2 Chronicles 30:13-19: a reflection

13Many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly. 14They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the altars for incense and threw them into the brook Kidron. 15Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the LORD’s house. 16They stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood which they received of the hand of the Levites. 17For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites were in charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the LORD. 18For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover other than the way it is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon everyone 19who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even if they aren’t clean according to the purification of the sanctuary.”

Hezekiah's revival brings a great crowd to Jerusalem to keep the Passover, but there is a problem: many of the people, coming from long-neglected regions, have not gone through the proper ceremonies of purification. They eat the Passover anyway, sincerely but not according to the strict letter of the law. The situation could have been an occasion for exclusion. Instead, Hezekiah turns to prayer.

His prayer is beautiful: may the good Lord pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, even if he is not clean according to the purification of the sanctuary. Hezekiah appeals to God's mercy on behalf of those whose hearts were right even where their ceremony was imperfect. And the passage tells us God heard and healed the people. What God honored was the heart set on seeking him, not flawless ritual observance.

This is a gracious word for anyone who worries that their worship is not good enough, not correct enough, not polished enough to be accepted. God looks first at the heart that genuinely seeks him. He would rather receive a sincere but imperfect worshiper than turn away one whose heart is right on a technicality. Come to God with a heart set on seeking him, and trust that the good Lord, as Hezekiah prayed, pardons and welcomes those who truly want him, even when they get things wrong.

Lord, Hezekiah prayed that you would pardon everyone who set his heart to seek you, even if they came imperfectly, and you heard him. When I worry that my worship is not good enough, remind me that you look first at the heart that seeks you. Receive my sincere but imperfect coming, and thank you that you welcome all who truly want you, even when we get things wrong. Amen.