt from the people to the sacrifice. The blood applied to the altar made reconciliation and atonement for all Israel, even though the northern kingdom had already fallen. This shows that Hezekiah still viewed the nation as one covenant people before God. The theology is unmistakable. Atonement requires death, substitution, and bloodshed. This anticipates the greater fulfillment found in Christ, as 2 Corinthians 5:21 declares, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Hezekiah also restored worship exactly as God had ordained it under David. The Levites were stationed with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, and the priests with trumpets. This arrangement was not innovation but restoration. The Chronicler is careful to note that this musical structure came by the commandment of the LORD through David, Gad, and Nathan. Worship was regulated by revelation, not preference or cultural trend.

When the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began simultaneously. Sacrifice and praise were united. This reveals a profound biblical truth. True worship flows from atonement. Praise divorced from sacrifice becomes hollow, and sacrifice without worship becomes mechanical. Hezekiah ensured both were present, honoring God through obedience and adoration together.

2. (2 Chronicles 29:28–30) The assembly of Judah joins in the worship and recognition of sacrificial offerings

Scripture Text (KJV)
“And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded, and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped. Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.”

The restoration of worship was not confined to priests and Levites alone. All the congregation participated. The people worshipped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded, and this continued throughout the offering. Worship was sustained, reverent, and unified. Each group fulfilled its appointed role, illustrating that corporate worship requires participation, order, and agreement.

When the offering was completed, the response was humility. The king and all who were present bowed themselves and worshipped. Leadership did not exempt anyone from submission. Hezekiah modeled reverence, showing that authority before men never replaces accountability before God.

The Levites were commanded to sing praise using the words of David and Asaph. Worship was anchored in Scripture, not improvisation. The psalms provided God approved language for praise, doctrine, confession, and thanksgiving. This reinforces the principle that God is most honored when His own Word shapes His people’s worship.

The result was gladness. They sang with joy, bowed their heads, and worshipped. This gladness was not emotional hype but the fruit of reconciliation. When sin is atoned for and worship is restored according to God’s design, joy follows naturally. True joy in worship flows from obedience, holiness, and reverence.

3. (2 Chronicles 29:31–36) Thank and fellowship offerings and the resulting joy

Scripture Text (KJV)
“Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings. And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs, all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings, wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people, for the thing was done suddenly.”

With the altar cleansed, the sacrifices properly offered, and worship restored according to the Word of the LORD, Hezekiah now invited the people to draw near personally. The call was no longer limited to national or priestly sacrifice. The people themselves were summoned to bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. This marks a decisive transition from corporate atonement to individual devotion. Once consecration had taken place, access was restored. Worship was no longer shut behind closed doors but opened again to the covenant people.

The response of the assembly was immediate and voluntary. Scripture emphasizes that many were of a free heart. These were not compulsory offerings imposed by royal decree but willing acts of devotion flowing from hearts stirred by repentance and gratitude. This reveals a fundamental biblical principle. Sacrifice that pleases God must come from a willing heart, not mere obligation. Once hearts are consecrated, generosity follows naturally.

The scale of the offerings was extraordinary. Seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs were offered as burnt offerings to the LORD, in addition to six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep consecrated for peace and fellowship offerings. This abundance reflects years of pent up devotion. Under Ahaz, worship had been suppressed and redirected into idolatry. When true worship was restored, the people responded with overwhelming generosity and zeal.

The sheer volume of sacrifices created an unexpected challenge. There were not enough priests sanctified to process all the burnt offerings. This detail further exposes the depth of spiritual neglect under the previous reign. Many priests had not yet fully consecrated themselves for service. In contrast, the Levites were described as more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. This is a sobering indictment. Those with higher office were slower to respond than those with supporting roles.

Out of necessity, the Levites assisted the priests until the work was finished. Though normally restricted, this cooperation did not violate the spirit of the Law. It was an example of godly necessity governed by reverence rather than convenience. The goal was not efficiency alone but obedience, restoration, and faithfulness. The emphasis is not on bending the rules lightly but on restoring worship without neglecting holiness.

The abundance of offerings extended beyond burnt offerings alone. Peace offerings, fat portions, and drink offerings accompanied every sacrifice. This completeness signifies that worship had been restored in its full biblical form. Nothing was partial, rushed, or symbolic only. The service of the house of the LORD was set in order. That phrase marks a turning point. After years of disorder, corruption, and neglect, worship once again functioned according to God’s design.

The result was joy. Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced, not primarily because of prosperity or political success, but because God had prepared the people. The Chronicler explicitly attributes this response to divine initiative. Such a sudden, unified, and heartfelt return to worship could only occur if God Himself had been at work, softening hearts and awakening conscience.

The suddenness of the event highlights the power of genuine repentance. The same people who had recently followed Ahaz into idolatry were now freely offering sacrifices in abundance. This was not gradual moral reform but spiritual revival. When God prepares hearts, obedience can follow swiftly and decisively.

This passage closes the chapter on a note of hope. Judgment had been deserved, worship had been abandoned, and the temple defiled, yet God restored His people when they returned to Him in humility and obedience. Joy is presented not as emotional excitement but as the settled gladness that follows reconciliation, restored fellowship, and ordered worship.