CHAPTER 30

(726 B.C.)

PREPARATION FOR THE PASSOVER

¹And 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 (the Passover is a type of Calvary [Ex. 12:13]).

²For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the Passover in the second month.

³For they could not keep it at that time (the appointed season), because the Priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem (the Passover was supposed to be kept the first month [Ex. 12:2-3], but, because of all the things that needed to be done, they would have to take the Passover a month late, i.e., the second month [Vs. 2]).

⁴And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.

⁵So 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 (in the multitude of an undivided and holy kingdom).

⁶So the posts (messengers) went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, You 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. (The northern kingdom had by now fallen, and so the poorest of the poor had been left by Assyria in the land, with the elite taken out as captives; however, they were precious in Gods sight just the same. Regrettably, as we shall see, most would not take this opportunity offered by Hezekiah.)

⁷And be not you like your fathers, and like your brethren, who trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as you see (the desolation of the northern kingdom could easily be seen).

⁸Now be you not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into His Sanctuary, which He has sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you (the only thing that assuages the wrath of God is Calvary; His wrath will either be turned toward the unrepentant Christian or Calvary; the price of sin must be paid; if we accept the price that He paid at Calvary, then His wrath has already been expended toward His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; if we do not accept the price that was paid at Calvary, then His wrath is turned toward us).

⁹For if you 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 (Hezekiah speaks of a possible restoration, but only if repentance is enjoined): for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away His face from you, if you return unto Him (sincerely repent!).

¹⁰So the posts (messengers) passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them (these last two phrases speak significant description of the exact moral state in which Israels Tribes were now to be found; sadly, far too many in the modern Church meet the Message of the Cross with laughter, scorn, and mockery).

¹¹Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem (while many will laugh and mock, many, as well, will accept and receive; it is to the latter we look!).

¹²Also in Judah (the former Verses pertain to the northern kingdom of Israel) 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 (Judah was far more amenable to the Word of the Lord than Israel).

¹³And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great congregation. (Three Feasts were to be conducted at this time: Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits. They took seven days. Passover commenced on the first day, Unleavened Bread would spread over the entire seven days, and Firstfruits took place the last day. Passover signified Calvary. Unleavened Bread signified the Perfect Life and Perfect Body of Christ, which would be offered in Sacrifice. Firstfruits typified His Resurrection.)

¹⁴And 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 (idol altars).

THE PASSOVER OBSERVED

¹⁵Then 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 (speaks of Repentance on the part of the Priests and the Levites; judgment must begin at the House of God [I Pet. 4:17]).

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁷For there were many in the congregation who were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD (which affirms that the original directions of Moses were that the person who brought the victim to offer it was to kill it; but, in this case, the Levites mostly officiated).

¹⁸For 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 (had not followed the proper procedure [Deut. 16:1-8]). But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one

¹⁹Who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary (the reason all of this was so serious is simply because it all pointed to Christ and what He would do to redeem humanity, which all led to the Cross).

²⁰And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people (there is no healing other than Calvary; all other cisterns are broken and can hold no water [Jer. 2:13]).

FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD RESTORED

²¹And the Children of Israel who 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 (once again, worship in the realm of music and singing always accompanies the Cross, and our Faith in that Finished Work).

²²And Hezekiah spoke comfortably unto all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the Feast seven days, offering Peace Offerings (of which a part of this Offering was eaten by the offeror), and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers (Repentance!).

THE FEAST CONTINUED FOR SEVEN MORE DAYS

²³And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness (making a total of fourteen days).

²⁴For 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 (the conduits carrying the blood from these many sacrifices from the Temple Mount would have caused the Brook Kidron, which ran between the Temple Mount and Olivet, to run red with blood; this is obnoxious and repulsive to the unspiritual eye, but, to those who know their God, Calvary is the greatest sight this side of Heaven; for it was there that man was liberated and set free [Col. 2:14-15]).

²⁵And all the congregation of Judah, with the Priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers who came out of the land of Israel, and who dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.

²⁶So 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 (Calvary alone brings great joy; nothing else will).

²⁷Then 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 only prayer that God will hear is that which is anchored in Calvarys Cross).