2 Chronicles 29:21, commentary and pictures

The book in which the verse stands is the wonderfully interesting history running from the beginning of the reign of Joash to the Babylonian captivity, to be understood as written and made fuller when compared with the parallel account in 2 Kings. Hezekiah came to the throne at twenty-five years old after a season of great temporal and moral decline. The temple had been forsaken and Judah given to idolatry under the bad influence of his father Ahaz and his grandfather Jotham, though he himself had received a pious mould through his mother. The people were dissatisfied under his father and grandfather yet still held by evil beliefs and practices, so that reform required ability and determination.

On his own initiative he began an immediate national religious revival. His first work was to reopen and repair the temple, return the priests and Levites to service, have them consecrate themselves, cleanse the house of God and put away idolatry, and revive the ancient worship with offerings and music. This pleased the Lord and served His glory. Clearing the temple of years of accumulated rubbish and uncleanness took eight days. God had prepared the people, so the work was done suddenly and brought rejoicing.

The restoration included purification through sin offerings for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Seven bullocks, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats were brought, and he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord. Their blood was sprinkled on the altar, and the goats were presented with the king and the assembly laying hands on them, making atonement for all Israel.

The place of that offering is called the sanctuary, showing that the Jerusalem temple and its grounds were called the sanctuary. The name included the altar of burnt offering with its vessels in the inner court, not only the temple building. It is one example of the Bible's use of sanctuary for a sacred place where priests served and offerings were made, not for the land of Palestine.

The sin offerings belonged to a great fourteen-day Passover festival at Jerusalem. Messengers with letters were sent from city to city even through the northern kingdom inviting all to forsake idols and return to the true God, with some coming and others mocking. Many sacrifices were offered with great gladness, making it the greatest revival since Solomon. Afterward the people under his direction broke down idols, cut down groves, and destroyed high places and altars. The verse thus gives a concrete example of God's dealing with principles, showing His earnest regard for man and His searching throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him, so that no soul longing to do His will is unseen or unnoticed.