Bible Lesson: Intercessory Prayer:
King Hezekiah Prays For Those Who Had Eaten The Passover, While
Ceremonially Unclean.
Bible Text:
II Chronicles 30:17-20 NLT (Be
sure to read the whole chapter verses 1-27.)
17 Since many of the people had not
purified themselves, the Levites had to slaughter their Passover Lamb
for them, to set them apart for The Lord.
18 Most of those who came from
Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not purified themselves.
But King Hezekiah prayed for them, and they were allowed to
eat the Passover meal anyway, even though this was contrary to the
requirements of the Law. For Hezekiah said, “May The Lord, who
is good, pardon those
19 who decide to follow The Lord,
the God of their ancestors, even though they are not properly
cleansed for the ceremony.”
20 And The
Lord listened to Hezekiah’s prayer and healed the people.
(Leviticus 15/31)
Hezekiah a Godly king, wished to keep Passover, but because of the temple, and its priests were deemed
ceremonially unclean, preparation for the celebration was called for
in the second month and fourteenth day.
Numbers 9:9-12 NLT
9 This was The Lord’s reply to
Moses.
10 “Give the following
instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people now or in
future generations are ceremonially unclean at Passover time because
of touching a dead body, or if they are on a journey and cannot be
present at the ceremony, they may still celebrate The Lord’s
Passover.
11 They must offer the Passover
sacrifice one month later, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the
second month. They must eat the Passover Lamb at that time with
bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast.
12 They must not leave any of The
Lamb until the next morning, and they must not break any of its
bones. They must follow all the normal regulations concerning the
Passover.
King Hezekiah's
Intercession:
II Chronicles
30:
18 “...But King Hezekiah
prayed for them... “May The Lord, who is good, pardon those
19 who decide to follow The Lord,
The God of their ancestors, even though they are not properly
cleansed for the ceremony.”
II Chronicles
30:20 NLT
And The Lord listened to
Hezekiah’s prayer and healed the people.
And what was the result?
II Chronicles 30:21-27 NLT
21 So the
people of Israel who were present in Jerusalem joyously celebrated
the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. Each day the Levites
and priests sang to The Lord, accompanied by loud instruments.
22
Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites regarding the skill they
displayed as they served The Lord. The celebration continued for
seven days. Peace offerings were sacrificed, and the people gave
thanks to The Lord,
The God of their ancestors.
23 The entire
assembly then decided to continue the festival another seven days, so
they celebrated joyfully for another week.
24 King
Hezekiah gave the people 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats for
offerings, and the officials donated 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and
goats. Meanwhile, many more priests purified themselves.
25 The entire
assembly of Judah rejoiced, including the priests, the Levites, all
who came from the land of Israel, the foreigners who came to the
festival, and all those who lived in Judah.
26 There was
great joy in the city, for Jerusalem had not seen a celebration like
this one since the days of Solomon, King David’s son.
27 Then the
priests and Levites stood and blessed the people, and God heard
their prayer from His holy dwelling in heaven.
And what would our God tell us today?
Titus 2:14 KJV
Who gave
Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and
purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
James 4:8 KJV
Draw nigh to
God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners;
and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
II Chronicles 7:14 KJV
If my people, which are called by My name, shall humble
themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked
ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and
will heal their land.
Does
God Hear And Answer Prayer?
I Chronicles 16:11 KJV
Seek The Lord
and His strength, seek His face continually.
Psalm 6:9 KJV
The Lord hath
heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer.
Psalm 55:17 KJV
Evening, and
morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear
my voice.
Psalm 65:2 KJV
O thou that
hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
Psalm 66:19 KJV
But verily God
hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Psalm 91:15 KJV
He shall call
upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will
deliver him, and honor him.
Psalm 102:17 KJV
He will regard
the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
Psalm 122:6 KJV
Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Proverbs 15:8,29
KJV
8 The sacrifice
of the wicked is an abomination to The Lord: but the prayer of the
upright is His delight.
29 The Lord is
far from the wicked: but He heareth the prayer of the righteous.
Isaiah 56:7 KJV
"... for
Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
Isaiah 58:9 KJV
Then shalt thou
call, and The Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say,
Here I am...:"
Isaiah 65;24 KJV
And it shall
come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they
are yet speaking, I will hear.
Zechariah 13:9
KJV
And I will
bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver
is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My
name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they
shall say, The Lord is my God.
Matthew 5:44 KJV
But I say unto
you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you;
Matthew 7:7,8
KJV
7 Ask, and it
shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you:
8 For every one
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened.
Matthew 18:19,20
KJV
19 Again I say
unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any
thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father
which is in heaven.
20 For where
two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the
midst of them.
Matthew 21:22
KJV
And all things,
whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Matthew 26:41
KJV
Watch and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but
the flesh is weak.
Mark 11:24 KJV
Therefore I say
unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye
receive them, and ye shall have them.
Luke 11:9,10 KJV
9 And I say
unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For every
one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him
that knocketh it shall be opened.
Luke 18:1 KJV
And He spake a
parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not
to faint;
Luke 21:36 KJV
Watch ye
therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape
all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before The Son
Of Man.
John 15:7 KJV
If ye abide in
Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it
shall be done unto you.
John 16:24 KJV
Hitherto have
ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy
may be full.
Ephesians 6:18
KJV
Praying always
with all prayer and supplication in The Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Philippians 4:6
NLT
Don’t worry
about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you
need, and thank Him for all He has done.
Colossians 4:2
NLT
Devote
yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
I Thessalonians
5:17 KJV
Pray without
ceasing.
I Timothy 2:8
KJV
I will
therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without
wrath and doubting.
James 5:13 KJV
Is any among
you afflicted? let him pray..."
I Peter 4:7 KJV
But the end of
all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
I John 3:22 KJV
And whatsoever
we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do
those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Revelation 8:3-5 NLT (Prayers heard and kept)
3 Then another
angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a
great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of
God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne.
4 The smoke of
the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended
up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out.
5 Then the
angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar..."
Psalm 141:2 KJV
Let my prayer be set forth before
thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening
sacrifice.
