The ingredients in building up the body of Christ include purity (confession of sin), unity (worship and fellowship), service (seeking and obeying God), prayer (victory), humility (restoration and deliverance), study (full counsel of God) and obedience (light burden).
Purify Body of Christ By Confessing Sin
Hezekiah repaired the temple doors, told the Levites to consecrate themselves and removed defilement from the temple. The unfaithfulness to God and not burning incense or presenting offerings made them an object of scorn causing their families to be in captivity. The Levites served, ministered and burned incense to purify the entire temple with its altar of burnt offering, table and all its articles as they followed God’s word for 16 days. Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went to the temple. He commanded the priests to offer seven each of bulls, rams, male lambs and male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, sanctuary and Judah. They sprinkled their blood on the altar to atone for all Israel. He stationed Levites in the temple with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David. They praised the Lord with gladness and thank offerings. The service of the temple was reestablished with 600 bulls and 3000 sheep and goats sacrificed (2 Chron. 29:1-36). Purify the body of Christ as each member confesses sin.
Spend Time in Unity for Worship and Fellowship
Hezekiah invited Israel, Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh to celebrate the Passover in large numbers with letters sent by couriers. People returned to the God of Abraham by submitting to Him and coming back to the land because of His compassion. Many people scorned and ridiculed the couriers but some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. In Judah, God’s hand gave them unity of mind to obey what the king and his officials ordered in following God’s word. Hekekiah prayed that God would pardon those who did not purify themselves but set their heart on seeking Him. He heard Hezekiah and healed the people. The Israelites celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days while the Levites sang with instruments of praise and fellowship offerings. The whole assemble agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days while Hezekiah and the officials provided a 2000 bulls and 17000 sheep and goats. Their prayer reached heaven, His holy dwelling place (2 Chron. 30:1-27). Spend time in unity for worship and fellowship as the body of Christ.
Serve Body of Christ By Seeking and Obeying God
When the festival ended, the Israelites smashed the sacred stones, cut down the Asherah poles and destroyed the high places and altars in cities of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh. Hezekiah assigned the priests and Levites to divisions according to their duties to offer burnt and fellowship offerings, minister and sing praises at the gates of the Lord’s dwelling. The king contributed and ordered people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord. The Israelites, including Israel and Judah, generously gave the firstfruits what their fields produced. The tithe of their herds and flocks was dedicated to the Lord and piled in heaps. The surplus was put in storerooms and distributed to fellow priests including the little ones, wives, sons and daughters of the whole community. In everything Hezekiah undertook in serving God’s temple by obeying His commands, he sought God, worked wholeheartedly and prospered (2 Chron. 31:1-21). Serve body of Christ by seeking God, obeying His commands and working wholeheartedly.
Cry to God to Defeat Your Spiritual Enemies
Sennacherib king of Assyria laid siege to Judah’s fortified cities to conquer them for himself. Hezekiah consulted with his officials and blocked water from the springs outside the city. They repaired, built a new one and reinforced the broken sections of the wall and Jerusalem’s supporting terraces. They made large numbers of weapons and shields. Hezekiah appointed military officers over the people and encouraged them to be strong, courageous and not fear because of God’s greater power to fight their battles compared to Assyria’s arm of flesh. The people gained confidence from what Hezekiah said. Sennacherib asked what they were basing their confidence upon since Hezekiah’s misleading statements would result in death from hunger and thirst since other nations’ gods failed to deliver. Hezekiah and Isaiah cried out in prayer to heaven and the Lord sent an angel who annihilated Sennacherib’s army before his own sons killed him. Hezekiah became highly regarded by all nations. His heart became proud and did not respond to kindness after an illness nearly killed him. Hezekiah repented of his pride along with the people so God’s wrath did not come during his days (2 Chron. 32:1-33). Cry to God confidently trusting Him to defeat your spiritual enemies.
Humble Yourself to Experience Restoration
Manasseh followed the evil practices of the nations, rebuild the high places his father Hezekiah demolished, sacrificed his sons in the fire, practiced sorcery and consulted mediums. He led Judah and Jerusalem astray so they did more evil than the nations the Lord destroyed before the Israelites. After Assyria took Manasseh prisoner, he sought God’s favor and humbled himself greatly so He brought him back to Jerusalem. He rebuild the outer wall of Jerusalem making it higher and stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah. He removed the foreign gods, image and altars from the temple. He restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship and thanking offerings on it. Manasseh’s son, Amon, did not humble himself before the Lord but increased his guilt. His officials conspired and assassinated him in his palace (2 Chron. 33:1-25). Humble yourself in the midst of sin to experience God’s grace, restoration and deliverance.
Study Full Counsel of God
Josiah sought God, tore down the altars of Baal and crushed the idols while repairing and restoring the temple. They gave money to the carpenters and builders to purchase dressed stone, timber for joists and beams for the buildings that Judah’s kings allowed to fall in ruin. The men worked faithfully and the Levites skilled in playing musical instruments supervised all the workers from job to job with some as secretaries, scribes and doorkeepers. Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law given through Moses. When Josiah heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes and called together all Judah’s and Jerusalem’s elders. Every person from the least to the greatest heard all the words of the Book of the Covenant. Josiah and the people renewed the covenant to obey all God’s commands with all their heart and soul. He removed all the evil idols belonging to the Israelites so they could serve and follow the Lord (2 Chron. 34:1-33). Study the full counsel of God with all your heart and soul to serve and follow the Lord.
Obey God’s Word Completely
Josiah celebrated the Passover and encouraged priests to serve the Lord’s temple. He told the Levites who instructed Israel not to carry the ark on their shoulders but serve the Lord by standing in the holy place doing what the Lord commanded through Moses for their fellow countrymen. Josiah provided from his own possessions 30000 sheep and goats and 3000 cattle for the Passover offerings to support the lay people. They set aside the burnt offerings as written in the Book of Moses. The musicians, descendants of Asaph, were in the places prescribed by David. The gatekeepers did not leave their posts because fellow Levites made preparations for them. The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since Samuel. Later Jerusalem fell when the Babylonian king spared no one. They set fire to God’s temple, broke down Jerusalem’s wall and burned the palaces. Nebuchadnezzar carried the remnant into exile to Babylon until Persia came to power. The land enjoyed Sabbath rests until 70 years were completed in fulfillment of God’s word through Jeremiah. Cyrus king of Persia made a proclamation saying God gave him all the kingdoms of the earth and appointed him to build a temple at Jerusalem (2 Chron. 35:1-36:23). Obey God’s word completely so your yoke is easy and burden light.
Study and pray through Eph. 4:1-13.
