SERIES N --- THE EXILE --- LESSON 08

PASSOVER KEPT

KING HEZEKIAH’S GREAT PASSOVER

From 2 Chronicles 30

With the temple fully restored, King Hezekiah now decided to invite all Judah, Israel, Ephraim and Manasseh to a great Passover celebration at Adonai’s temple in Jerusalem. However, it was too late to assemble the people for the appointed time of the Passover in April. Besides, not enough priests were ready for the work at that time. Therefore, Hezekiah and his officials decided to have the Passover a month later, in May. Being completely agreed on this change of date, they sent messengers throughout Judah, Israel, Ephraim and Manasseh, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, inviting all the people to come. It had been a long, long time since all the people of Israel had gathered for such a celebration. Many years before, King Jeroboam had made shrines at Dan and Bethel and commanded the people of Israel to worship at them and not go to Jerusalem and all the other kings of the northern kingdom had done the same. But now the northern kingdom had been destroyed by the Assyrians and many of the people carried away to other lands. Comparatively few people were left in Israel, but King Hezekiah of Judah lovingly appealed to them. This is the message which was carried throughout all the land, [People of Israel, return to Adonai YHVH of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, so that He will return to help those of you who have survived the hand of the kings of Assyria. Don’t be like your fathers and brothers who turned away from Adonai, for as you now realize, He has let them be destroyed because of their unfaithfulness. Give yourselves to Adonai and worship Him at His temple which He has sanctified forever. Don’t be stubborn and refuse to do this as did your exiled relatives. If you turn to Adonai your YHVH, He will be merciful to those who are in exile and will let them return to this land. For Adonai is gracious and compassionate and will turn His face toward you again if you return to Him.] The messengers went with this plea from King Hezekiah, traveling from city to city throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and then on to the land of Zebulun. Many of the people laughed at them and mocked them, but some of the people of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to the Passover in Jerusalem. In Judah, the hand of YHVH moved among the people, uniting them as one person in their desire to obey Adonai’s Commands through the king and his officials. A great assembly of people gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Before they began, they knocked down the heathen altars, including the incense altars that were in Jerusalem and threw them into the Kidron Brook. When the first day of May arrived, when the celebration was to begin, the priests and Levites were still not involved as they should have been, so the people began killing their own Passover lambs. Seeing that, the priests and Levites became ashamed and sanctified themselves and brought burnt offerings to Adonai’s temple. They took the places which had been assigned to them by the Law of Moses, the man of YHVH and the priests sprinkled the blood which the Levites gave them. Many of the people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not sanctified themselves with the purification ceremony. The Levites killed their Passover lambs for them to make them acceptable to Adonai. King Hezekiah prayed, [May the good Lord forgive those who have come to seek Him, even though they cannot follow exactly the purification rites of the temple.] Adonai listened to Hezekiah’s prayer and healed the people. The people who assembled at Jerusalem celebrated the Passover for seven days with great joy. Every day the priests and Levites praised Adonai with musical instruments and cymbals and King Hezekiah complimented them on the way they used their skills to honour Adonai. The celebration continued for the seven days, with peace offerings and confessions of sin to Adonai. Everyone was having such a delightful time that they decided to continue the celebration for seven more days and they thoroughly enjoyed these days, too. King Hezekiah gave the people one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for offerings and the officials gave one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep to the people for the same purpose. By this time another large group of priests had sanctified themselves to help with the sacrifices. All the people rejoiced - the people of Judah, the priests, the Levites, the people who had come from Israel and even the foreign people who lived among them. There had not been a celebration like this in Jerusalem since the time of King Solomon, the son of David. As the Passover celebration drew to a close, the priests and Levites stood up and blessed the people and Adonai heard their prayers, which reached His holy dwelling place in heaven.

COMMENTARY

THE KINGS OF ASSYRIA

The son of an Assyrian king was not guaranteed the crown. The Assyrians believed their god Ashur, chose each king at his birth. A son became crown prince only when his father the king, selected him and the nobles and priests approved. He was raised in a {House of Succession,} where he learned to read, fight and govern. The prince was crowned king in a simple ceremony shortly after his father died. His first job was to reappoint the staff of advisers, officials and scribes that had resigned at his father’s death. Dressed in splendid robes, his tame lion at his feet, the king received ambassadors and accepted their costly gifts. The palace storehouses bulged with such tribute, as well as tax revenues, war booty and the yield of royal estates and workshops. This wealth fed, clothed and housed the royal family, court officials and their slaves and the army. As commander of the army, the king drew up military plans and led major campaigns. He consulted his diviners when making important decisions. These priests watched for signs and omens in dreams, the pattern of oil dropped on water and natural events like the movement of the stars and bird migrations. Sometimes the king asked for several omens until he found one that matched his plans. Also acting as chief priest, the king saw that temples were built, maintained and staffed and took part in religious ceremonies. Since he had no time to perform all the high priest’s duties, he usually assigned one of his sons or a senior priest to act as his substitute.