Consecrating Ourselves to God
By
John Collins
2 Chronicles 29 tells how Hezekiah started his reign as king in a way that was pleasing to the Lord.
In the first month, he brought the priests and the Levites to assemble them in the temple. He said, "Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place."
Hezekiah explained, "Our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They have forsaken Him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord. They have turned their backs to him."
He went on to say that they put out the lamps of the temple and had not given offerings to the Lord God of Israel. Therefore, he said that the wrath of the Lord came on Judah and Jerusalem, making them an object of horror, astonishment, and "hissing" as they had seen with their own eyes. Hezekiah reminded them that their fathers had fallen because of this, and they were forced into captivity.
Hezekiah said that it was placed on his heart to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, in order that his fierce anger be turned away from them. He said, "My sons, do not be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence to be his ministers and make offerings to Him.
They aroze and gathered their brothers to consecrate themselves, and did as the king commanded by the words of the Lord. Every unclean thing was carried out of the temple. The contents of the temple were made ready and consecrated, and were now before the altar of the Lord.
As Christians, we should ask ourselves: Have we consecrated our hearts and minds to God? If our fathers lifted men, doctrines, or things of this world to a place of worship and idolatry, do we continue on in our sin? Do we cleanse our bodies, which are now our temple, or do we turn our backs on God? Do we not see that through idolatry we are also captive like a prisoner in a holding cell? Have we made a new covenant with the Lord and consecrated ourselves to His service?
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