|
The Passover of Hezekiah
In every work that he
began in the service of the house of God … and in the commandments, to seek his
God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
Tom Ruggirello The Passover instituted by Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 30 was part of the larger reformation work he undertook after becoming king of Israel. It is an inspiring story of how the faith of one man can affect the course of an entire nation. There were three kings of Israel who were especially pleasing to God. Along with David and Josiah, Hezekiah had a profoundly good effect on his fellow Israelites. His case is especially interesting because of his family background. His father Ahaz was a wicked king who led the two-tribe kingdom of Judah into idolatry. For Hezekiah to have such zeal for the Lord may indicate the influence of a godly mother. In fact, when introduced to Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 29:1, we are told his mother’s name was Abijah. It is somewhat unusual to have the mother’s name given in this way. It may be an indication of her faithful tutoring of Hezekiah. If that is the case, we see that the goodness of Hezekiah was achieved through the wise preparation of a parent. It is a lesson for all Christian parents: their influence can make a tremendous difference in the lives of their children. It is thrilling to see young king Hezekiah immediately set out to restore the worship of God in Israel. It was in the first month of his reign that he opened the doors of the temple and repaired them (2 Chronicles 29:3). Immediately he gathered the priests and Levites together and admonished them to return to the ways of the Lord (verses 4-11). It took sixteen days to remove out of the temple all the filthiness that his father Ahaz had put there (verse 17). As part of the reformation work he desired to make a covenant with God so that his fierce wrath would turn away from Israel. Passover Reformation All this reformation work took place just preceding the time of the Passover. There was one difficulty however in keeping the Passover. So much work had to be done that when the fifteenth of Nisan, the appointed day of Passover arrived, the priests had not been sufficiently cleansed. Additionally, they had all been so involved in the cleansing work there had not been adequate time to gather the people to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. After consulting with the princes of Judah, Hezekiah determined that the law allowed postponement of the Passover until the following month. In issuing the decree that Passover would be celebrated one month later, Hezekiah also sent letters to the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel in the north, inviting them to the Passover celebration (2 Chronicles 30:6-9). There was a mixed response to his letter. Some accepted the invitation and came to Jerusalem, while others laughed and mocked it (verses 10 and 11). Apparently, those from the north had not been properly cleansed but partook of the Passover feast anyway. This was of great concern to Hezekiah and he prayed to God for their forgiveness. Not only was Hezekiah determined to lead Israel back to God, he was also determined that it be done in the correct manner. His desire to include his northern brethren is impressive. The rift between Israel and Judah had widened considerably over the previous two hundred fifty years. During the reign of his father Ahaz, the northern tribes had even joined a confederacy against Judah. This led to war between fellow Israelites. In one instance 120,000 men were slaughtered in Judah (2 Chronicles 28:6). Because this happened at the death of Ahaz, undoubtedly Hezekiah was a witness to the terrible event. How easily he could have harbored bitterness toward his northern brethren. But his attitude was the opposite. We see his genuine desire to bring the northern kingdom back to God along with Judah. Long before Jesus uttered one of his precious admonitions, we see it being carried out by this young king: “Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you” (Matthew 5:44). We see in Hezekiah the example of caring for the spiritual welfare of others, even his enemies. The seven-day Passover celebration was such a blessing that those assembled at Jerusalem agreed to keep a second seven-day feast (2 Chronicles 30:23). Describing the atmosphere which prevailed in Jerusalem at the time, we read “there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon … there was not the like in Jerusalem” (v. 26). How thrilling to see Israel feeling such joy for the celebration of the Passover. It is clear the celebration was pleasing even to God for “their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven” (v. 27). The purpose of the Passover was accomplished. It instilled in the people an appreciation for their nation’s past deliverance from Egyptian bondage. The Lord knew gratitude for past experiences is the basis for an ongoing thankfulness in the heart of people. The Lord’s people cannot overlook that lesson today. It is only as we reflect upon our past experiences with the Lord and are truly grateful for them, that we can move ahead with thankful hearts. A Symbol of the Kingdom This entire experience of Hezekiah is symbolic of the kingdom work to be performed by the Ancient Worthies. Hezekiah’s desire to make a covenant with the Lord well illustrates the making of the New Covenant through the Ancient Worthies. Hezekiah wanted to make (or renew) the Law Covenant to turn the wrath of God away from Israel. This is similar to the events at the end of the Gospel age when Israel’s punishment ends and she is ushered back into the favor of God. An essential element to this process will be the inauguration of the New Covenant. The fact that Israel celebrated the Passover one month later than usual shows this is a picture of a celebration that follows the Gospel age. As the world accepts Christ they will come to understand his role as the Lamb of God. They will see the manner in which the spiritual firstborns were delivered during the Gospel age. They will come to treasure the knowledge of their own deliverance through the blood of the lamb, just as the nation of Israel had been delivered from Egypt, after the firstborns were saved from death. A second week of feasting was observed in Israel. How appropriate this is when connected to the world’s abundant appreciation of God’s deliverance. The “great joy in Jerusalem” was but a foretaste of the joy mankind will come to know when all the families of the earth come together under their deliverer. Hezekiah’s desire to unite all Israel aptly portrays the work of the Ancient Worthies in bringing warring factions of the world together: Arabs loving Jews, whites loving blacks, and all races worshipping God, united under Christ. What a thrilling scenario this is. But in spite of the positive aspects of this picture, some laughed and mocked Hezekiah’s work. Similarly, there will be some who will not accept the regulations of the kingdom. Because of Hezekiah’s work, the people tore down their idols. This is a marvelous fore gleam of the time when mankind will tear down all contemporary forms of idolatry. The Uncleansed Some of the northern Israelites celebrated the feast of Passover but had not been properly cleansed. As Hezekiah prayed for them we see another aspect of the role to be played by the Ancient Worthies. Some in the kingdom will desire to worship God, but their form of worship will be so distorted that they will make mistakes in the way they approach him. The Ancient Worthies will teach them the legality of their forgiveness, and how the mediator operates during that age. God forgave a violation of the law with these particular Israelites. His forgiveness shows that even in the exactness of the law, heart intent was considered. That will be the spirit in the kingdom. Heart intent will take precedence over exactness of procedure. In 2 Chronicles 31:4 we see a picture of the world’s change of heart. Hezekiah commanded the people to start giving their tithes again so the work of the priesthood could proceed. As soon as the command was broadcast an abundance of corn, wine, oil, and honey came in as well as tithes of sheep and oxen. Rotherham describes it as “heaps, heaps” (verse 6). The word “heaps” is mentioned twice with emphasis on both words. So many tithes came in that additional storehouses were needed. What a picture of free will offering this conveys. It depicts how generous the human spirit will become. Hearts full of appreciation will fill the world; the result will be faithful worship of God. As Israel was wrapped in the care and wisdom of a faithful king, so the Ancient Worthies, under the administration of the great mediator, will lead mankind to a faithful service of God. The blood of the lamb will become a vital part of mankind’s understanding and devotion, and they will walk in the ways of righteousness for all ages to come. |