Tuesday, October 28th, 2025
Today I am going to continue on with the next few instances of the words leb or lebab in the story of King Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29-32). 2 Chronicles 30:18-19 says:
18…But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord pardon every one 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.
This brings to mind when Jesus called the Pharisees “whitewashed tombs” because they were clean and followed the rules on the outside, but their hearts were dead inside. Here, it’s the opposite. King Hezekiah is excusing some of the Israelites for not following all the rituals because he can see that their heart is upright and established on seeking God. The Lord told Samuel when selecting the next king after Saul that man looks at the outside appearance, but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). I love that Hezekiah isn’t bound by the law and outside appearances. He is able to see deeper into the heart and intentions of these men.
This next use of leb is quite different but adds an interesting layer. 2 Chronicles 30:22 says Hezekiah spake comfortably unto the Levites who were teaching about God, feasting for seven days and making offerings and confessions to God. That word “comfortably” is from the word leb. The encouragement Hezekiah was giving went deep into the Levites will, mind, and emotions and nourished each facet. It wasn’t just the words he was speaking, it was the way he was delivering the message that affected the Levites the most. How much more effective would we all be if we could minister in this way? Instead of trying to reach (or redirect) people’s flesh or human nature what if we poured out an oil that anointed passions, courage, and dreams?
The last one we will look at today is from 2 Chronicles 31:21:
21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
This scripture really says it all. Hezekiah was successful in what he did because whatever he did he did it with all his heart. He wasn’t double minded. He wasn’t torn between affections for the things of the flesh and the things of the spirit. He had covenanted his heart early on and he was faithful in his commitment.
Final Thoughts…
Hezekiah was a king that could discern a people who were fashioned after God’s own heart. His softened and covenanted heart was able to recognize and encourage the God-given passions that burned inside of others. He lived the life that he preached and he encouraged others to do the same. What a contrast this time would have been to the previous rulers who had done so much evil and caused such shame and consequences for a nation. As we will learn in the next blog, Hezekiah had his flaws, but his commitment to establishing truth and righteousness in the land made him one of the greatest Israelite kings.