#578 What The Shepherds Said To Them

Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession.

2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, division by division, each according to his service, the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to minister in the gates of the camp of the Lord and to give thanks and praise. 3 The contribution of the king from his own possessions was for the burnt offerings: the burnt offerings of morning and evening, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the appointed feasts, as it is written in the Law of the Lord. 4 And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the Law of the Lord. 5 As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. 6 And the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, and laid them in heaps.7 In the third month they began to pile up the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 8 When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel. 9 And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. 10 Azariah the chief priest, who was of the house of Zadok, answered him, “Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the Lord, we have eaten and had enough and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed his people, so that we have this large amount left.”

11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare chambers in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them. 12 And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with Shimei his brother as second, 13 while Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers assisting Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the chief officer of the house of God. 14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the east gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to apportion the contribution reserved for the Lord and the most holy offerings. 15 Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah were faithfully assisting him in the cities of the priests, to distribute the portions to their brothers, old and young alike, by divisions, 16 except those enrolled by genealogy, males from three years old and upward—all who entered the house of the Lord as the duty of each day required—for their service according to their offices, by their divisions. 17 The enrollment of the priests was according to their fathers' houses; that of the Levites from twenty years old and upward was according to their offices, by their divisions. 18 They were enrolled with all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole assembly, for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy. 19 And for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of common land belonging to their cities, there were men in the several cities who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone among the Levites who was enrolled.

20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. 21 And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered. 2 Chronicles 31 ESV

Hezekiah had already started reform, but now the people were invested as well. This did not change who was king in the northern regions, but the people had changed. Government can only go so far, we may hope that they enforce those rules that benefit all humanity, but the influence of heart, the desire for God has gone to the homes and across the border, where Hezekiah could not reach. Some men think much of legislation, but truly the law is for the lawless, there is no better remedy than a heart set upon the glory and honor of God. Men's ideas are up and down, but God never has to change. Men can be wrong about God, but again it is not God Who needs to change. Daniel and his friends realized this well, and for those that suppose that God can be adjusted to a time or culture, neither the lion's den nor the furnace testified to such. You may feel powerless against the culture and yet able to hide away one Jew during the holocaust. You may feel powerless against the culture, and yet take one slave to safety aboard the underground railroad. You may stand up for God's honor and die to your need of acceptance by the crowd, put yourself between a bully and his victim. When you realize that it is bigger than you, that your strength can fail, you may find the strong and warm embrace of God, as you lift up empty hands to heaven. Pray for your leaders, pray for your neighbors, and when the call comes, give what is asked of you. 

The king puts back the order of the tithe, the provision of the Levis and the priest. They were to be set apart for the service of God, the temple, study of the law, and the service of the people in religion. The people were glad to give and the king looked in upon it, and we should always look to where we give, for though we place blame later, it would be better to know in advance. Whether government or church, we should be concerned as stewards where our money has gone. Wherever there is access to money in this world there will be wolves and charlatans near by. They will learn to say what you say, go through such motions as make you comfortable, but they will be stealing all along. They love titles and the idea of influence and rule, for it gives them money, they relish power. Some will never give up the vocabulary of religion, even when they do not own the heart of it; we see politicians, that couldn't care less about God, pull out scriptures all the time. Do not think that it won't happen in the church as well. 

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,”[a] and “The worker deserves his wages.”[b] 19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. 21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism. 1 Timothy 5: 17-21