2 Chronicles 29:31
Then Hezekiah said, "Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD." So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings.
Then Hezekiah said,
Hezekiah was the king of Judah, known for his religious reforms and efforts to restore proper worship in the temple. His leadership is often seen as a model of faithfulness to God, contrasting with the idolatry of previous kings.

“Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD,
Consecration involved purification and dedication to God’s service, often through rituals and sacrifices. This reflects the importance of holiness and preparation before approaching God, a theme consistent throughout the Old Testament.

come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.”
The temple in Jerusalem was the central place of worship, symbolizing God's presence among His people. Sacrifices and thank offerings were expressions of devotion, gratitude, and atonement, aligning with the sacrificial system established in the Mosaic Law.

So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings,
The collective response of the people indicates a communal commitment to worship and obedience. This act of bringing offerings signifies a return to covenant faithfulness and a desire to honor God.

and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings.
Burnt offerings were a form of sacrifice where the entire animal was consumed by fire, symbolizing complete surrender to God. The emphasis on willingness highlights the importance of genuine devotion and voluntary worship, echoing themes found in passages like Exodus 35:5, where offerings are given from a willing heart.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Hezekiah
The king of Judah who initiated religious reforms and restored temple worship. He is known for his faithfulness to God and efforts to bring the people back to proper worship.

2. The Assembly
The people of Judah who gathered at the temple in response to Hezekiah's call for consecration and worship. Their participation signifies a collective return to God.

3. The House of the LORD
Refers to the temple in Jerusalem, the central place of worship for the Israelites, where sacrifices and offerings were made.

4. Sacrifices and Thank Offerings
These were offerings made to God as expressions of worship, gratitude, and atonement. They symbolize the people's renewed commitment to God.

5. Consecration
The act of dedicating oneself to the service of the LORD, involving purification and a commitment to holiness.
Teaching Points
Consecration Precedes Worship
Before approaching God with offerings, the people consecrated themselves. This teaches us the importance of preparing our hearts and lives before engaging in worship.

Willingness in Worship
The passage highlights that those "whose hearts were willing" brought offerings. True worship stems from a willing and joyful heart, not mere obligation.

Community in Worship
The assembly's collective action underscores the importance of communal worship and the power of a united body of believers in glorifying God.

Gratitude as Worship
Thank offerings were a central part of the worship, reminding us that gratitude should be a key component of our relationship with God.

Holistic Worship
The integration of consecration, sacrifice, and thanksgiving illustrates a holistic approach to worship that involves the heart, mind, and actions.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does it mean to consecrate oneself to the LORD, and how can we apply this in our daily lives?

2. How does the concept of willing offerings challenge our approach to giving and serving in the church today?

3. In what ways can we foster a sense of community in our worship practices, similar to the assembly in this passage?

4. How can we incorporate gratitude more intentionally into our worship and daily life?

5. Reflect on Romans 12:1. How does offering ourselves as living sacrifices relate to the physical sacrifices described in 2 Chronicles 29:31?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 7
Provides detailed instructions on thank offerings, highlighting their role in expressing gratitude and fellowship with God.

Romans 12:1
Encourages believers to offer themselves as living sacrifices, drawing a parallel to the physical sacrifices in the Old Testament as a spiritual act of worship.

Psalm 51:17
Emphasizes a contrite heart as the true sacrifice God desires, connecting the physical act of sacrifice with the inner attitude of the heart.
ConsecrationBishop Charles E. Cheney.2 Chronicles 29:31
The Revival of Religion in Church or StateT. Whitelaw 2 Chronicles 29:31
Worship and Thank-OfferingsJoseph Irons.2 Chronicles 29:31
The Re-Dedication of the TempleT. Whitelaw 2 Chronicles 29:20-36
The Public Worship of GodW. Clarkson 2 Chronicles 29:26-36
People
Aaron, Abdi, Abijah, Ahaz, Amasai, Asaph, Azariah, David, Elizaphan, Esther, Gad, Gershonites, Heman, Hezekiah, Jeduthun, Jehalelel, Jehiel, Jeiel, Jeuel, Joah, Joel, Kish, Kohathites, Levites, Mahath, Mattaniah, Merari, Merarites, Nathan, Shemaiah, Shimei, Shimri, Uzziel, Zechariah, Zimmah
Places
Holy Place, Jerusalem, Kidron
Topics
Answereth, Assembly, Bring, Burned, Burnt, Burnt-offerings, Congregation, Consecrated, Dedicated, Filled, Free, Heart, Hearts, Hezekiah, Hezeki'ah, Moved, Nigh, Offerings, Praise-offerings, Sacrifices, Temple, Thank, Thank-offerings, Willing, Willing-hearted, Yourselves
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Chronicles 29:31

     5014   heart, human
     5015   heart, and Holy Spirit
     7476   thank-offering

2 Chronicles 29:3-36

     7390   Levites

2 Chronicles 29:15-31

     8271   holiness, purpose

2 Chronicles 29:31-33

     7435   sacrifice, in OT

Library
A Godly Reformation
'Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 2. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. 3. He in the first year of his reign, in the first mouth, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them. 4. And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Sacrifice Renewed
'Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, and the altar of burnt-offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shew-bread table, with all the vessels thereof. 19. Moreover, all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they are before the altar of the Lord. 20. Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Twenty-Fourth Day. Holiness and Cleansing.
Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.'--2 Cor. vii. 1. That holiness is more than cleansing, and must be preceded by it, is taught us in more than one passage of the New Testament. 'Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself up for it, that He might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word.' 'If a man cleanse himself from these, he shall be a vessel
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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