2 Chronicles 29:12-19: a reflection

12Then the Levites arose: Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah; 13and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; 14and of the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. 15They gathered their brothers, sanctified themselves, and went in, according to the commandment of the king by the LORD’s words, to cleanse the LORD’s house. 16The priests went into the inner part of the LORD’s house to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the LORD’s temple into the court of the LORD’s house. The Levites took it from there to carry it out to the brook Kidron. 17Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the LORD’s porch. They sanctified the LORD’s house in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished. 18Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within the palace and said, “We have cleansed all the LORD’s house, including the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, and the table of show bread with all its vessels. 19Moreover, we have prepared and sanctified all the vessels which King Ahaz threw away in his reign when he was unfaithful. Behold, they are before the LORD’s altar.”

When Hezekiah sets out to restore the worship of God, neglected and defiled under his father Ahaz, the Levites rise to cleanse the temple. They carry out all the uncleanness, and they do something telling: they take the vessels which King Ahaz had thrown away in his unfaithfulness, and they prepare and sanctify them, and set them before the LORD's altar. What had been discarded, cast aside in a time of unfaithfulness, is not left abandoned; it is restored, cleansed, and set back in its rightful place, useful again for God's service. The cast-off vessels are recovered and restored to usefulness.

Notice what the Levites did with the discarded vessels. Ahaz had thrown them away in his unfaithfulness, treating as refuse what was meant for God's service. But the Levites did not leave them abandoned; they recovered them, cleansed and sanctified them, and set them before the altar, restored to their rightful use. What had been cast aside was not written off as lost; it was brought back, cleansed, and made useful again. The vessels that had been discarded in a time of unfaithfulness were restored in a time of renewal, set back in the place they were made for. Nothing that belonged to God was left as refuse; the cast-off was recovered and restored.

That is worth taking to heart, for God can recover and restore what has been discarded or neglected, including us, to usefulness again. There are things, and people, and parts of ourselves, that have been cast aside, neglected, thrown away in times of unfaithfulness, and seem beyond use; but the discarded vessels were recovered, cleansed, and set back before the altar. God does not write off as refuse what has been cast aside; he can recover and restore it to usefulness. Do not consider what has been discarded or neglected, in your life or in yourself, as beyond recovery; God can cleanse and restore it to usefulness, as the cast-off vessels were restored. Trust that God can recover and restore what has been discarded or neglected, cleansing it and setting it back in useful service, as the Levites restored the vessels Ahaz had thrown away; for nothing that belongs to God is beyond his recovery, and he can cleanse and restore even what has been cast aside to usefulness before him again.

Lord, when Hezekiah sets out to restore the worship of you, neglected and defiled under his father Ahaz, the Levites rise to cleanse the temple. They carry out all the uncleanness, and they do something telling: they take the vessels which King Ahaz had thrown away in his unfaithfulness, and they prepare and sanctify them, and set them before the LORD's altar. What had been discarded, cast aside in a time of unfaithfulness, is not left abandoned; it is restored, cleansed, and set back in its rightful place, useful again for your service. Show me what the Levites did with the discarded vessels. Ahaz had thrown them away in his unfaithfulness, treating as refuse what was meant for your service. But the Levites did not leave them abandoned; they recovered them, cleansed and sanctified them, and set them before the altar, restored to their rightful use. What had been cast aside was not written off as lost; it was brought back and made useful again. Nothing that belonged to you was left as refuse. Take that to my heart, for you can recover and restore what has been discarded or neglected, including me, to usefulness again. There are things, and people, and parts of myself, that have been cast aside, neglected, thrown away in times of unfaithfulness, and seem beyond use; but the discarded vessels were recovered, cleansed, and set back before the altar. You do not write off as refuse what has been cast aside. Keep me from considering what has been discarded or neglected, in my life or in myself, as beyond recovery; you can cleanse and restore it, Lord. Help me trust that you can recover and restore what has been discarded, cleansing it and setting it back in useful service, as the Levites restored the vessels Ahaz had thrown away.