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Hezekiah, as soon as the excitement of the great Passover and of the subsequent destruction of all idolatrous symbols was over, made wise arrangements for the regular service of Jehovah. And this included -

I. THE SERVICE OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE; that, namely, of the priests and the Levites (ver. 2). This service was threefold:

1. Discharging sacred functions at the altar; doing for the people that which only consecrated men could do - presenting their sacrifices to Jehovah, thus standing between their fellows and their God, and constituting a medium of communion between them and him.

2. Inquiry into and acquisition of all possible knowledge of the Law (2 Chronicles 17:9; Deuteronomy 33:10).

3. Conducting the service of song (ver. 2), and teaching the people the Law which they had themselves learned. There are many in the Christian Church who have undertaken to offer to their Divine Lord a consecrated life; and it devolves on them to yield to him their strength in these three ways.

(1) Ministration in his house or elsewhere; the special service which the minister of Christ, as such, can render; praying to God for his people, or helping them to draw nigh to God - a very valuable, indeed inestimable, service.

(2) Earnest thought and inquiry; becoming more and more fully acquainted with the mind of Christ as that is revealed in his Word or in his providence, or through the experience or research of other servants of his.

(3) Utterance of the truth thus acquired; by teaching or preaching, in the sanctuary, or the school, or the house, personally or instrumentally. For the advancement of the kingdom of Christ it is needful that there should be a large number of men, answering to the priests and Levites, who shall regularly give a consecrated life to the service of the Lord.

II. THE SERVICE OF THE SUBSTANCE. We have a very interesting instance here recorded of the full and cheerful dedication of the substance to the cause of God. Led as well as taught by Hezekiah, the people responded with tithes and firstfruits, so that there were "heaps "in the temple courts, even when everything had been taken that was required (Ver. 10). Even the remainder was "this great store." The scene suggests the truths:

1. That the offer of our substance is a most appropriate method of sacred service. How can we better express our gratitude to the great Giver of every good thing of every kind than by dedicating to him and to his service some serious proportion of the produce of our strength and skill?

2. That those who urge others to show this grace should be forward to illustrate it themselves (ver. 3).

3. That from those who have the greater privileges may be expected a very clear encouragement by example (ver. 4).

4. That, if rightly addressed, the people of God may be trusted to make a lair and even a liberal response (vers. 5, 6).

5. That such service, rendered in a religious spirit, will draw down the Divine blessing in abundance (ver. 10; and see Malachi 3:10). - C.

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KJV: 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.

WEB: Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of Yahweh.