2 Chronicles 29:20–36 (October 20, 2025)

Hezekiah Restores Temple Worship

20 Then Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the officials of the city and went up to the house of the Lord. 21 And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male 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. 22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood and threw it against the altar. And they slaughtered the rams, and their blood was thrown against the altar. And they slaughtered the lambs, and their blood was thrown against the altar. 23 Then the goats for the sin offering were brought to the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them, 24 and the priests slaughtered them and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

25 And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the commandment of David and of Gad the king's seer and of Nathan the prophet, for the commandment was from the Lord through his prophets. 26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. 27 Then Hezekiah commanded that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song to the Lord began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. 28 The whole assembly worshiped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded. All this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 29 When the offering was finished, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped. 30 And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped.

31 Then Hezekiah said, “You have now consecrated yourselves to the Lord. Come near; bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the Lord.” And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all who were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings. 32 The number of the burnt offerings that the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord. 33 And the consecrated offerings were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep. 34 But the priests were too few and could not flay all the burnt offerings, so until other priests had consecrated themselves, their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was finished—for the Levites were more upright in heart than the priests in consecrating themselves. 35 Besides the great number of burnt offerings, there was the fat of the peace offerings, and there were the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of the Lord was restored. 36 And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had provided for the people, for the thing came about suddenly.

Reopening What Sin Had Closed

Summary

After years of corruption under King Ahaz, the temple doors were shut, sacrifices stopped, and idols filled the land. The nation’s relationship with God had grown cold. Then came Hezekiah. In the first year of his reign, he reopened the temple, consecrated the priests, and restored the altar of the Lord.

Now in verses 20–36, the renewal reaches its climax. Hezekiah gathers the leaders, priests, and Levites at dawn and leads them into worship. Seven bulls, rams, lambs, and goats are offered. Seven is the number of completeness, symbolizing full atonement. As the blood is sprinkled, the king commands,

Then the music begins. The “song of the Lord” rises with cymbals, harps, and trumpets as the burnt offerings are laid upon the altar (v. 27). The people bow down. The priests and Levites sing and play “until the burnt offering was finished” (v. 28).

Finally, Hezekiah invites the people to bring their own offerings. They respond so eagerly that “the priests were too few” (v. 34). The passage closes with joy:

Who Is God

God restores worship and redeems His people. His holiness requires cleansing, and His mercy provides the means of return. God does not wait for perfect people. He actively moves toward repentant hearts. The renewal in Hezekiah’s day was not just administrative. It was spiritual. The temple's doors reopened because God opened the people's hearts first.

God also brings order.

Worship was not spontaneous chaos but ordered devotion. This is a reflection of God’s own character.

For the New Testament believer, this same God now dwells not in a building but in His people. Christ is the true temple, and through Him, God’s presence fills His church. If we neglect worship, then we are “shutting the doors.” How foolish of us! God calls us to return to Christ in repentance, which is to reopen the "doors" of the temple.

What Is Our Guilt

Our guilt mirrors Judah’s. We may not have literal idols or altars, but we often close the “temple doors” of our hearts. If we treat worship as optional and when our prayer becomes casual, when the gospel is displaced by the worldly "success" (i.e. numbers), then we repeat Ahaz’s sin in spirit.

We are guilty when we replace the gospel of grace with the religion of comfort and convenience. Ahaz had built altars “in every corner of Jerusalem” (28:24). Seeking help from the divine became more convenient, more accessible, and more controllable. Likewise, if we design faith around what feels comfortable rather than what is holy, then we are just like Ahaz.

Spiritual decline begins not with rebellion but with neglect. We “shut the doors” whenever we stop making space for repentance, for the Word, and for worship centered on Christ.

How Does Grace Shine

Grace shines in Hezekiah’s courage and God’s quick response.

What sin closes, grace can reopen in a moment of repentance, here and now.

Grace also shines in the order of worship: sacrifice first, then song. The music began when the offering began (v. 27). The same pattern holds in the gospel. Joy follows atonement. Our worship flows not from human enthusiasm but from the finished work of Christ, who “offered Himself once for all” (Heb 10:10).

In Him, God’s temple is never closed again. Through His torn flesh, the veil was torn, granting us perpetual access to the Father (Matt 27:51). Every time we return to Him in repentance and faith, the “song of the Lord” begins again in our hearts. Hallelujah!

For today’s church, Hezekiah’s reform calls us to reopen the spiritual altars we’ve neglected--the altar of prayer, the altar of Scripture, the altar of corporate worship. True revival begins when the gospel regains the central place in the life of God’s people.

Prayer

O Lord,

You are the living God who restores what sin has ruined.

Forgive us for closing the doors of worship through apathy, distraction, and pride.

Reopen the sanctuary of our hearts, that we may once again sing the song of grace.

Teach us to order our ways before You, as Hezekiah did,

and to find our joy not in success but in Your presence.

Thank You that in Jesus Christ, the true Temple,

the doors of mercy stand forever open.

Renew us by Your Spirit and let true worship rise again.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.