A Foretaste of the Kingdom

The Passover of Hezekiah

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.—2 Chronicles 30:26

A verse by verse study in 2 Chronicles 30

Hezekiah ranks as one of the best of the kings of Judah. In fact, the Bible chronicler puts him in first place: "He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses" (2 Kings 18:5,6).

His chief claim to fame came from the early part of his reign when he brought about great reforms, especially in attempting to rid the country of idol worship. His actions after his sickness, for which he prayed for fifteen extra years of life, were not nearly as noble.

The theme of this chapter deals with his re-institution of the Passover, which had fallen into general non-observance after the reign of Solomon approximately three centuries earlier.

Passover in the Second Month—Verses 1 through 4

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.

Immediately upon becoming king, Hezekiah commenced a great religious reform. In eight days they had re-opened the great Temple of Solomon and cleansed it of defilement (2 Chronicles 29:1-17). Hezekiah then proceeded to offer a burnt offering, which with the offerings of the people, totaled 600 oxen and 3,000 sheep. There were so many animals that the priests needed to draft the Levites to assist them in the ritual slaughter (2 Chronicles 29:33,34).

With the temple in order Hezekiah proceeded to send a message for the people to assemble to celebrate the Passover. He not only invited his compatriots of Judah, but the northern ten-tribe kingdom representatives through Ephraim and Manasseh. Hezekiah may have felt comfortable inviting his brethren of Israel since there was no king of the northern tribes at that time, Assyria having subjected them.

Since the cleansing of the temple was not completed until the sixteenth day of the first month (Nisan) and the Passover was due to becelebrated on the fourteenth, Hezekiah was faced with a dilemma. Either they have to wait nearly a full year for the next Passover or celebrate it late. This would explain why he called a council to decide the matter.

Although the Law called for Passover in the first month, the judgment of God was given that in cases of uncleanness, it would be permissible to keep the ceremony the fourteenth day of the second month (Numbers 9:6-11). The situation in Hezekiah’s day was of sufficient similarity to invoke the application of that judgment.

The Passover Proclamation—Verses 5 through 9

So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba 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 stiff-necked, 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.

The proclamation was sent throughout the borders of both the northern and southern kingdoms—from Dan to Beersheba. Since the northern tribes had already been taken captive by Assyria, the proclamation was addressed to "the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hands of the kings of Assyria." Hezekiah’s breadth of mind and scope of vision for a united kingdom were not deterred by the fact that his brethren had broken away from him. His was a liberality that reached out to all regardless of the slights and hurts of past history.

However, it was not a message of forgiveness without repentance. He was not asking them to acknowledge their wrongs to their southern brethren, he was pleading with them not to turn from Jehovah as their fathers had done. The message reassured the Israelites that if they would be faithful to their part of the reform, God would be faithful in bringing them back again into one fold.

The Reaction—Verses 10 through 13

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.

The reaction to the invitation was mixed. Evidently the majority treated the news with scorn, but some from three tribes—Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun—were humble enough to come to the feast at Jerusalem. The trans-Jordan tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, had already passed into Assyrian captivity and the Simeonites were scattered among the cities of Judah. Thus representatives of six of the twelve tribes—Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, Levi, Naphtali, and Issachar—made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, so that a great number were on hand for the celebration of the feast.

Preparation for the Passover—Verses 14 through 20

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. Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth dayof 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 ofthe 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. 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.

The first act of preparation was the removal of the idolatrous altars which King Ahaz had erected in each of the four corners of Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 28:24). The stones of these demolished altars were thrown into the creek bed of the Kidron where they would be washed away by the flowing stream.

The solemnity of the ceremony was of such a nature as to cast guilt on the priests and Levites for allowing themselves to become ceremonially unclean. Before they began offering the animals of Passover, they performed their own cleansing rituals and offered the burnt offerings prescribed by law. Thus cleansed, they performed the ceremonial sprinkling of the Passover blood.

However, many of the congregation, specifically those of the northern kingdom tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, also had not gone through the required pre-Passover cleansing. Despite this, and probably not knowing the requirements since it had been so long since the last such observance, they participated in the feast.

Again, the magnanimity of Hezekiah was shown. Rather than berating them for disobedience of the law requirements, he prayed for them, those who would prepare their hearts to seek after God. The word for pardon in this verse is the Hebrew kophar, meaning to cover or atone. It suggests an official removing of the guilt of the sin committed.

Here we have a beautiful picture of God’s kingdom when the antitypical Passover is celebrated in the second month (celebrations in the first month show the application of the Passover to the church). Many of mankind will be unclean, not being informed before their resurrection of the divine requirements. It is for these that the mediator will step between and intercede on their behalf, that the atonement will cover the sins of all who then will apply themselves to learn and do the precepts of righteousness.

The response of God is that Jehovah will hearken to these prayers and will heal the uncleanness of all who seek to learn and do the will of God, walking humbly up to perfection on the "highway of holiness" (Isaiah 35:8-10).

The Feast of Unleavened Bread—Verses 21 through 27

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. And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced. 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.

The account of Hezekiah’s Passover illustrates one of the chief functions of all of Israel’s feast days—the recognition and sorrow for individual sin. Once again, this particular festival well illustrates Messiah’s kingdom, for it will also be a time for the recognition of past sins and repentance for them—a time for the offering of peace offerings.

Though sadness for past neglect cast a pallor over the feast, it did not preclude glad songs of joy, accompanied by the temple musicians. Throughout the feast, as it will be throughout the kingdom, the spiritual Levites will teach them "the good knowledge of the Lord."

Verse 22 records that Hezekiah spoke "comfortably" to the people. This word is actually a phrase composed of two Hebrew words, al leeb, meaning literally, he spoke "to the heart" of the people. It is the same expression used in Isaiah 40:2 where the admonition is to "speak comfortably" to Israel. The phrase has a deeper meaning than merely comfort. It indicates that the words touched not merely the minds, but also the heart or emotions of the audience. Hezekiah, as representative of the throne of David, appears to represent Christ and his church in their future role of touching the hearts of all humanity.

As the congregation was so happy to have this feast renewed, the decision was made to continue it for another week. So restored humanity will be so pleased with the results of the Messianic kingdom they will continue the celebration by rendering continued obedience, not for another week or even another thousand years, but for eternity.

The immense size of the number of the gathered Israelites is further indicated by the number of animals that were given for the feast. The offering of the king of 1,000 bullocks and 7,000 sheep was topped by the princes (perhaps representing the ancient worthies) with their offering of 1,000 additional bullocks and 10,000 sheep.

The "great number of priests who sanctified themselves" is in addition to the ones consecrating themselves in verse 15. A text which may shed light upon this second group of priests is found in Isaiah 66:19, 20 where we read of an exodus of Jews to Israel after their final battle. Of these returnees he prophesies in Isaiah 66:21, "And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord."

A priest is one who offers sacrifices or prayers on behalf of others. In patriarchal times this was a function filled by the first-born as the heir-apparent to the headship of the family. The patriarch Job fulfills this duty for his "comforters" in Job 42:8-10. In this way many who hear the word of the Lord will assist in such Levitical offices as teaching others and in such priestly work as offering prayers (see Revelation 22:17).

It is also noteworthy that the celebrants included not only native-born Israelis but the foreigners among them. These "strangers" were not people of other nationalities who happened to be passing through, but those who had made Israel their permanent home and adopted the religion of Israel as their own. Likewise the blessings of God’s kingdom apply not only to Israel but, through them, to all the families of the earth. Yet to receive of these blessings these Gentiles must not merely "pass by" but make their spiritual home in the new arrangement, adopting its laws as their own.

The joy and rededication that attended this Passover was not an end in itself, but merely a beginning in the larger reform of Hezekiah as outlined in succeeding chapters, as he sought to remove all idolatry from Israel.

Sadly, the reform was short-lived. One more attempt would be made to make it permanent. In the reign of Josiah a similar appellation was made to his great Passover: "Since the time of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, there was not the like in Jerusalem" (2 Chronicles 30:26). That reform also failed and it was not long before the Babylonian armies subdued the once mighty kingdom of Israel.

Nevertheless, the voice of Hezekiah’s Passover, and all such attempts at future reforms, were prayers that would indeed ascend to God’s holy dwelling place, "even to heaven." This is for us the great lesson of this event—to constantly invoke the memories of God’s past deliverance of his people to rekindle the zeal to praise and serve him afresh.