2 Chronicles Chapter 30
Hezekiah’s Passover
A. The letter of invitation
1. (2 Chronicles 30:1–5) The tribes of Israel are invited to celebrate the Passover
Scripture Text (KJV)
“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. 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.”
Hezekiah’s concern for worship did not stop with Judah alone. He intentionally sent word to all Israel and Judah, even writing letters directly to Ephraim and Manasseh, tribes of the northern kingdom. This invitation shows that Hezekiah still understood Israel as one covenant people before God, despite political division. The timing indicates that this appeal went out while Assyria had already crippled the northern kingdom but before total depopulation through exile. What remained was a scattered remnant, vulnerable, humbled, and reachable.
This moment was providential. For nearly two centuries, participation in worship at Jerusalem had been forbidden to the northern tribes by the policies of Jeroboam, who feared political reunification if Israel returned to the temple. According to 1 Kings 12:27–28, Jeroboam deliberately established alternative worship to prevent this. Now, with Samaria under siege and King Hoshea powerless, the political barriers were removed. God had stripped away resistance so that an invitation to true worship could finally be heard.
The focus of the invitation was the Passover. This feast commemorated God’s redemptive act in delivering Israel from bondage in Egypt, as recorded in Exodus 12. Passover was not merely a ritual meal but a theological confession of salvation by grace through blood substitution. To neglect Passover was to forget redemption itself. The long absence of this feast among the tribes of Israel represented a deep spiritual amnesia.
Normally, Passover was to be observed in the first month, as commanded in Numbers 9:1–5. However, the Law also provided gracious accommodation. Numbers 9:10–11 allowed Passover to be observed in the second month if ceremonial uncleanness or distance prevented proper observance. Hezekiah applied this provision nationally. The temple had only recently been cleansed, the priests were still sanctifying themselves, and the people had not yet assembled. Rather than abandoning obedience, Hezekiah pursued delayed obedience according to God’s revealed will.
The proclamation was sent throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, the traditional expression describing the full extent of the land. This emphasizes the breadth of the invitation. Though politically divided, spiritually the call was universal. The Chronicler notes that they had not kept the Passover for a long time in such sort as it was written. This indicates that even when Passover may have been attempted, it was not observed according to God’s prescribed manner. Hezekiah’s goal was not partial reform but biblical obedience.
2. (2 Chronicles 30:6–9) The letter to the tribes
Scripture Text (KJV)
“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 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. 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 letter addressed them as the children of Israel, deliberately invoking covenant identity rooted in Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Even though the northern kingdom had largely collapsed, God still recognized a remnant. Hezekiah appealed not to political unity but to spiritual repentance. The call was simple and direct, return to the LORD. The promise was equally clear, if they returned, God would return to them.
Hezekiah did not minimize judgment. He acknowledged that their fathers and brethren had trespassed against the LORD and that desolation was the result. This honesty gave weight to his appeal. Repentance requires clarity about sin and its consequences. The devastation they witnessed was evidence of covenant violation, not divine neglect.
The letter warned against stubbornness. To be stiff necked is to resist God’s authority and correction. This phrase had deep roots in Israel’s history, used repeatedly to describe rebellion in the wilderness. Hezekiah urged submission instead. Yield yourselves to the LORD, enter His sanctuary, and serve Him. Worship, service, and humility were inseparable.
The promises attached to repentance were remarkable. If they returned, God would show compassion to those already in captivity and open the door for restoration to the land. This reflects God’s covenant mercy even in judgment. Though historically the northern kingdom would not be fully restored politically, individuals and families could still experience mercy, preservation, and return.
The theological foundation of the appeal rested on God’s character. The LORD is gracious and merciful and will not turn away His face from those who return to Him. This principle runs throughout Scripture. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Judgment is real, but mercy is available to the repentant.
This invitation reveals that true unity among God’s people cannot be achieved through force, politics, or compromise. It can only be achieved through repentance and faithful worship. Hezekiah’s letter stands as one of the clearest evangelistic appeals in the Old Testament, grounded in covenant history, honest assessment of sin, and confidence in God’s mercy.
3. (2 Chronicles 30:10–12) The reaction to the letter in Israel and Judah
Scripture Text (KJV)
“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.”
The response to Hezekiah’s invitation revealed a sharp spiritual divide between mockery and humility. As the runners carried the king’s letters throughout Ephraim, Manasseh, and as far north as Zebulun, the dominant reaction among the northern remnant was ridicule. They laughed the messengers to scorn and mocked them. This response exposed a hardened heart. There was no reasoned objection, no theological rebuttal, no appeal to tradition or law. The invitation was dismissed with contempt. For the spiritually frivolous, mockery becomes a substitute for repentance and serious thought.
This reaction was not new. It reflected the same stubborn posture that had already brought the northern kingdom to ruin. Judgment had fallen, cities had been destroyed, and captivity had begun, yet many still refused correction. Mockery in the face of mercy is one of the clearest signs of spiritual blindness. When men laugh at grace, they seal their resistance to truth.
Historical tradition suggests that this rejection may have been even more violent than the Chronicler records. Josephus indicates that some Israelites not only mocked the messengers but also killed those who exhorted them to go up to Jerusalem. Whether or not this occurred in every case, it underscores the hostility that often greets calls to repentance, especially when pride has replaced covenant faithfulness.
Yet the passage does not end in despair. There was a remnant within the remnant. Some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. This phrase is the theological hinge of the passage. They humbled themselves. Pride kept many away, but humility opened the door for obedience. These men crossed tribal boundaries, political history, and cultural hostility to seek the LORD where He had placed His name.
This response was significant historically. After the fall of the northern kingdom, Jerusalem became the only remaining center for corporate worship of the LORD. The fact that men from these northern tribes came to Jerusalem represents a quiet, partial reunification around true worship rather than political power. Unity was achieved not by force but by repentance.
In contrast to the mixed response of the northern tribes, the reaction in Judah was unified and wholehearted. The Chronicler attributes this not to superior character but to divine action. The hand of God was upon Judah to give them one heart. Their obedience flowed from God’s gracious intervention. Unity, submission, and obedience were gifts from the LORD, not achievements of leadership alone.
This singleness of heart resulted in obedience to both the command of the king and the leaders, and explicitly at the word of the LORD. Political authority and divine revelation were aligned. When leadership speaks in accordance with God’s Word, obedience becomes an act of worship rather than coercion.
This passage demonstrates a recurring biblical pattern. When God extends mercy, responses divide humanity. Some mock, some humble themselves, and others obey because God has softened their hearts. Revival always exposes hearts. It never leaves people neutral.
B. The Passover celebrated
1. (2 Chronicles 30:13–17) Preparations and sacrifices made
Scripture Text (KJV)
“And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation. 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 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. 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.”
The Chronicler emphasizes the scale of this gathering. A very great congregation assembled at Jerusalem, the largest Passover gathering in generations. This was remarkable not only because Passover had long been neglected in Judah, but also because this assembly included worshippers from the remnant of the northern tribes. What political power could not accomplish, repentance and obedience achieved. The people gathered not around a throne but around the altar.
Before the feast itself, there was decisive preparation. The people removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, including incense altars, and cast them into the Brook Kidron. These altars represented unauthorized worship, whether pagan or corrupted attempts to worship the true God outside His command. Their removal demonstrated genuine repentance. Worship could not be restored while rival altars remained. Cleansing the city preceded celebrating redemption.
The Passover lambs were slain on the fourteenth day of the second month, exactly in keeping with the allowance given in Numbers 9:10–11, which states, “If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD. The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it.” Hezekiah’s reform was not careless enthusiasm, it was careful obedience.
The priests and Levites were ashamed and sanctified themselves. Their shame indicates a renewed conscience. Having witnessed the eagerness of the people, they recognized their own previous negligence. True revival often exposes leaders first. Their sanctification restored proper order, and they resumed their roles according to the Law of Moses the man of God.
The division of labor followed biblical boundaries. The priests sprinkled the blood, as only they were permitted to do, while the Levites assisted by slaughtering the Passover lambs for those who were ceremonially unclean. Many in the assembly had not sanctified themselves, especially those from the northern tribes who were unfamiliar with temple procedures. Yet provision was made so that they could participate lawfully. This cooperation reflects both reverence for the Law and compassion for sincere worshippers.
2. (2 Chronicles 30:18–20) God is merciful to the ignorant worshippers
Scripture Text (KJV)
“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 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.”
A significant portion of the assembly had not properly cleansed themselves before eating the Passover. These worshippers, primarily from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, violated the letter of the law. Ordinarily, such disobedience would bring judgment. Yet Scripture carefully explains the reason. They were ignorant, not rebellious. Their hearts were prepared to seek God, even though their knowledge and preparation were incomplete.
Hezekiah responded not with condemnation but with intercession. He prayed to the good LORD, appealing to God’s character rather than the people’s compliance. His prayer rested on a crucial distinction, between willful disobedience and sincere ignorance. He asked that God would provide pardon for everyone who had prepared his heart to seek the LORD, though he was not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.
This prayer reveals profound pastoral wisdom. Hezekiah understood that God desires truth in the inward parts, as stated in Psalm 51:6, and that mercy triumphs over judgment for those who humbly seek Him. The LORD responded by hearing Hezekiah and healing the people. Healing here likely refers both to physical well being and to covenant restoration. God accepted their worship because their hearts were rightly oriented toward Him.
This passage provides one of the clearest demonstrations of divine mercy in the Old Testament. God did not relax His holiness, but He honored sincere repentance and faith. The people deserved judgment according to strict obedience, yet they received mercy because they sought the LORD with honest hearts. God looks not merely at ritual precision but at the direction of the heart.
This event also provides instruction for participation in sacred ordinances. Those who came together forgot tribal divisions, removed idols, prepared their hearts, confessed sin and ignorance, and relied on intercessory prayer. These principles remain instructive for those who approach the Lord’s Table today. Worthiness is not perfection but humble dependence on God’s grace.
3. (2 Chronicles 30:21–22) Worship, teaching, and fellowship
Scripture Text (KJV)
“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.”
The children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem experienced a depth of joy that had been absent for generations. This gladness was especially significant for those who had come from the northern tribes. Many of them had never witnessed worship conducted according to the Law of Moses, centered on the temple, marked by reverence, obedience, and joy. Day after day the priests and Levites praised the LORD, and worship was not a single emotional moment but a sustained pattern of obedience and rejoicing.
The phrase singing with loud instruments does not describe disorder but intensity and confidence. This was wholehearted praise offered to the LORD, not entertainment for the people. Worship was directed Godward, rooted in restored sacrifice, and shaped by obedience to Scripture. Joy followed holiness, not the other way around.
Hezekiah gave encouragement to the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the LORD. This highlights a crucial element of revival that is often overlooked. Worship alone is insufficient without instruction. Teaching anchored the people in truth, ensuring that emotional response matured into understanding and lasting obedience. This was particularly necessary for those from the northern tribes, who had lived for generations under corrupt worship and theological ignorance.
These worshippers had come in ignorance, yet God had shown mercy when they prepared their hearts to seek Him. However, God did not intend to leave them in ignorance. Through the teaching Levites, the people were instructed in the good knowledge of the LORD. This phrase emphasizes that true knowledge of God is not merely factual but beneficial, life giving, and covenant shaping. Teaching is an act of shepherding, not domination.
The feast also included peace offerings and confession. Fellowship was restored vertically and horizontally. Peace offerings symbolized reconciliation and communion with God, while confession acknowledged ongoing dependence upon Him. Whether confession here emphasizes repentance for sin or praise for God’s goodness, both ideas are consistent with the context. Confession unites humility and gratitude, recognizing both human need and divine mercy.
The people shared meals together throughout the seven days, reinforcing unity. They were one people, under one covenant, worshipping one God. Worship, teaching, and fellowship functioned together, producing stability, joy, and spiritual growth.
4. (2 Chronicles 30:23–27) The resulting joy and answered prayer
Scripture Text (KJV)
“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 joy of the feast was so profound that the whole assembly agreed to extend it another seven days. This was not commanded by law but prompted by delight in restored fellowship with God. True revival produces hunger, not exhaustion. They willingly made the sacrifices necessary to continue, demonstrating that obedience had become joyful rather than burdensome.
This extension was made possible by extraordinary generosity. Hezekiah gave one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, despite the fact that this occurred early in his reign, after significant resources had already been spent restoring the temple. The leaders followed his example, contributing even more. Spiritual leadership set the tone, and generosity flowed downward. As a result, many priests sanctified themselves, indicating that revival continued to spread among the leadership.
The joy was comprehensive. Judah rejoiced, the priests and Levites rejoiced, those who came from Israel rejoiced, the sojourners rejoiced, and those who dwelt in Judah rejoiced. Social divisions, tribal boundaries, and historical hostility were swallowed up in shared worship. This was unity forged by repentance and truth, not compromise.
The Chronicler emphasizes the uniqueness of this moment. Since the time of Solomon, nothing like this had occurred in Jerusalem. Solomon’s reign marked the height of Israel’s united worship and prosperity. To compare Hezekiah’s Passover with that era underscores the magnitude of what God accomplished through repentance, obedience, and faithful leadership.
The priests and Levites then arose and blessed the people. This act fulfilled the priestly duty described in Numbers 6:22–27, where the LORD commanded Aaron and his sons, saying, “On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The LORD bless thee, and keep thee, The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee, The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” When the priests obeyed, their voice was heard, and their prayer ascended to God’s holy dwelling place in heaven.
This final scene affirms that God received their worship. Heaven was not silent. God heard, accepted, and blessed His people. Revival did not end with emotion but with divine approval.
