Why did King Ezechias organize tithes and storehouses for the temple ministers throughout Juda?

When these religious celebrations had drawn to a close, all the Israelites present throughout the cities of Juda destroyed the idols and altars. They smashed the idols, chopped down sacred groves, pulled down elevated sanctuaries, and leveled unauthorized altars across the territories of Juda, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasses until they had wiped them out entirely. With the false cults dismantled, the assembly of Israel returned to their respective cities and family inheritances.

King Ezechias then established the courses of the priests and Levites, assigning each minister his particular duties according to his ancestral division. He appointed their schedules for presenting holocausts and peace offerings, as well as for administering sanctuary tasks, giving thanks, and singing praises at the gates of the Lord's camp. In addition, the king pledged a portion of his own property to sustain the regular sacrifices commanded in the law of Moses, ensuring provision for the morning and evening holocausts, the sabbaths, the monthly new moons, and the appointed solemn feasts.

Ezechias ordered the citizens residing in Jerusalem to deliver the prescribed portions due to the priests and Levites so the priests and Levites could attend to the law of the Lord. When this royal directive circulated among the populace, the people of Israel responded with generosity. They supplied abundant firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, and honey, together with a full tenth of all agricultural produce yielded by the soil. The inhabitants of Israel and Juda living throughout Juda's towns likewise brought in tithes of cattle, sheep, and consecrated vows dedicated to their God, piling the contributions into great mounds. The heaps began in the third month and were finished in the seventh month.

Upon arriving to inspect these heaps, Ezechias and his royal officials praised the Lord and blessed the people of Israel. The king asked of the priests and Levites why the heaps lay piled in that manner. Azarias, the high priest from the line of Sadoc, replied that ever since the populace began delivering firstfruits into the temple, the ministers had eaten their fill while an immense surplus remained, because the Lord had richly blessed His people with this bountiful harvest.

Ezechias therefore gave orders to prepare storehouses in the house of the Lord. Once the storerooms were ready, the ministers brought inside the firstfruits, tithes, and vowed offerings faithfully. Chonenias the Levite was appointed chief supervisor over the storehouses, with his brother Semei serving as his deputy. Assisting them were ten subordinate overseers—Jehiel, Azarias, Nahath, Asael, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Jesmachias, Mahath, and Banaias—who carried out their administrative duties by joint command of the king and high priest Azarias, who was in charge of the house of God.

Meanwhile, Core the Levite, son of Jemna and keeper of the east gate, was placed in charge of voluntary freewill gifts, firstfruits, and offerings consecrated for the Holy of Holies. Working under Core's direction, six appointed ministers—Eden, Benjamin, Jesue, Semeias, Amarias, and Sechenias—were stationed throughout the designated priestly cities to distribute honest portions to their fellow Levites, both small and great. Portions were distributed to listed male dependants aged three and older belonging to the families who entered the temple for daily ministry and offices according to their courses, to priests enrolled by their genealogies, to Levites aged twenty and older organized by their companies, and to the entire multitude of their wives, sons, and daughters out of the sanctified stores. Furthermore, overseers were assigned to distribute provisions to all Aaronite males and Levites residing in the suburban fields and commons surrounding each town.

Throughout the entire realm of Juda, Ezechias governed with uprightness, justice, and truth in the presence of the Lord his God. In every undertaking concerning the service of the house of God according to the law and ceremonies, he sought his God with his whole heart, doing the work and prospering.