February 27: 2 Chronicles 29

Revive Us, Again! —Revival under King Hezekiah

Hezekiah’s reign in Judah is covered in four long chapters, indicating that his rule holds a significant place in Judah’s spiritual history. Here are some of the summary comments provided by major commentators on this section of Scripture. They give a good overview of the situation facing Hezekiah and his role in the revival that took place under his leadership.

We are here entering upon a pleasant scene, the good and glorious reign of Hezekiah, in which we shall find more of God and religion than perhaps in any of the good reigns we have yet met with; for he was a very zealous, devout, good man, none like him. In this chapter we have an account of the work of reformation which he set about with vigour immediately after his accession to the crown. —Matthew Henry Commentary

Hezekiah, the pious son of the godless Ahaz, recognised that it was to be the business of his reign to bring the kingdom out of the utterly ruinous condition into which Ahaz had brought it by his idolatry and his heathen policy, and to elevate the state again, both in respect to religion and morals, and also in political affairs. He consequently endeavoured, in the first place, to do away with the idolatry, and to restore the Jahve-worship according to the law, and then to throw off the yoke of subjection to the Assyrian. These two undertakings, on the success of which God bestowed His blessing, form the contents of the history of his reign both in the books of Kings and in the Chronicle; but they are differently treated by the authors of these books. In the book of Kings, the extirpation of idolatry, and Hezekiah’s faithfulness in cleaving to the Lord his God, are very briefly recorded (2Ki 17:3-7); while the throwing off of the Assyrian yoke, which brought on Sennacherib’s invasion, and ended with the destruction of the Assyrian army before Jerusalem, and the further results of that memorable event (the sickness and recovery of Hezekiah, the arrival of a Babylonian embassy in Jerusalem, and Hezekiah’s reception of them), are very fully narrated in 2 Kings 18:8-20:19. The author of the Chronicle, on the contrary, enlarges upon Hezekiah’s reform of the cultus, the purification of the temple from all idolatrous abominations, the restoration of the Jahve-worship, and a solemn celebration of the passover, to which the king invited not only his own subjects, but also the remainder of the ten tribes (2 Chron 29-31); and gives merely a brief summary of the chief points in Sennacherib’s invasion, and the events connected with it (2 Chron 32). —Keil & Delitzsch Commentary

Hezekiah, who is discussed in this chapter and the next three chapters, is the God-fearing son of an ungodly father. By the providence of God, he has escaped that his father sacrifices him to the idols (2Ch 28:3). In Hezekiah we have a wonderful example of a revival. He shows the energy of faith, while in a later revival under Josiah in the last chapters of 2 Chronicles we will see a deep respect for the Scriptures. —KingComments

The history of Hezekiah is a striking example of revivals that have also taken place in the history of Christianity. But it is not so much an example of a revival which is about the conversion of sinners, but about the conversion of Christians, of lukewarm, sleepy Christians who are awakened again. We see these revivals in the reformation of the sixteenth century and the revival of the nineteenth century. In the reformation of the sixteenth century the emphasis is on the preaching of the Word of God. We see that, in picture, especially with Josiah. In the revival of the nineteenth century the emphasis is on the worship of the Father and the Son because of the work of the Son on the cross. We see that, in picture, especially in Hezekiah. —KingComments

We should consider the revival under Hezekiah as a model for revival in our times.