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11 Chronicles Chapter 30
Passover Celebrated
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2Chronicles 30:1 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.
Because of the sin of idolatry the
northern kingdom of Israel no longer existed but was taken over by
the Assyrian Empire. What remained now was Judah, Ephraim and
Manasseh as well as people from the other tribes that somehow
remained after the majority of them went into captivity to Assryia.
Ephraim and Manasseh were from Joseph.
- 2Chronicles 30:2 For
the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the
congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second
month.
- 3 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.
It is commendable that they recognized
the holiness of God and do according to the law of Moses. Worship of
God is not to be haphazard and without order. While I believe in
spontaineous worship that is unplanned when we respond to the
presence of the Holy Spirit, we must always be reverant and
respectful at the same time. God is a holy God.
- 2Chronicles 30:4 And
the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.
- 5 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.
The Lord gave these feasts to the
children of Israel not only to give them a time of feasting and rest
but to cause them to remember what the feasts represent. The
Passover was the one that represented the time when Jesus left
Heaven to enter the womb of a young Jewish maiden, becoming a human
so that He would be able to become the final sacrifice for sin by
the shedding of His blood instead of the blood of an animal. The
blood of a spotless lamb was shed at passover to escape the death
angel in Egypt. The blood on the door posts in Egypt caused them to
escape the death of the first born. The blood of Jesus covering our
sin, causes us to escape eternal damnation and be able to enter
heaven with a new body that can never die.
The soul does not die but goes
somewhere to spend eternity at our physical death. The New Testament
books tell of this miracle and of Jesus' resurrection. The book of
Hebrew explains this in chapter 10. How the blood of the animal
sacrifices could not take away sin but the death and resurrection of
Jesus can. Animal sacrifices were holy if done right but was only a
shadow of the perfect sacrifice to come that a man called Jesus
could only accomplish because He was the only adult male that ever
lived without sin. Just like the lamb in the Old Testament had to be
a lamb without spot or blemish.
- 2Chronicles 30:6 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.
- 7 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.
- 8 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.
- 9 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.
- 10 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.
They were so far gone in their sin of
idolatry that they refused and made fun of the messengers that
brought hope and good news for deliverance and salvation. The same
thing that many today that do the same thing when they hear the
gospel of Jesus for the first time. However if there is just one
that receives Jesus into their lives, it's worth it to endue mockery
to save just one.
- 2Chronicles 30:11
Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled
themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
- 12 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.
- 13 And there
assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of
unleavened bread in the second month, a very great
congregation.
There is always a remnant that desires
to worship and seek the real God. There are always those brave ones
that stand up against the sin and evil. Even if the majority mocks,
there are always a people that stand strong for the Lord our Creator
and our God. I pray that we all would enter in the straight gate
that leads to eternal life.
This was the altars that offered
sacrifices to idols that were taken away.
- 2Chronicles 30:15
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.
- 16 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.
- 17 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.
Many had to be purified because of sin
and being unclean. This was a commandment from the law written by
Moses. It is very important because it has a deeper meaning. It
represents the cleansing from sin that is done when we come to Jesus
Christ for forgiveness.
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2Chronicles 30:18 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. But Hezekiah
prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one
Hezehiah was a man of prayer that was
able to pray for the people that were still unclean. God healed them
and pardoned their sin. What a picture of the coming of Jesus this
was. That is exactly how we are saved from sin and made clean in the
sight of God when we come to Jesus for salvation. In fact it is now
the only way to be saved from sin and become reconciled to our
Father.
-
John 3:16 For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
Believe means to receive turn from sin and
turn to Jesus Christ.
-
Revelation 1:5 And from
Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first
begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.
Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own
blood,
There is Power in the Blood
What a wonderful gift that is given to
believers in Christ. Oh what people are missing. The fellowship, the
joy and peace that comes from the throne of God when we come to
Jesus for salvation.
- 1Peter 1:18
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received
by tradition from your fathers;
- 19 But with the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot:
- 20 Who verily
was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was
manifest in these last times for you,
- 21 Who by him do
believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him
glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
- 22 Seeing ye
have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit
unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one
another with a pure heart fervently:
- 23 Being born
again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Born Again by the Holy Spirit of God. How
awesome is that?
- 2Chronicles 30:19
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.
- 20 And the LORD
hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.
God hears the fervent prayers of those
that seek in truth.
Again we see repentance and then
rejoicing in singing and praising the Lord with loud instruments.
- 2Chronicles 30:22
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.
- 23 And the whole
assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept
other seven days with gladness.
- 24 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.
- 25 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.
- 26 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.
- 27 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.
This is what I called a revival. It
starts by repenting of sin and then the rejoicing, the worship and
the feasting on the goodness of God brings joy and our first love
for the Lord is revived.
Every nation needs leadership like that.
We don't have to sin and miss out of the presence and power of God.
11
Chronicles Chapter 31
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