II Chronicles 27:1-2 Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok.
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the Lord. And the people did yet corruptly.
Uzziah, Jotham's father, ruled over Judah, but Uzziah went into the temple and foolishly burned incense when God had not appointed him to do this and God caused leprosy to come upon Uzziah and for the remainder of his life he was a leper and was cut off from his people.
(The prophet Isaiah mentions Uzziah in the book of Isaiah.)
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Those who try to do the work of God, when God has not appointed them to do the work, place themselves in danger.
The New Testament church:
The New Testament church was created after Jesus arose, after the crucifixion and resurrection.
The apostles who walked with Jesus did not have the Holy Spirit until after Jesus was raised from the dead.
Acts 1:3-5 To whom also HE (Jesus) shewed Himself alive after HIS passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
11 And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.
For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.
God sends a prophet:
And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers.
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.
And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken Him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs.
Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.
Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and HE hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that HIS fierce wrath may turn away from us.
Then the Levites arose,
And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord.
And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.
Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into HIS sanctuary, which HE hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of HIS wrath may turn away from you.
For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away His face from you, if ye return unto HIM.
22 And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord:
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Those who try to do the work of God, when God has not appointed them to do the work, place themselves in danger.
The New Testament church:
The New Testament church was created after Jesus arose, after the crucifixion and resurrection.
The apostles who walked with Jesus did not have the Holy Spirit until after Jesus was raised from the dead.
Acts 1:3-5 To whom also HE (Jesus) shewed Himself alive after HIS passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
This happened at the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2)
Jesus had ascended into heaven before the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples.
After Jesus was in heaven, HE created the ministers for the New Testament church as we know the church today.
But this did not happen until after Jesus arose into heaven after the crucifixion.
Here are the New Testament ministers given to the church by Jesus.
Ephesians 4
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
The ministers of the church today are: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers
You cannot do this work of the ministry unless you are called by Jesus and appointed by Jesus for the purpose of this work in one of these 5 ministry offices.
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II Chronicles 27:8-9 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
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II Chronicles 28:1-7 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father: For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.
Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.
He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
(Only the Levites were appointed by God for this work.)
For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.
God sends a prophet:
II Chronicles 28:8-15 And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand (200,000), women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.
But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them,
But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them,
Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, HE hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.
And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God?
Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you.
And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the Lord already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.
So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.
II Chronicles 28:19 For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord.
And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God?
Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you.
Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,
And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the Lord already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.
So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.
And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.
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II Chronicles 28:19 For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord.
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II Chronicles 28:22 And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz.
For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.
And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
To set up religious things by your own will is deadly and God strongly judges such acts.
For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.
And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
To set up religious things by your own will is deadly and God strongly judges such acts.
And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers.
And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
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II Chronicles 29:1-36 Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.
And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,
And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken Him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs.
Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.
(We do not burn incense nor offer burnt offerings to God in New Testament church for Jesus offered Himself to God for us.)
Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and HE hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that HIS fierce wrath may turn away from us.
Today, those in church groups, do not seem to realize there is a fierce wrath from God for evil doers.
My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you (the Levites) to stand before Him, to serve HIM, and that ye should minister unto HIM, and burn incense.
(Today the ministers set by Jesus in the church are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers according to Ephesians 4:11-12)
Then the Levites arose,
And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord.
And the Levites did set things of the house of God in order according to the word of God.
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II Chronicles 30:8-9
Hezekiah says:
For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away His face from you, if ye return unto HIM.
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22 And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord:
Hezekiah set the ministries in proper order according to that which God commanded for the people of the Old Testament.
II Chronicles 31:1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.
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II Chronicles 31:2 And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the Lord.
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II Chronicles 31:4 Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord.
21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
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