Living in Joy and Worship (2 Chronicles 30:23–27)

Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with gladness. For Hezekiah king of Judah gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And the priests consecrated themselves in great numbers. The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who lived in Judah, rejoiced. So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven.
—2 Chronicles 30:23–27

Oh, I read this scene here about all this joy and gladness and sacrifice and worship like it had not been heard in years and generations. Because in this picture, I just want to remind you and me today that on the other side of Jesus coming—so this was all before Jesus ever came, before all of God’s promises in Jesus were fulfilled, ultimately him coming as the tabernacle, the Word made flesh, the temple in our midst—we have in Christ every single day reason for exuberant joy and gladness and worship like never before in the Old Testament.

2 Chronicles 30:23–27 points to Jesus as our source of joy amid suffering.

Specifically, though, the One whose holy habitation is in heaven, to use this phrase from the end of verse 27, has come to us to pay the price for sinners like you and me. So let’s live daily in the joy that is possible for us in Jesus.

Yes, we live in a fallen world that is filled with sorrow and suffering. Yet in the middle of it all, we have a source, a wellspring of joy in Jesus. He is the One who has lived the perfect life, died a substitutionary death on the cross to pay the price for our sins. He’s risen from the dead and guaranteed resurrection from the dead for all who trust in him. And now has not just made the way for us to be forgiven of all our sin, but he’s given us his Holy Spirit, his very presence living inside of us. We are now temples of his Holy Spirit, so that we might live in joyful worship today.

2 Chronicles 30:23–27 calls us to live in continual worship of God.

So God, we praise you. We exalt you. We sing to you. Lord, we lift our hands. We bow on our knees. God, we worship you for who you are, your love for us. We praise you as the One whose holy habitation is in heaven.

Jesus, as the One who left your throne in glory to come and dwell among us and live for us and die for us and rise from the grave for us and ascend for us. Send your Holy Spirit into us. Oh God, help us to live as temples of your Holy Spirit today. Make us holy, we pray, as you are holy. And help us to live in continual, constant worship with the joy and the gladness, with the rejoicing over salvation, your promises, your presence with us, all that you’ve made possible for us. God, thank you for previews of that in the Old Testament and for the reality of this in our lives today through the new covenant.

A Prayer for the Berber People

And God, we pray for the spread of this joy to all the nations. May the nations be glad and sing for joy. We pray this today over the Berber people of Morocco. Please, God, for joy.

Millions of Berber men, women, and children. Please cause the joy of Jesus to be known and experienced and spread among more and more and more Berber men, women, and children. We pray for your blessing on our Berber brothers and sisters in Christ, the small number who are there. You would bless them and all those who are working.

Think about people I know, God, working for the spread of the gospel among the Berber in Morocco. Please give them success in this work for the joy of the Berber people in Jesus. Even as we pray, you help us to live in that joy in Jesus today. Help us to realize we are temples of your Holy Spirit, filled with supernatural joy, peace, strength, wisdom, hope, all the resources you have given to us.

In Jesus’ name, we pray all these things. Amen.