Celebrating God’s Blessings

Immediately after dedicating the Temple, Hezekiah decided to keep the Passover.  They had not celebrated it at all during the latter part of Ahaz’ reign, and only mechanically for far longer than that.  The law specified that it was to be celebrated on the fourteenth day of the first month, as stated in Leviticus 23:5.   “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.”   Unfortunately it had taken until the sixteenth to Get the Temple ready to use, and many of the priests were not yet sanctified.  Fortunately God had specified that those who could not for one reason or another celebrate on the fourteenth day of the first month could partake on the fourteenth day of the second month, in in Numbers 9:9-11.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD.  The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.”

Because neither the priests nor the people were prepared at the proper time, they deciced to wait until the second month so everyone would be prepared.  Hezekiah did not limit the service to Judah, but reached out to the people of Israel as well, and especially those along his border, as II Chronicles 30:1-9 explains.  “And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel.  For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.  For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.

And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.  So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written.

So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.  And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.  Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.  For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

Some of the people in Israel made fun of Hezekiah for serving the Lord, but others came to participate, as II Chronicles 30:10-14 describes.  “So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.  Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.  Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.  And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.  And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.”

Convicted about their idolatry, the people destroyed all the altars Ahaz had set up before celebrating the Passover.  Many of the people, especially those from Israel had never celebrated the Passover and had no idea what was involved, and thus were still not prepared, as we see in II Chronicles 30:15-18a.  “Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.  And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites.  For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.  For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written.”

For two hundred fifty years, Israel had not officially celebrated the Passover.  As a result, even many families that celebrated it privately had begun to do things contrary to what God had commanded, simply not knowing any better.  Understanding this, Hezekiah asked God to forgive all of those who sincerely sought to obey God because they didn’t know the right way, in II Chronicles 30:18b-20.  “But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one  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.  And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.” When we do things out of ignorance, sincerely trying to please him, God is always willing toforgive us.  The problem comes when we don’t even try to please him.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread commemorating the seven days israel fled from the Egyptians before crossing the Red Sea followed the Passover immediately, and the people celebrated it as well.  Then just for sheer joy, the people went an extra seven days, as II Chronicles 30:21-27 describes.  “And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD.  And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.

And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness.  For Hezekiah king of Judah did give to the congregation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.  So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.  Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.”