Obedience Includes Starting NOW!

Second Chronicles 29 begins with Hezekiah becoming King over Israel.

Hezekiah's father, Ahaz, had just died. The legacy of Ahaz was one of disobedience to God. Scripture records, "he did not do right in the sight of the LORD" (2 Chron 28:1).

Ahaz was not alone. Today we might describe him as "just like any normal person." Scripture says it like this, "he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel." (28:2). In other words, he followed after the will of people. He did right in his own eyes, and most people would not consider this unusual.

Then, along comes his son, Hezekiah. Hezekiah's heart was directed toward pleasing God, and it did not take weeks, months, or years for his obedience toward God to be apparent.

Immediately after stating that Hezekiah became king, and giving a one-verse overview of who he was, scripture records, "He did right in the sight of the LORD," and then "In the first year of his reign, in the first month," he restored the house of the LORD, the Temple.

As you read on it becomes clear that Hezekiah made the restoration of Israel as God's people the top priority of his reign. He started immediately.

Why? Over and over in the books of Kings and Chronicles a similar story is told over and over: the people fall away from their love of the Lord, God punishes them, the people repent and cry out for mercy, God restores them.

Hezekiah knew that the people had once more, under his father's rule, neglected to serve and love the Lord with all their soul, mind, and strength. The time to repent was NOW. He told those responsible as priests, the Levites, "Consecrate yourselves now". The word consecrate means to set themselves apart, to prepare themselves once again to serve the Lord. In essence, repent and set your affection on God.

What about us?

We live in a day and age where people are encouraged to "do what is right for you". Here in the USA we still live very comfortable lives. We have the means to decide where we will live, how we will live, and how to spend our time.

Everywhere you look, people are deciding based on their own desires, their perceived self-centered needs, and how they feel. How wicked we have become.

It is time to repent, and the time to repent is now. If Hezekiah were here today, he would tell us to turn our affections to the Lord, now. He would tell us "do not be negligent now" (v11).

The New Testament puts it this way, 'Today is the day of salvation.' (2 Cor 6:2).

If you are not a Christian, do not wait.

If you are a Christian, today is the day to fully turn your affection to Christ.