2 Chronicles 24

For many years I have been concerned about what passes as worship in our 21st century churches. More and more it’s become about concert style productions, loud instruments, pounding beats… and emotion.

What I see in this chapter of 2 Chronicles is about what happens before the songs begin. The people consecrated themselves. There were animal sacrifices for sin, blood spilt, blood sprinkled for cleansing. Before a note was sung, sin was dealt with.

No one just walked up and started singing praise songs. Praise was the natural response to sins forgiven.

Along with that, I also noticed that the people consecrated themselves They weren’t consecrated by the songs they sang, but by the sacrifices they offered.

After the cross, we are told to sacrifice ourselves, our bodies, humble ourselves, repent of sin. All of that requires intention. That’s what it means to consecrate ourselves. Not one and done. Every time they worshiped, those priests consecrated themselves first.

And so should we.