And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered (2 Chronicles 31:21).

Unlike his idolatrous father, Ahaz, Hezekiah chose to follow the LORD. Hezekiah followed the LORD as regards the temple of God, the law of God and the commandments of God. As a result, God prospered him. Does God prosper those that diligently obey Him? Without a doubt! Does He punish those who turn away from Him? Absolutely.

Isn't this "Prosperity Theology"? No. It could be called Old Covenant Theology. It is true as it relates to the Old Covenant, that is, the Mosaic Law. The Law of Moses specificed blessing when God's people obeyed the Law and curses when they disobeyed the Law. That is why God consistently punished the kings and the people when they turned away from obeying His laws and then blessed them when they obeyed. 

Today, we are under a New Covenant, not of Law but of grace. That is why John writes, "For the law was given through Moses;grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). In speaking of the replacement of the Old Covenant by the New, the writer of Hebrews testifies, "By calling this covenant 'new,' he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear" (Hebrews 8:13). Therefore, none of the stipulations of the Mosaic Law is required of Christians today. Consequently, the blessing and curses associated with the Law are also obsolete for us. God does not work in the life of the Christian on the basis of the Law but on the basis of grace. 

Does this mean that we should completely ignore accounts like that of our reading today? Certainly not! But we should read and apply them with a proper perspective, praising God that we live under grace not law. Furthermore, even though we are not under the Old Covenant, this does not mean that we ought to be lawless. We are under the Law of Christ. This is Paul's testimony:

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law (1 Corinthians 9:20-21).

Even though we are free from the stipulations and consequences of the Law of Moses, this is not a freedom to sin. It is a freedom to follow the teaching and principles of the New Covenant, which is revealed in large part in the New Testament epistles. 

Friends, even though we no longer live in a tit for tat kind of dispensation - thank God! - God is still pleased with our obedience. We still reap consequences from disobedience. God still blesses faithfulness. That blessing is not always health, wealth and prosperity, but we gain His pleasure, we secure heavenly dividends, and we get to honor the One, who has secured our eternal hope. To me, these benefits far outweigh any temporal prosperity. 

For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah 120,000 in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers (2 Chronicles 28:6).

This account stands in stark contrast to a later account of God's angel destroying 185,000 Assyrians in one night because Hezekiah trusted the LORD. Ahaz and Judah face a similar fate because they turned away from the LORD. God's judgement knows no favoritism. Those who humble themselves and seek His honor are blessed. Those who do not are crushed. 

Friends, has God changed? He has not. He still wants people to humble themselves and seek His honor. James writes, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up" (James 4:10). Paul writes, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

We have so many things to consume our attention, whether our families, our work, our pastimes, or even our ministries; yet, in all these things, the important thing is to humble ourselves and seek the LORD's honor. Thus, Jesus taught,

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).

Peter writes,

If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:11).

Friends, don't be ruled by stress, anxiety, and fear. Trust in the LORD. This is my practice every morning. I thank God for His mercy and grace and ask for His wisdom and providence to guide me through the day. Then, come what may, I find that the peace of God upholds me and strengthens me. 

So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord (1 Chronicles 30:10-12).

Hezekiah sends messengers to the people living in the northern kingdom of Israel, who have in large part been exiled by the Assyrian King, Tiglath-Pileser, to other regions of the world. He appeals to the remnant of Israel to return to the LORD. Some respond by mocking the messengers and rejecting the call to repentance. Others, however, respond by humbling themselves and returning to Jerusalem and to the Temple, which was the place that God had specifically chosen for His people to worship Him. 

These two very different responses should remind us that not everyone will embrace the message of repentance. Some will and some won't. Even though some people reject Hezekiah's appeal, this does not deter Hezekiah's resolve to lead the people in repentance and worship. He does not delay his resolve because of the unfaithful. And he prays for those that desire to be faithful but come with their shortcomings (cf. 2 Chronicles 30:18-20). 

I am reminded of Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14).

Jesus speaks of salvation being available to all, but most will choose the broad way to destruction rather than the narrow way to life.

How telling this should be to us, who often define quality by how many "likes" something gets or how many stars reviewers give it. What's popular is not always what's best. What the majority approves is not a good bellwether for what God approves. In fact, God's ways are often unpopular and rejected by most. 

Friends, this is not to say that every fringe idea should be embraced but that popularity should not be one of our moral or spiritual barometers. The Word of God is the preeminent barometer, and every extra-biblical (i.e. outside the Bible) message or experience should be measured by it as well:

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

Thus, the Word of God is able to cut through every disguise, deception and motivation, in order to reveal the truth. What is more, it is sufficient to guide in everything God wants believers to do:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

This sufficiency means that no other resource or experience need to be consulted for guidance. The Bible is sufficent for every good work. In fact, the Bible makes clear that believers are not to go beyond the written Word:

Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.”Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other (1 Corinthians 4:6).

In Paul's counsel to the divisive Corinthian believers, he declares that every believer and even gifted spiritual leaders like himself and Apollos, must stay within the boundaries of Scripture. It is in extra-biblical claims, pronouncements and judgments that unspiritual pride and divisiveness arise. 

Friends, let us understand that not every heart that claims the Name of Christ is totally subjected to biblical truth. Many believe the Bible+something else, whether that be tradition, new apostolic authority, experience, new prophecies, business/common sense, etc. Be wary of these people and these institutions, for anything that violates sola Scriptura (i.e. the Bible alone) for the authoritative guide for faith is like the idolatry of those that would worship other gods along with the worship of the LORD. 

Now you are proposing to subjugate for yourselves the people of Judah and Jerusalem for male and female slaves. Surely, do you not have transgressions of your own against the Lord your God? (2 Chronicles 28:10).

The Northern Kingdom of Israel was used by God to punish the Southern Kingdom of Judah because of Judah's sinful rebellion. But after a great slaughter of people in Judah, Israel was intent on subjugating even more of them. But God reminded them through the prophet Oded that they themselves were not free of transgression, and this excessive harm to their brothers in Judah could tip the scale of God's anger against them. 

There is a principle here that is also echoed in the New Testament. While we are all called to judge so as to discern right from wrong, we are not called to judge so as to condemn. Why? It is because we ourselves are sinners deserving wrath but who have received mercy and grace from the Lord. 

When the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees bring to Jesus a woman caught in the act of adultery, they have a mob of people, young and old, ready to stone the woman on account of her sin; however, Jesus told them,

Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her (John 8:7).

What is more, Jesus, who was the only One that was sinless and had the authority to judge, instead chose to show mercy and extend grace. In this way, He set an example for us, that we should do likewise. As James also wrote,

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:12-13).

Even when Christians rebuke, correct and admonish one another, we must remember that we ourselves are not guilt-free. We are simply forgiven sinners. Since we have been forgiven, we too must be ready and willing to forgive others. 

Now, this does not mean that we turn a blind eye to sin, for we are commanded to use the Scriptures to correct and rebuke each other, as well as to encourage each other with patience:

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:2).

Now, the goal of every instruction is love and every correction is restoration:

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer... The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:3,5).

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted (Galatians 6:1).

Even with respect to the incestuous man, Paul sought his ultimate restoration. He wrote,

Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:5).

Now, with respect to this incident, Paul told the Corinthian congregation to expel the person from their congregation:

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you” (1 Corinthians 5:12,13).

The extent of Christian judgment was separation from the sinner, even to treat them as an outsider rather than a fellow believer. Thus, Jesus also wrote,

If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that "every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector (Matthew 18:15-17).

As can be observed from both passages, this separation was the result of unrepentance. Thus, where there is no repentance, the Christian response is not unconditional forgiveness, as some have wrongly preached, but rather separation and even estrangement until their is acknowledgement and sorrow for sin.

The goal is alsways repentance and restoration, but forgiveness without repentance is simply a license to continue in wrongdoing and tantamount to condonement of sin.

But where there is repentance, as was the case for the incestuous man of Corinth, the instruction is forgiveness and restoration:

The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:6-11).

But what biblical basis is there for forgiving where there is no repentance. Should someone be restored to a right fellowship in the body of Christ where there is no acknowledgment of wrong done? Should we simply amass verses on forgiveness without recognizing that no biblical example of forgiveness is ever unconditional? Even when the condition is not spelled out, it's there. We would consider it blasphemous to say that God saves where there is no acknowledgement of sin. God will not justify anyone who is already just in their own eyes. This is why Jesus said to the Pharisees,

If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains (John 9:41).

Christians are commanded to forgive as the Lord forgave us (cf. Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:32). This is not speaking simply of the fact of forgiveness but also of the manner of forgiveness, namely, where there is repentance.  Consider another example from Jesus' teaching on forgiveness:

If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them” (Luke 1&:3-4).

Granted there are some truncated passages, where it appears no condition is given for forgiveness. But common sense would guide us to use the more detailed instruction to explain the less detailed instruction.

For example, there is a passage that reads, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved - you and your household" (Acts 16:31). No one would argue that this means that people are saved merely by believing in Jesus without knowing and accepting what He did for them." What is more, no one would argue from this passage that if one member of the family believes, the entire family is saved. Why? There are other more detailed passages that clearly spell out what should be understood here.

In the same way, let everyone understand, for leaders from reputable organizations like YWAM have gone around teaching a kind of forgiveness, where not only is repentance absent but where there is no involvement at all from the person being forgiven. Even more, they sometimes pretend that the person actually asked for forgiveness, when no such thing ever occurred. Is our faith make-believe? Is our only concern to gain some kind of emotional reprieve from the angst we harbor toward someone that has wronged us? Do we care so little of God's honor, not to mention what He has prescribed in His Word? I praise God for YWAM in bringing many to faith through their outreaches; however, what they are teaching and practicing in regard to this matter of forgiveness is unbiblical and wrong.

Even when we consider Jesus' parable about the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21-35), we learn that the occasions of forgiveness of debt both involved a humble acknowledgement of debt and request for forgiveness.

Now, please understand, while the Bible teaches against forgiveness where there is no repentance, it does not encourage festering bitterness, retributive actions, or lingering discontent. Instead, what is the rule? 

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited (Romans 12:9-16).

Friends, did you get that? While we are not to forgive the unrepentant sinner and even to separate ourselves from them, as one seeks to separate oneself from any evil, we are nevertheless to continue to love them, pray for for them, and welcome them back into fellowship when God has turned their hearts to repent of their sin. 

Had the "black cloud of smoke" of God that had filled the temple once Solomon has completed the construction/dedication left the temple as the Kings strayed from God or when Ahaz closed and sealed the temple?  Did the smoke (God) return once the temple was rebuilt and rededicated by Hezekiah?  I can't imagine how difficult it would be to stray from God and His word if I had a physical manifestation (the smoke) living in a building behind my home.  It would be a constant reminder to always follow His commandments and law.

So if the smoke left, I was just curious as to when it might have left.  Did it stay until God finally abandoned His people to the Babylonians?

 Jeremiah told the people of his time to reform their ways and actions for Temple services itself does not please God.  Paul told the Romans to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. Religious rituals does not bring someone into a right relationship with God. God desires transformation of our actions and our minds and this is not something we can do ourselves, it is the work of the Holy Spirit for those who are in Christ. 

²² In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. ²³ He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.

 It sounds like that Ahaz believed that some sort of deity could help him to get out of the trouble, but Jehovah God of Israel was not in his list even though He should've been the only one in it. I can easily say how stupid he is because of my puffed up confidence that I wouldn't do such a foolish thing as if I trust Him in everything I do, not realizing that I go for help to many different resources apart from God. There are so many self-help books out there to improve our relationship, health, finance, and so forth. Instead of humbling ourselves before the Lord and confessing that He is the one we must trust, we run after those man-made, temporary band aid for our problems. Let's learn from what our righteous king, Hezekiah, said in Ch. 29:11,

 ¹¹ My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.”

 The Holy Spirit dwells in us and God Himself has chosen us to be a priest for people around us. With the conviction that He can and will provide us with His strength, let us put trust in Him and do what we've got to do today.

The fate of King Ahaz seems far too familiar.  The path to repentance and restored faithfulness can be paved in rebuke and discipline.  Going through a cleansing of sorts is sometimes necessary to reconnect with God.

A question though: what is the significance of Levites being more conscientious than the priests in the following verse from chapter 30: "³⁴ The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings; so their kinsmen the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated, for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been."

My thoughts are it has to do with one's faithfulness and obedience rather than entitlement or position.  Anyone else have any insight?

Blessings!!!