July 4: The Reforms of Hezekiah

Today's reading highlights the reforms of Hezekiah, king of Judah, from 2 Chronicles. King Hezekiah seeks to reverse the damaging effects of religious intermingling and half-hearted devotion to the Lord that had drawn both Israel and Judah into a spiritually led, national death-spiral. These reforms would not forestall the forthcoming exile, but they do provide important lessons on spiritual leadership and the imperative of seeking the Lord above all else.
1. Hezekiah calls people to a high standard, and they follow! Hezekiah did not "aim low" as the many of his predecessors had. Instead, he calls the Levite to a firm plan of action: "Listen to me, Levites! Consectrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Rmove all defilement from the sacntuary." As A. W. Tozer noted, no society has ever risen above its view of God. Hezekiah's call acted upon that principle, urging full obedience.
Furthermore, people tend to rise to the levels of expectations that they have set for themselves or that others have implicitly or explicitly communicated to them. As an aside, I was reading an interesting book about cognitive theory this weekend, and the author mentioned a fascinating study. Psychologists offered a reasonable test to schoolchildren, who were praised either for their (innate) intelligence or for their hard work upon finishing the exam. The scientists then asked the schoolchildren if they would like to proceed with the next test, giving them two options: one that was deemed to be along the lines of the first test and another that would provide a challenge but would offer helpful learning opportunities. The students who had received feedback about their hard work were much more inclined to pursue the second exam, and, among all those that chose the second exam, the "hard-work" students were much more patient to work out the questions on the second exam. Upon returning to a third test, the "hard-work" students showed a 30% improvement over their results on the first exam. What messages do we communicate to our students? To ourselves?
　
2. He distinguished between tradition and God's plan. Hezekiah recognized the shortcomings of the previous generations: "Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the LORd our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the LORD's dwelling place and turned their backs on him." It is crucial to determine between what is cultural and biblical. The "red-blooded" American view on matters may not square with Scripture; for example, our "natural" tendency is to condone (or even promote) sexual promiscuity in pre-marital relationships.
　
3. He came before the Lord to seek God's grace for the people. He sought to deliver God's grace to those who were seeking the Lord: "May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God--the LORD, the God of his fathers--even if he is not cleaning according to the rules of sanctuary." God responded favorably to this prayer. Indeed, God does look into human hearts and search over the whole earth for those who desire His presence.
　
QUESTIONS
1. What level of commitment do you look for in yourself?
2. Are you willing to forsake previous patterns if you become convicted that they do not line up with Scripture?