Cleansing the temple of the heart: Hezekiah’s spiritual revival flows from 2nd-chance Passover (2Chronicles 29–32; 2Kings 18–20; Isaiah 36–39)

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The Lamb before time: Rethinking the role of sacrificial worship

Remember what you’ve lost and how to return

The children of Israel were in a state of exile, living in a place where they were not intended to live permanently. The 10th plague was the culmination of the plagues that God inflicted on Egypt to get the Pharaoh to evict them from the land. The children of Israel would have suffered from the 10th plague if they had not followed the instruction to put the blood of the Pesach lamb on their doorposts. The book of Exodus (Exodus 12:21–51) describes the original Passover and the instructions for observing it, marking Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. They were not to keep the Passover only once, but on a yearly basis as a memorial of their freedom. This memorial is for all of God’s people, not just those who are direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Abraham was the first Hebrew, the first one who “crossed over” from the Euphrates into the Promised Land.

Numbers 28:16-25 adds further details, including the special offerings to be made during the seven days of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In Joshua 3-6, the people celebrated their first Passover in the Promised Land, eating the grain of the land for the first time. 2 Chronicles 29-32 shows how Hezekiah reinstituted the Passover, urging the people to remember what they had lost and how to come back to God. In the New Testament, Matthew 16:5-12 warns about the “leaven” of corrupt teaching, while in 1 Corinthians 5:1-8, the Apostle Paul urges believers to get rid of the “leaven” of sin in their lives. Together, these scriptures highlight the importance of spiritual renewal, purity, and faithful living.

As we seek to remain faithful to Yeshua’s warning about the leaven of the Pharisees, we must exercise caution when reading Jewish commentaries on the Torah. For example, a midrash called Midrash Mechilta of Rabbi Ishmael, specifically in Beshalach 6, claims that the Red Sea did not part until Nachshon ben Amminadab from the tribe of Judah walked into the water up to his neck. This midrash directly contradicts the plain reading of the Torah, which tells us that God caused the wind to blow day and night to split the sea, allowing the Israelites to walk on dry land without even getting the soles of their feet wet. While the midrash emphasizes the role of faith and action—suggesting that the sea didn’t split until someone took the first step—we must be very careful that any lessons or allegories we draw from Scripture do not contradict the clear and literal meaning of what is actually written.

If we are meticulous about looking for the crumbs of chametz in our houses, how much more meticulous should we be in looking for sin in our lives?

Passover as pivotal to Hezekiah’s reforms and revival

In the late 8th century B.C., during a time of moral and spiritual decline in the southern kingdom of Israel, known as Judah, Hezekiah became king. He began his reign around 715 B.C., following his father Ahaz, who had led the nation into deep idolatry and even closed the temple. Judah faced serious threats from the powerful Assyrian Empire, especially under leaders like Sennacherib. The people had turned away from God, embracing idol worship and abandoning their covenant with Him. When the people of Judah were at a moral and spiritual low point, 25-year-old Hezekiah took the throne and immediately began efforts to reform the nation and restore true worship.

As recorded in 2 Chronicles 29-32, Hezekiah led several important religious and national reforms during his reign. The restoration process that Hezekiah began took a long time, not just because of the work involved, but because the priests and Levites had grown so distant from their sacred calling—it was as if they had to relearn how to serve, heart and soul. Hezekiah began by cleansing and reopening the temple and restoring proper Levitical worship.

After that, he sent out a nationwide invitation to celebrate the Passover, even reaching out to the remaining people of the Northern Kingdom. The people who traveled down from the North experienced serious spiritual culture shock because how they were taught to worship God was so different from how God actually instructed people to worship Him. The people of the Northern Kingdom operated on a religious calendar that was a month off from the calendar recorded in the Torah.

Hezekiah also reestablished the organization of religious practices, including the giving of tithes and support for the priests and Levites. Later, when the Assyrians invaded, Hezekiah demonstrated strong faith in God, leading to Jerusalem’s deliverance. The Assyrians tried to slander and harass the people to prevent them from moving forward with Hezekiah’s religious and cultural reforms. However, despite Hezekiah’s moments of pride, he later repented of with humility.

Hezekiah’s life is told in both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, but each account highlights different aspects. The version in 2 Kings focuses more on political and military events, such as the threat from Assyria and Hezekiah’s serious illness. In contrast, 2 Chronicles emphasizes Hezekiah’s efforts to restore temple worship, promote repentance, and lead a spiritual revival. Interestingly, 2 Chronicles leaves out the story found in 2 Kings where Hezekiah shows his treasures to the Babylonians. Although Hezekiah was criticized for his actions, the truth of the matter is that the Assyrians were going to invade Judah regardless. The people of Judah averted disaster when Sennacherib’s sons killed him.

This difference in emphasis likely reflects the priorities of the writer of Chronicles—possibly Ezra or later editors—who aimed to highlight Hezekiah’s religious faithfulness and his efforts at the restoration of worship of the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

Different groups see Hezekiah in different ways:

• Jewish tradition sees him as a very righteous king, a great example of repentance and following the Torah. Some rabbis even thought he could have been the Messiah if the people had been worthy (Talmud, Sanhedrin 94a).
• Early Christians saw him as a type of Christ—someone who healed, prayed for others, cleaned up the temple, and stood strong against enemies.
• Protestant Reformers admired how he went back to the Scriptures and pure worship, seeing his reforms as similar to their break from the Catholic Church.
• Modern scholars look at Hezekiah as a strong leader who brought renewal and reform, and they note how the book of Chronicles tells his story in a hopeful way, especially for people returning from exile.

Recovering a connection to God

Hezekiah began his religious reforms right away in the first month of his reign, creating momentum before opposition or hesitation could slow him down. He started by cleansing the temple, which symbolized spiritual and communal renewal. He then restored proper worship through music, sacrifices, and prayer, even using instruments from King David’s time to energize the people. Hezekiah also reached out to the Northern tribes, inviting them to join in worship despite their past divisions. As a result, people who hadn’t seen true worship in over 200 years came to celebrate Passover, sparking a spiritual revival. Hezekiah followed this with organized reforms to keep the people on track and showed strong faith when facing threats like the Assyrian invasion.

Isaiah 36–39 forms a historical interlude in the Book of Isaiah, bridging the earlier prophetic warnings and the later promises of restoration. These chapters focus on King Hezekiah, his faith under pressure, and God’s sovereign intervention. We can see how Hezekiah and those around him exercised their faith in the face of a great crisis.

In moments of crisis and triumph alike, Hezekiah’s story calls us to a life of deep devotion and trust in God. When the mighty Assyrian king threatened Judah, blaspheming the name of the Lord, Hezekiah didn’t waver—he turned immediately to God in prayer and sought wise counsel from Isaiah. Surrounded by a culture that had blurred the lines between true worship and idolatry, Hezekiah stood firm in knowing who God was, and in response to that faith, God delivered His people with miraculous power. Later, when faced with his own mortality, Hezekiah once again turned to God—not with demands, but with humble, tearful prayer. And God, rich in mercy, extended his life. But even the faithful can falter. After his healing, Hezekiah’s pride led him to show off his treasures to foreign envoys, setting in motion a future of loss. His life reminds us that devotion to God is not only needed in crisis but also in success. Let us seek God first, trust Him fully, and walk in humility always—because our greatest victories and deepest needs are met not by our strength, but by His grace.

Hezekiah’s story teaches us the power of devoted leadership—how one faithful heart can spark a revival that reaches an entire community. True renewal begins with cleansing, a deliberate removal of idols in all their forms, both visible and hidden in culture. Worship must return to being intentional and centered on God alone, not distracted or diluted. Hezekiah shows us that unity is possible when we refuse to let divisions—political, tribal, or personal—stand in the way of God’s calling. But revival isn’t without its trials; faith must endure testing to be proven genuine. Even after great victories, Hezekiah’s story reminds us of the importance of humility—he stumbles, but repents, showing that renewal is not a one-time event, but a continual journey of surrender and devotion.

How do we take these lessons to heart?

Hezekiah’s story is a call to action for each of us. What idols are we still clinging to—comfort, success, control, entertainment—that have quietly shut the doors of God’s presence in our hearts and culture? It’s time to open those doors. Like Hezekiah, we must pursue both personal holiness and the transformation of the spaces around us—our homes, churches, and communities. He didn’t just focus on his own faith; he invited even former enemies into worship, showing us that true revival reaches across divides. Renewal is not a solo journey; it’s built in community, where shared worship strengthens and unites. Hezekiah’s life also teaches us to stand firm in faith when threats come from outside, and to stay humble when victories come from within. Let’s rise up—tear down idols, seek God with sincerity, build unity, and be leaders of renewal in our time.

Summary: Tammy