The road to restoration - 2 chronicles 29

2 Chronicles 29: 24 - he priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.

2 Chronicles 29-31 - Then Hezekiah said, “You have now dedicated yourselves to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of the Lord.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings.

King Ahaz had desecrated the temple, brought in unholy things and shut the doors. His son King Hezekiah on the other hand realised that all the atrocities the nation of Judah was facing was the consequences of the sinful acts of the fathers. 

In his efforts to clean up the temple and bring the nation on its road to restoration, he ordered the sacrifices to be reinstated and in particular three offerings; Sin offerings (29:21), burnt offerings (29:21), and the thank offering (29:31).

The sin offering represents substitution. God’s holiness and justice demand that the penalty for our sin is death. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (Heb. 9:22). In like manner Jesus, the lamb of God became our substitute and took our place on the cross of Calvary so that you and I can have our relationship with God restored and be called the sons and daughter so God (John 1:12) 

The burnt offering represents consecration. It was offered up totally to the Lord (the worshiper did not eat any of it) and represents the total surrender and holiness demanded of those who have received God’s forgiveness. Just as the whole offering was burnt of the alter, Paul encourages us to: “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom. 12:1)

The thank offering represents devotion. These offerings are voluntary expressing thanks and gratitude for God’s undeserved blessings on the lives of the worshipper. Such offering overflows from the grateful heart of anyone who has bene redeemed, set on the right relationship will God and has a living relationship with Jesus.

We can be restored when:

  • When we are in the right relationship with God, (sin offering)
  • When we totally surrender ourselves to God (burnt offering)
  • When we give God our best time slots, our best offerings and by being a blessing to others. (thanks offering)

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