2 Chronicles 31:1-21 (October 23, 2025)

Hezekiah Organizes the Priests

31 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 firstfruits 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.

Reformation After Revival: When Grace Orders Our Lives

SUMMARY

After what the Chronicler called “a very great Passover” (30:13, 26), a nationwide transformation followed. The Bible records it as a great Passover not because of spectacle or numbers, but because of grace, unity, joy, and consequence.

It was great in grace, for God pardoned those who came unclean but with sincere hearts (30:18–19). It was great in unity, as remnants from both Judah and the fallen northern tribes gathered as one people before the Lord. It was great in joy, as forgiveness overflowed into worship so exuberant that the people extended the feast another seven days (30:23). And it was great in consequence, for the revival did not end in emotion. It bore fruit in lasting reformation. Grace moved from the altar to the nation.

True worship produced moral courage: idols were torn down not by decree but by voluntary zeal.

Hezekiah then organized the priests and Levites for regular service (v. 2). He ensured that worship, teaching, and thanksgiving continued daily according to the law of Moses and the commands of David. The king himself contributed from his own possessions for the offerings (v. 3), modeling generosity.

He also commanded the people living in Jerusalem to bring the firstfruits and tithes (vv. 4–6). The response was overwhelming: heaps of grain, wine, oil, and honey filled the storehouses (v. 6). The abundance was so great that the priests “blessed the Lord and his people Israel” (v. 8). Hezekiah ordered chambers to be prepared to store the contributions and appointed faithful overseers to distribute them equitably (vv. 11–19).

The chapter concludes:

“Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. 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" (vv. 20–21).

Revival had led to reformation. Grace transformed not only hearts but the entire structure of worship, work, and community life.

WHO IS GOD?

God is the God of order, faithfulness, and provision. His purpose in revival is not only emotional renewal but the restoration of proper worship and righteous order among His people. As Paul later wrote, “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

In 2 Chronicles 31, we see His faithfulness mirrored in the faithful administration of His servants. God delights when His people give generously, trust His provision, and honor Him with their firstfruits (Proverbs 3:9–10). The abundance that overflowed in the temple courts was not human success but divine blessing. He is the same God who multiplied loaves and fishes. He provides more than enough for those who seek first His kingdom (Matthew 6:33).

He is also a covenant God who calls His people into disciplined service. Hezekiah’s reforms reflect God’s holiness: sanctified worship, faithful leadership, honest stewardship, and community life filled with His presence.

WHAT IS OUR GUILT?

Our guilt lies in dualism, which is separating worship from life. For example, if we celebrate spiritual renewal without intentionally working to reorder our daily obedience, it's dualism. Like Israel, we may rejoice in revival moments, but we often fail to reform the patterns of our lives. When worship is confined to specific spaces while daily life remains untouched, we commit covenantal unfaithfulness.

The Israelites, freshly revived from the Passover, did not stop with praise. They went out and destroyed idols throughout Judah and Ephraim (v. 1). True grace always demands tangible obedience. But when we cling to hidden idols of comfort, self-reliance, or material security, we reveal that our hearts are divided. Jesus exposed this same dualism:

Modern idolatry may not bow to Asherah poles, but it thrives whenever believers compartmentalize their faith. When we attend worship on Sunday but live the rest of the week in secular ways, we are practicing dualism. To separate liturgy from life is to forget the covenant call to live coram Deo—before the face of God in all things. A revival that does not lead to reformation becomes sentiment without substance.

HOW DOES GRACE SHINE?

Grace shines as God’s enabling power for sustained obedience. The same God who stirred hearts to celebrate Passover now empowers them to live out that joy through holy order. Grace does not end with forgiveness. It produces fruitful lives.

Hezekiah’s reforms remind us that grace not only pardons but restores. Each priest, Levite, and layperson rediscovered their God-given role. This mirrors the New Testament church, where grace distributes gifts so that “each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16).

Moreover, grace overflowed in generosity. The people gave freely and abundantly, prefiguring the gospel economy:

The order, equity, and joy in Hezekiah’s community all point to the Spirit’s transforming work. True reformation is not human achievement but divine work, organizing redeemed hearts into faithful service.

PRAYER

Father, thank you for being the God of holy order and abundant grace. You have not only forgiven us but also called us to live faithfully under your rule. Teach us to give generously, to serve consistently, and to worship you in both heart and habit. May the revival you begin in us produce a lasting reformation that glorifies your name and blesses your people.

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