One Year Chronological Bible Sampler - Flipbook - Page 4
JULY 1
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These men called together their fellow Levites, and they all purified themselves. Then they began to cleanse the Temple of the LORD, just as the king had
commanded. They were careful to follow all the LORD’s instructions in their
work. 16 The priests went into the sanctuary of the Temple of the LORD to cleanse
it, and they took out to the Temple courtyard all the defiled things they found.
From there the Levites carted it all out to the Kidron Valley.
17
They began the work in early spring, on the first day of the new year,* and in
eight days they had reached the entry room of the LORD’s Temple. Then they
purified the Temple of the LORD itself, which took another eight days. So the
entire task was completed in sixteen days.
15
The Temple Rededication / 2 Chronicles 29:18-36 / 716 BC
Then the Levites went to King Hezekiah and gave him this report: “We have
cleansed the entire Temple of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its
utensils, and the table of the Bread of the Presence with all its utensils. 19 We
have also recovered all the items discarded by King Ahaz when he was unfaithful
and closed the Temple. They are now in front of the altar of the LORD, purified
and ready for use.”
20
Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went to
the Temple of the LORD. 21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, and seven male
lambs as a burnt offering, together with seven male goats as a sin offering for the
kingdom, for the Temple, and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, who
were descendants of Aaron, to sacrifice the animals on the altar of the LORD.
22
So they killed the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the
altar. Next they killed the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar. And finally,
they did the same with the male lambs. 23 The male goats for the sin offering
were then brought before the king and the assembly of people, who laid their
hands on them. 24 The priests then killed the goats as a sin offering and sprinkled
their blood on the altar to make atonement for the sins of all Israel. The king had
specifically commanded that this burnt offering and sin offering should be made
for all Israel.
25
King Hezekiah then stationed the Levites at the Temple of the LORD with
cymbals, lyres, and harps. He obeyed all the commands that the LORD had given
to King David through Gad, the king’s seer, and the prophet Nathan. 26 The
Levites then took their positions around the Temple with the instruments of David, and the priests took their positions with the trumpets.
27
Then Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be placed on the altar. As the
burnt offering was presented, songs of praise to the LORD were begun, accompanied by the trumpets and other instruments of David, the former king of Israel.
28
The entire assembly worshiped the LORD as the singers sang and the trumpets
blew, until all the burnt offerings were finished. 29 Then the king and everyone
with him bowed down in worship. 30King Hezekiah and the officials ordered
the Levites to praise the LORD with the psalms written by David and by Asaph the
seer. So they offered joyous praise and bowed down in worship.
31
Then Hezekiah declared, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to
the LORD, bring your sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings to the Temple of the
18
29:17 Hebrew on the first day of the first month. This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in March or early
April, 715 B.C.
