Anticipation

2 Chronicles 29:15-19
15 When they had assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves, they went in to purify the temple of the LORD, as the king had ordered, following the word of the LORD. 16 The priests went into the sanctuary of the LORD to purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of the LORD’s temple everything unclean that they found in the temple of the LORD. The Levites took it and carried it out to the Kidron Valley. 17 They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days they consecrated the temple of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month.

18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported: “We have purified the entire temple of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table for setting out the consecrated bread, with all its articles. 19 We have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz removed in his unfaithfulness while he was king. They are now in front of the LORD’s altar.”

My father-in-law is an Amusement Park fanatic. Every year he crowds the family into the mini van and drives five hours (and four states away) to his favorite amusement park. Now that I’m part of the family, I get to tag along. We get up early, drive over to the park, buy our ticket and are the first people at the entrance so that when the park opens we’re the first ones in.

Now you’re probably asking yourself, “What does an Amusement Park Fanatic have in common with the Levites mentioned in today’s Bible passage?” Good question: the thing they have in common is a sense of anticipation.

The temple was run down by the time Hezekiah became king (the two kings before him had neglected it). So the first thing he did was “open the doors of the house of the Lord” (v.3) and bring in the priests and Levites to consecrate themselves and purify the temple (v.15).

Now the Levites were God’s all star team in the area of temple cleaning. They were knowledgeable, hard working and meticulous. Their only function was to assist the temple priests and make sure that the temple was maintained according to God’s instructions. So when they were finally able to return to the temple, and do what they were best at, they were excited to go. They had anticipated this day for a long time.

Are there areas in your spiritual life that you have neglected? Are you willing to assemble yourself before the Lord, consecrate yourself to His will and allow Him to purify you? Are you anticipating the Lord working in your life and are you excited to see what He can do in your life? I hope so, because if you let Him you’re in for the ride of your life.