#DailyDevotion Do You Need To Clean Out Your Temple?
September 11th
Read 2 Chr 29:1–24
2Ch 29:2-5 And he[Hezekiah] did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. (3) In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. (4) He brought in the priests and the Levites and assembled them in the square on the east (5) and said to them, “Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place.
The Jews had only a couple of righteous kings who worshipped the Lord, who trusted in His promises. Hezekiah was one of those. By his day, the temple was fairly much in ruins. The priests had quit the offerings, sacrifices and preaching and teaching the Word of the Lord. Some may have employed themselves as priests of the other false gods the Jews were worshipping. They had filled the temple with abominable objects of worship. It needed a thorough cleaning.
Hezekiah remembered the Word of the Lord and trusted in the Lord. Accordingly he reinstituted the temple sacrifices. 2Ch 29:22-24 “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.”
The book of Hebrews writes, Heb 9:22 “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” He also writes, Heb 10:4 “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” These were offered up in light of the sacrifice of Jesus. Now Jesus has offered up Himself and shed His blood for you. Paul writes, Eph 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,…” We have been separated from the world and cleansed like the priests who cleansed the temple. Heb 10:19-22 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, (20) by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, (21) and since we have a great priest over the house of God, (22) let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Again, Heb 12:22-24 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, (23) and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, (24) and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” This is what we are experiencing when we gather together on Sunday mornings.
We need to remember also that 1Co 6:19-20 “… your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, (20) for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” So likewise we should like the priest of Hezekiah’s day remove the filth from our lives and our hearts and replace it with the Word and Promises of Jesus and let them reign there.
Lord Jesus Christ, through baptism, you have sprinkled us with your blood, made atonement for our sins and made us your holy temple. Give us your Spirit through the Word and Sacraments that we may purify our hearts and dedicate them to your service as you have given yours. Amen.