2 Chronicles 31

After the great Passover, revival spreads from worship into daily life. The people tear down idols, King Hezekiah restores the temple service and gives from his own wealth, and the people bring tithes so generously that there is more than enough. The chapter closes by praising Hezekiah for seeking God with his whole heart.

2 Chronicles 31:1

Worship at the Passover led straight to action. The people left Jerusalem and smashed the idols and false shrines across Judah, Benjamin, and even the northern tribes. They did not stop until the work was complete. Then they went home. True revival changes what people do where they live.

BSA: utterly destroyed (“completely demolished, ruined”): The cleansing was thorough, leaving no false altar standing.

See also: Exodus 23:24; 2 Kings 18:4.

2 Chronicles 31:2

Hezekiah put the priests and Levites back into their assigned groups, each with a task. Some handled sacrifices, some served, some led thanks and praise at the temple gates. Worship was meant to be ordered and continual, not occasional.

BSA: divisions (“courses, groups”): The workers served in organized rotations, as David had arranged long before.

See also: 1 Chronicles 23:6.

2 Chronicles 31:3

The king led by example. He paid for the daily morning and evening offerings and for the special days from his own wealth. He did this because the Law of the LORD required these offerings, not because he wanted credit. Leaders who give first make giving easier for others.

BSA: burnt offerings (“ascent to the altar, sacrifices”): The offering went up in smoke to God, picturing complete devotion.

See also: Numbers 28:1-10.

2 Chronicles 31:4

Hezekiah told the people of Jerusalem to give the portion owed to the priests and Levites. These men had no farmland of their own. With their needs met, they could give themselves fully to the Law of the LORD, teaching and serving without worry.

BSA: devote (“give themselves, be strong, encouraged”): Supporting them did more than feed them; it strengthened and encouraged their ministry.

See also: Numbers 18:21; 1 Corinthians 9:13-14.

2 Chronicles 31:5

The people responded at once and gladly. They brought the first and best of their grain, wine, oil, honey, and every crop, plus a tenth of everything. When hearts have been turned to God, giving flows freely rather than being squeezed out.

BSA: firstfruits (“initial harvest, beginning of the crop”): Giving the first portion showed trust that God would supply the rest.

See also: Proverbs 3:9-10.

2 Chronicles 31:6

People in the country towns of Judah, including settlers from the northern tribes, also brought a tenth of their cattle and sheep. They also brought gifts set apart for God. The gifts piled up in great heaps. The whole land took part, not just the capital.

See also: Leviticus 27:30-32.

2 Chronicles 31:7-8

The gathering lasted from the third month to the seventh, the time between the early harvest and the autumn harvest. When Hezekiah and his officials saw the heaps, they did not boast. They blessed the LORD and His people. They saw this abundance as God’s gift and the people’s faithfulness.

BSA: blessed (“praised, honored”): The king’s first response was praise to God, not pride in a successful campaign.

2 Chronicles 31:9-10

Hezekiah asked about the heaps, and Azariah the chief priest gave a wonderful answer. Since the gifts began, the priests had eaten their fill and still had a great deal left. He credited the LORD, who had blessed His people. God’s provision exceeds what faithful giving seems to cost.

BSA: plenty (“an abundance, more than enough”): God’s supply did not merely meet the need but overflowed it.

See also: Malachi 3:10.

2 Chronicles 31:11-13

So much had come in that Hezekiah ordered storerooms built in the temple. He named trustworthy men to oversee them, with Conaniah in charge and Shimei second. Good care of what God supplies needs order and faithful people.

BSA: faithfully (“with trust and loyalty, in a steadfast manner”): Handling God’s gifts called for people who could be trusted with them.

2 Chronicles 31:14-15

Kore, the keeper of the East Gate, handled the freewill offerings and the distribution of the holy gifts. His helpers carried portions to the priests in their own towns, to old and young alike. Nobody was overlooked because of distance or age.

BSA: freewill offerings (“voluntary gifts, spontaneous donations”): These were given from the heart, beyond any required amount.

2 Chronicles 31:16-17

Portions went to priests and Levites according to their family records and duties. Boys from age three who would later serve were included, as were Levites of twenty and older. Even those young ones were cared for as part of the household of service.

See also: Numbers 8:24.

2 Chronicles 31:18-19

The records covered the whole families, including wives, sons, and daughters, because these households had set themselves apart as holy. Priests living in farm country around the towns were not forgotten either. Named men saw to it that every listed male received his share.

BSA: consecrated (“set apart, sanctified”): They belonged to God for His service, which is why the community supported them.

2 Chronicles 31:20-21

The writer sums up Hezekiah’s reign: he did what was good, upright, and true before the LORD. He worked wholeheartedly in temple service and in obeying God’s commands, always seeking God. His success followed from that seeking, not the other way around.

BSA: seek (“search, ask”): Hezekiah’s whole effort rested on a steady search for God Himself.

See also: 2 Kings 18:5-7; Psalm 1:1-3.