II Chronicles 31, Contributions for the Temple

Hezekiah is king of Judah and has had the temple cleansed and reestablished temple worship, including the Passover feast and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

2 Chronicles 31:1, Idols destroyed

When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property.
 

As a demonstration of their enthusiasm for the renewed worship in Jerusalem, the people move out into the countryside, even into nearby northern tribes, and destroy the idols and altars there.

2 Chronicles 31:2-4, Regular worship

Hezekiah assigned the priests and Levites to divisions--each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites--to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister, to give thanks and to sing praises at the gates of the LORD's dwelling.

The king contributed from his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moons and appointed feasts as written in the Law of the LORD. He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD.

Regular worship now begins at the temple. This included sabbath worship and the celebration of the first day of the month (the new moon) and the three feasts. Hezekiah organizes the work of the priests and Levites; commentator J. Barton Payne says that Hezekiah assisgns the priests to "the" divisions, indicating divisions already given by David in 1 Chronicles 25.

2 Chronicles 31:5-8, A tithe

As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything.The men of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the LORD their God, and they piled them in heaps. They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month.

When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the LORD and blessed his people Israel.

The people give freely, returning to the "tithe". The gifts of material things are put in piles. The large quantity of gifts is another sign of worship and the Lord's favor. The third month (says Payne) would have been in May-June, at the harvest of grain (and Pentecost) and the seventh month would have been in September-October at fruit and vine harvests (and the Feast of Tabernacles.)

2 Chronicles 31:9-15, Storerooms for gifts

Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered, "Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the LORD has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over."

Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the LORD, and this was done. Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts. 

Conaniah, a Levite, was in charge of these things, and his brother Shimei was next in rank. Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah were supervisors under Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by appointment of King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of the temple of God. Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions made to the LORD and also the consecrated gifts. Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah assisted him faithfully in the towns of the priests, distributing to their fellow priests according to their divisions, old and young alike.

Storerooms for the gifts are created, along with supervisors for the contributions of the consecrated gifts. These gifts will be distributed to the priests and others.

2 Chronicles 31: 16-19, More distributions

In addition, they distributed to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records--all who would enter the temple of the LORD to perform the daily duties of their various tasks, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. 

And they distributed to the priests enrolled by their families in the genealogical records and likewise to the Levites twenty years old or more, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community listed in these genealogical records. For they were faithful in consecrating themselves.

As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farm lands around their towns or in any other towns, men were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among them and to all who were recorded in the genealogies of the Levites.

Gifts given by the public are distributed to people in the genealogical records, to males at least three years old, who were eligible to enter the temple. Priests and their families receive gifts.

Either there were small tasks for children or there is a copyist error in the age of three for eligible males.  When David set up the temple tasks in 1 Chronicles 23:1-5, a minimum age for men working in the temple was thirty. Later Ezra will use males of age twenty or older (Ezra 3:8.) 

2 Chronicles 31:20-21, Wholehearted work

This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.

Hezekiah's ministry is summarized -- he committed himself to God in everything and so he prospered.