A New Solomon

2 Chronicles 29

            The Chronicler presents Hezekiah in glowing terms. In verse 2, he compares Hezekiah to David, and throughout the chapter he describes Hezekiah’s work on the temple in terms comparable to Solomon. Unlike his predecessors, Hezekiah begins his work on the temple immediately upon taking the throne—the first month of the first year. Hezekiah understands that refusing to worship the Lord as the Lord directed resulted in Judah’s troubles, and he assigns the right people, that Levites, to do the work of re-consecrating the temple. And when the time comes to restart sacrifices, Hezekiah gives the priests the responsibility for offering them, just as Leviticus had directed.

            My study Bible, NIV Study Bible (2020 edition), notes that Hezekiah’s likeness to Solomon keeps going. He will be honored by Gentiles, he will be wealthy, he will have an extensive domain (nothing like Solomon’s, mind you, but for his day…).

            Looking ahead, this makes the fall of Judah, about 100 years after Hezekiah’s death, all the more strange to me. Hezekiah was a faithful king; Josiah, his great-grandson was faithful. But even these two kings could not stay the Lord’s exhaustion with the idolatry of his people. Chronicles has clarified that the problem was not just the behavior of the kings but that the people themselves were idolaters. Perhaps Hezekiah’s reforms did not take root as thoroughly among the populace as they should have. Perhaps the Lord is not just looking at the present but the whole history of His people. For whatever reason, despite the glowing portrait of Hezekiah, Judah’s decline is imminent.

            The Lord is long-suffering, but then and now there does come a point at which his patience is exhausted. He will not reject us forever, the Scriptures are clear about that. But He will sometimes consign us to the consequences of our choices.

            That all seems a long way off from today’s reading but I think there’s a lesson there: the Lord wants faithfulness—not occasional faithfulness, just faithfulness. Ultimately our salvation rests on His faithfulness, especially to His promises of salvation fulfilled in Jesus, but that ought not blind us to what He wants from us: our hearts, souls, and minds.