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2 Chronicles 19:3
Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.

2 Chronicles 20:33
Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

1 Samuel 7:3
And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts,then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

though he be not

Leviticus 12:4
And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.

Leviticus 15:31-33
Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle thatis among them…

Leviticus 21:17-23
Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoeverhe be of thy seed in their generations that hathany blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God…

the LORD, the God of his fathers
This phrase underscores the continuity of faith and the covenant relationship between God and the people of Israel. The reference to "the God of his fathers" connects the current generation to the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and the promises made to them. It highlights the faithfulness of God across generations and serves as a reminder of the historical and spiritual heritage of the Israelites. This continuity is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, emphasizing that the God worshiped by the forefathers is the same God who remains faithful to His people.

even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary
This part of the verse addresses the ceremonial laws that were central to worship in ancient Israel. The purification rules were detailed in the Mosaic Law, particularly in Leviticus, and were necessary for maintaining ritual purity. However, Hezekiah's prayer in this chapter reveals a deeper understanding of God's grace and mercy. It suggests that a sincere heart seeking God is more important than strict adherence to ritual purity, foreshadowing the New Testament teaching that faith and the condition of the heart are paramount (e.g.,Romans 2:29). This anticipates the work of Jesus Christ, who fulfills the law and offers purification through His sacrifice, making it possible for all to approach God.

• Scripture pictures deliberate, inward resolve. “Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD” (Ezra 7:10), and Samuel urged Israel, “Direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him only” (1 Samuel 7:3).

• Hezekiah’s prayer assumes genuine intention matters. Rehoboam “did evil, because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD” (2 Chronicles 12:14). Setting the heart is the hinge on which obedience turns.

• Seeking is active pursuit, not casual interest. Moses promised, “You will seek the LORD your God and you will find Him when you search with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

• David modeled this hunger: “My heart said of You, ‘Seek His face!’ Your face, O LORD, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8).

•Hebrews 11:6 affirms that God rewards those “who earnestly seek Him.” Hezekiah is appealing to that divine promise.

• The phrase roots faith in covenant history. God introduced Himself to Moses as “the God of your father—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Exodus 3:6).

• Elijah prayed, “LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known…that You are God in Israel” (1 Kings 18:36).

• By invoking “the God of his fathers,” Hezekiah highlights continuity: the same faithful Lord stands ready to receive the repentant northern tribes returning for Passover.

• Ritual uncleanness normally barred participation (Leviticus 11;Numbers 9:6-7). Yet grace makes room where the heart is right.

• Jesus later touched the leper, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed” (Mark 1:41), showing that inward faith supersedes ceremonial barriers.

• Peter learned, “What God has cleansed, you must not call common” (Acts 10:15). Hezekiah anticipates this gospel principle: sincere seekers can be forgiven though outwardly disqualified.

• The Law required strict observance for worshipers entering holy space (Leviticus 15:31;2 Chronicles 29:5).

• Passover regulations even allowed a delayed observance for those unclean (Numbers 9:10-11), hinting that the heart mattered more than timing.

•Hebrews 9:10 calls such regulations “external ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.” In Christ the deeper purification is provided, but the principle already shone through Hezekiah’s plea.

2 Chronicles 30:19 shows that God values a heart deliberately set on seeking Him more than flawless ritual compliance. Hezekiah appeals to the covenant-keeping Lord of Israel’s fathers, confident that humble, earnest worshipers will find forgiveness even when they fall short of ceremonial standards. The verse underscores grace without dismissing holiness, affirming that sincere pursuit of God opens the way to cleansing and fellowship.

Purification of the sanctuary.--Or,holy purification: a phrase only found here (comp.1Chronicles 23:28).

The prayer evinces a preference of spiritual sincerity to mere literal observance of legal prescriptions, which is all the more remarkable as occurring in a writer whose principal aim is to foster a due reverence for the external ordinances and traditional customs of religion.

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