Reflections: Be an encourager

One of my favorite things about studying the Old Testament is learning how it lays foundations for New Testament concepts. Not only does the entire Bible point to Jesus Christ and the eventual eternal Kingdom of God, but there are many valuable lessons in the Old Testament which are echoed in the New Testament and continue to be relevant for believers today. 

In chapters 30 through 32 of 2 Chronicles, we read about the godly King Hezekiah providing encouragement to the nation of Israel, and particularly to those who were leaders in the worship of God. After a lack of faithfulness by his predecessor, King Hezekiah decided to seal his commitment to serve God by observing a massive Passover celebration, something that had often been sadly neglected in spite of God’s command through Moses to observe Passover regularly. 

Hezekiah sent couriers to invite the entire nation, both the northern and southern kingdoms, to the celebration. He even extended the invitation to God-fearing foreigners and made accommodations for those did not have time to become ceremonially pure, as long as they “set their hearts on God” (30:19).  

The huge Passover celebration was basically a national party, calling for days on end of Temple service by the priests, plus skillful musicianship by the Levites to lead the worship. Hezekiah even postponed the celebration in order for a sufficient number of priests to purify themselves, but I really love v. 22, “And Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites who performed skillfully before the Lord.” 

As the mom in a family of musicians, that resonates with me. Over the years, our family has served in various churches, but the idea of preparing for a multi-day celebration could be overwhelming. In the Chronicles scenario, those Levite families, descendants of King David’s original temple staff, had somehow managed to keep their family tradition alive, teaching new generations to play the instruments and learn the Psalms of praise even while not knowing if or when there would be godly leadership calling for their skills. The tasks may have seemed overwhelming, but Hezekiah’s encouragement helped them get the job done. He even gathered provisions to make sure their needs were met as they served.

We see Hezekiah’s encouragement again in chapter 32, as word of an approaching enemy king threatened to derail the celebration. “He encouraged them, saying, ‘Be strong and courageous! . . . For there is a greater One with us than with them” (v. 7). Sure enough, God intervened by sending an angel to defeat the enemy army. 

Hezekiah wasn’t a perfect king, but he was a great example and led the people in the right direction with his encouragement, even when things weren’t completely on track yet. I wonder if the Apostle Paul, who as a trained Jewish scholar obviously knew his history, may have been thinking of Hezekiah’s example as he wrote to encourage the churches. 

The early Church did not have it easy in the context of the Roman empire; in addition to the risk of persecution, there were challenges as both Jews and Gentiles became believers and joined for worship. Like a sports coach who teaches team members to encourage each other for the success of the whole group, Paul wrote instructions like Ephesians 4:29, “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen” (BSB).  

Or how about Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” 

First Thessalonians looks ahead to the hope of Christ’s return, and with that in mind, Paul wrote to the church, “Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people” (5:15). 

Our cultural circumstances aren’t exactly like those of the returning Jews in the Old Testament or the early Church in the New Testament, but there are some amazing similarities: Some believers risk persecution for their witness; some come from unbelieving family backgrounds or other religions, while others have been raised in church all their lives; congregants have different music preferences; and much more. I’m asking God to help me learn from Hezekiah’s example, follow Paul’s advice and become a better encourager!