Study Desk

The people of Israel in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread with great joy for seven days. And the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with all their strength.

King Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites who understood very well how to do the service of the Lord . The people celebrated the festival for seven days and offered fellowship offerings. They gave thanks and praise to the Lord , the God of their ancestors.

All the people agreed to stay seven more days. They were joyful as they celebrated the Passover for seven more days.

King Hezekiah of Judah gave 1000 bulls and 7000 sheep to the assembly to kill and eat. The leaders gave 1000 bulls and 10,000 sheep to the assembly. Many priests prepared themselves for holy service.

When the Passover celebration was finished, the Israelites who were in Jerusalem for Passover went out to the towns of Judah. Then they smashed the stone idols that were in the towns. These stone idols were used to worship false gods. They also cut down the Asherah poles. And they destroyed the high places and the altars all through the areas of Judah and Benjamin. They did the same things in the area of Ephraim and Manasseh. They did these things until they destroyed all the things used for worshiping the false gods. Then all the Israelites went back home to their own towns.

Hezekiah gave some of his own animals to be offered as the burnt offerings. These animals were used for the daily burnt offerings that were given each morning and each evening. They were offered on the Sabbath days, during New Moon celebrations, and on the other special meeting days, as the law of the Lord commands.

The men of Israel and Judah living in the towns of Judah also brought one-tenth of their cattle and sheep. They also brought one-tenth of the things that were put in a special place that was only for the Lord their God. They brought all these things and put them in piles.

Kore was in charge of the offerings that the people freely gave to God. He was responsible for giving out the collections that were given to the Lord . And he was responsible for giving out the gifts that had been made holy. Kore was the gatekeeper at the East Gate. His father's name was Imnah the Levite.

These men also gave the collection of things to the males three years old and older who had their names in the Levite family histories. All these males were to enter the Lord 's Temple for daily service to do the things they were responsible to do. Each group of Levites had their own responsibility.

The Levites' babies, wives, sons, and daughters also got part of the collection. This was done for all the Levites who were listed in the family histories. This was because the Levites were faithful to always keep themselves holy and ready for service.

After Hezekiah had faithfully done everything the Lord commanded, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the country of Judah. Sennacherib and his army camped outside the fortresses. He did this so that he could make plans to defeat these towns. Sennacherib wanted to win them for himself.

King Sennacherib of Assyria and all his army were camped near the town of Lachish so that they could defeat it. Then Sennacherib sent his officers to King Hezekiah of Judah and to all the people of Judah in Jerusalem. His officers had a message for Hezekiah and all the people in Jerusalem.

So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people in Jerusalem from King Sennacherib of Assyria and from all other people. He cared for Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem.

Many people brought gifts for the Lord to Jerusalem. They brought valuable things to King Hezekiah of Judah. From that time on, all the nations respected Hezekiah.

But Hezekiah's heart was proud, so he did not give God thanks for his kindness. This is why God was angry with Hezekiah and with the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

Hezekiah had storage buildings for the grain, new wine, and oil that people sent to him. He had stalls for all the cattle and stalls for the sheep.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king of Judah. He was king for 55 years in Jerusalem.

Manasseh rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down. Manasseh built altars for the Baal gods and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to the constellations and worshiped those groups of stars.

Manasseh built altars for false gods in the Lord 's Temple. The Lord said about the Temple, "My name will be in Jerusalem forever."

He built altars for all the groups of stars in the two yards of the Lord 's Temple.