What does 2 Chronicles 30:19 mean?
"That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary." - 2 Chronicles 30:19
2 Chronicles 30:19 - "That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary."
2 Chronicles 30:19 (KJV) reads: "That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary."
This verse is part of the narrative in 2 Chronicles 30 which describes King Hezekiah’s attempts to bring the people of Judah back to the worship of God. Hezekiah sought to restore the covenant with God and reinstated the Passover feast, encouraging all the people of Judah to gather in Jerusalem to celebrate it. However, many of the people who came were not ritually pure according to the laws of the sanctuary. This verse addresses the idea that one's heart and intentions can be more important than fulfilling ritualistic requirements.
The theme of this verse is the importance of genuine repentance and seeking after God. In this context, the act of preparing one's heart is a metaphor for genuine, heartfelt repentance and devotion to God. It emphasizes that a person’s inner spiritual disposition and their actions taken as a result of that disposition are more important than strictly adhering to outward rituals or ceremonial purifications. It speaks to the idea that God looks at the heart, and genuine seeking after Him is more important than external religious observances.
The context of this verse has a historical and cultural backdrop. The setting is in ancient Judah, a time when the people were divided and had turned away from God. King Hezekiah’s efforts to bring the people back to God were a significant moment in the history of Judah. This verse reflects the challenges faced during this period, as the people who came to celebrate the Passover were not all ritually clean according to the customs of the sanctuary. Hezekiah had to make a difficult decision about whether to allow them to participate in the feast, and this verse serves as a response to that dilemma.
Symbolically, the verse communicates the broader concept that the state of a person’s heart is a crucial factor in their relationship with God. It teaches that genuine contrition and a deep desire to seek after God hold greater significance than the outward performance of religious obligations. This idea is consistent with other biblical teachings that emphasize the importance of a humble and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17), and that God desires mercy and acknowledgment of Him more than sacrifices and offerings (Hosea 6:6).
In Christianity, this verse can be seen as a precursor to the teachings of Jesus, who often criticized the Pharisees and religious leaders for their focus on outward appearances and rituals, while neglecting matters of the heart and justice (Matthew 23:23). It reinforces the idea that genuine repentance and inner transformation are essential in maintaining a relationship with God.
In conclusion, 2 Chronicles 30:19 teaches an important lesson about the nature of true repentance and the importance of the condition of the heart in seeking after God. It highlights the distinction between outward religious observance and genuine spiritual devotion, emphasizing the latter as the more significant factor in one’s relationship with God. This verse is a reminder for believers to prioritize the state of their hearts and their genuine seeking after God above mere performance of religious rituals.
2 Chronicles 30:19 Artwork
2 Chronicles 30:19 - "That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary."
2 Chronicles 30:4 - "And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation."
2 Chronicles 30:20 - "And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people."
2 Chronicles 9:30 - "And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years."
1 Chronicles 2:30 - "And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children."
2 Chronicles 30:11 - "Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem."
2 Chronicles 30:2 - "For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month."
2 Chronicles 35:19 - "In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept."
2 Chronicles 10:19 - "And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day."
2 Chronicles 11:19 - "Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham."
2 Chronicles 20:30 - "So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about."
2 Chronicles 19:1 - "And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem."
2 Chronicles 15:19 - "And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa."
2 Chronicles 30:26 - "So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem."
1 Chronicles 4:30 - "And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,"
2 Chronicles 30:23 - "And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness."
2 Chronicles 30:13 - "¶ And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation."
2 Kings 19:30 - "And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward."
2 Chronicles 30:12 - "Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD."
2 Chronicles 30:14 - "And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron."
2 Chronicles 30:16 - "And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites."
2 Chronicles 19:5 - "¶ And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city,"
2 Kings 12:19 - "¶ And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"
2 Chronicles 30:3 - "For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem."
1 Chronicles 1:30 - "Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema,"
2 Chronicles 34:19 - "And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes."
Matthew 19:30 - "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first."
2 Chronicles 30:27 - "¶ Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven."
2 Chronicles 17:19 - "These waited on the king, beside those whom the king put in the fenced cities throughout all Judah."
2 Kings 16:19 - "¶ Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"