2 Chronicles 30:13 – 20

Although there were those who rejected the invitation, a very large crowd accepted (12).  It turned out that there was a tremendous crowd of people…The Message. Today you may experience disappointments and reversals, but refuse to be downcast. Hold on to the hope of a great harvest. Losing the odd skirmish here and there (or appearing to) does not necessarily mean the loss of the war altogether. Take heart and keep moving forward, even though progress may be painfully slow at times; and on other occasions may appear non-existent.

Some Christians seem to think that if a work grows big it must be superficial. But it ain’t necessarily so! This very large crowd who gathered for ‘church’ were serious in their intent (14), and they got to work getting rid of the accumulated pagan junk and dumping it. They didn’t just come together for a jolly service to then return home and be the same old people. They understood that change was necessary and they were fully prepared to roll up their sleeves and be part of it. There were things that needed transporting to the garbage heap and they were going to escort them off the premises.

Having said this, there was a mixed multitude attending the Passover that day. There were priests and Levites present who, up to this point, had been tardy in their duties. It’s interesting to see how the commitment of some can positively affect others: …but now, embarrassed in their laziness, they consecrated themselves… The Message. They finally got on with obeying the Word of God. Well, it is ‘better late than never.’ There are sins of ‘omission’ as well as sins of ‘commission.’ If you have been failing to do something that you know you ought to do, today is ‘the first day of the rest of your life’, and while you have breath it is not too late to get on with it.

Even amongst the great mass of people who came together to do the right thing: to remove the polluting things that God hates and to offer the Passover, there was deficiency and lack in their commitment. They hadn’t got everything right. Perhaps it was because it had been so long since Passover was last celebrated. We read: …so many in the congregation had not properly prepared themselves…they had not prepared themselves adequately… (17, 18). Nevertheless, Hezekiah knew that they were sincere in heart (19). They wanted to seek God. So he prayed for the people, and God had mercy (20).

This passage leaves us with a two pronged challenge:

a.)    Do we prepare ourselves as we ought to for corporate worship? Do we take some time on a Saturday, or on a Sunday morning to pray for the services, for those leading and preaching, and for all who will gather together? Do we examine our hearts, confess our sins, and put things right with God, and with others (where necessary)? Or do you just roll out of bed, down the aisle and into your pew?

b.)    Do we who lead recognise our responsibility to pray earnestly and faithfully for those we lead? There are many things ‘shepherds’ can and should do for the ‘sheep’. In it all – in all the busyness of our lives – let’s not neglect to pray. We have encouragement from today’s reading to believe that God will do good things for his people in response to our prayers.

Prayer: Lord, help me to take seriously the challenge and responsibility and privilege to pray for others. Give me faith to expect that things will be different if I pray.