Thurs.’s Devo - Unity

Read: 2 Chronicles 30:1-31:21; Romans 15:1-22; Psalm 25:1-15; Proverbs 20:13-15
One of the first things Hezekiah did was reinstitute the feasts starting with Passover. Passover is the feast that commemorated their freedom from Egypt and looks forward to our salvation in the cross. It is the beginning of our Christian walk.
There were not enough priests consecrated to do the Passover in the first month of the religious calendar so they put it off for a month and did it in the second month.
Hezekiah sent out his officials with an edict to call the people back to the Lord. Many of the people mocked them but men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem for the Passover. The Feast of Unleavened Bread fell before Passover that year. The Feast of Unleavened Bread represents sanctification - the cleansing of sin. They cleared away the idol incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley on this day. They celebrated a great time of sacrifice and joy and asked the Lord to forgive their sins. The people were so glad to be returning to the Lord they asked to celebrate another 7 days. Hezekiah offered 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep and the people celebrated and rejoiced in the Lord.
When it was over, the people went out and cleansed their land of the idolatry and sin in the high places. Then they returned home. Hezekiah reestablished the daily order in the temple and the priests were put back in their places doing what they were designed to do. The people responded with so many offerings they had more than enough to run the temple.
In have a tendency to think that God wasn’t very gracious in the Old Testament but somehow had an attitude change in the New Testament and became much nicer. That is a laugh out loud! This story totally shows us how God has always been the loving Father that is full of grace and mercy. Hezekiah broke all the religious laws and God still loved it because their hearts were in the right place. First thing he did wrong was to change the date on the feast. It would think that would be a big “no, no”! Then half the people who came weren’t sanctified and couldn’t even answer the one question right…”have you been near a dead person?” So they weren’t even allowed to sacrifice their own animal; the priest had to do it for them. Hezekiah prayed and asked God to overlook all this and he did. God wasn’t interested the letter of the law as much as he was interested in the unity of their hearts.
In Romans we see that God is still interested in our unity of hearts. He wants us to live for others, with their best interest at heart. God knew that it was going to take much love and patience to bring the Jew and the Gentle together as friends and brothers in the Lord. Unity is the struggle of the church but by the power and grace of God, we can obtain it.
Lord, help us to strive to live together in peace and love.