King Ahaz of Judah, Hezekiah's father, was a wicked man who influenced Judah to be a wicked people (2 Chronicles 28). He guided Judah as a King who was devoted to the idolatrous ways of the kings of Israel [the northern kingdom that began when the nation of Israel divided after the death of Solomon] (see 1 Kings 12:16-33 with emphasis on verses 25-33; 2 Chronicles 10; 11:1-12; 28:2). In no way was Ahaz's influence godly. He worshipped the Baals (2 Chronicles 28:2) and established many sites of idolatrous worship (2 Chronicles 28:4), suffered military defeats, endured the captivity of many people in Judah, made Judah vulnerable to the attacks of enemies, used portions of the temple area for idolatrous sacrifice, filled Jerusalem with altars that ignored God, and worshipped the gods of his strongest enemy. His wickedness provoked God to anger (2 Chronicles 28:25).
Out of this horrible, ungodly environment rose his son Hezekiah to be Judah's King. In contrast, Hezekiah was a man of notable godliness. He was one of the few kings of Judah who led a national reform purposely designed to lead the Kingdom of Judah back to Jehovah God. Whereas his father had closed the temple, Hezekiah cleansed and reopened the temple. He had the Levites to consecrate themselves, remove everything from the temple that honored other gods, and cleanse the temple for the glorification and praise of the God of Israel. His objective was to make a covenant with God and "turn God's burning anger away from us" (2 Chronicles 29:10). He rededicated the temple to its proper worship of God (2 Chronicles 29:20-24) and reinstituted music in song and instruments as God formerly commanded (2 Chronicles 29:25). He renewed sacrificial worship (2 Chronicles 29:29). So immense was this reform that there were too few priests to offer all the burned offerings, so the priests were assisted in the slaughter and butchering of the animals by the Levites (2 Chronicles 29:34-36).
Hezekiah then took a bold, ambitious move. He sent a letter through Israel [not just in Judah] inviting all Jews to return to Jerusalem for a massive Passover celebration on the second month of the Jewish calendar. Exodus 12 gave specific instructions about the manner in which future Passovers were to be kept. On the tenth day of the first month of the Jewish calendar all Israel was to select its offering and keep it in readiness until the fourteenth day. Then all the animals were to be slaughtered to observe the Passover (Exodus 12:2, 3, 6). A year old lamb or goat without blemish was to be slaughtered for each household [or combined households where a household was too small to eat the slaughtered animal] (Exodus 12:4-8). The entire roasted animal was to be eaten or destroyed on that occasion with nothing remaining (Exodus 12:9, 10). This feast on that occasion was to memorialize the day of Israel's exodus from Egypt throughout their generations (Exodus 12:14, 25). In the future, families of each generation were to explain the meaning of the feast to their children (Exodus 12:26, 27).
The Passover was to be followed by a week of eating unleavened bread [to symbolize the haste of Israel's departure from Egypt] (Exodus 12:34; 13:6-10). No uncircumcised male [neither foreigner nor Israelite] was to be permitted to eat the Passover (Exodus 12:43-51). See also Leviticus 23:4-8 and Numbers 28:16-18.
The only exception granted was in Numbers 9. The exception was for a Jewish person who was unclean because he touched a dead person or was on a distant journey at the time of the Passover. Such Jewish men could eat the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month of the Jewish calendar. However, if an Israelite failed to keep the Passover because of neglect, he was to be cut off from the nation. Proper observance of the Passover was a serious matter in Israel!
Hezekiah in his reform effort wanted a massive observance of the Passover as happened in former times (see Deuteronomy 16:1-8). However, the men who carried his invitation to the northern kingdom of Israel did not receive a respectful or serious reception. Many laughed at or mocked them. Yet, some people from Asher, Manasseh, Zebulun, Ephraim, and Issachar came (2 Chronicles 30:11,18). However, several who came from Israel were not appropriately prepared to take the Passover. They were impure but still ate the Passover while in violation of purity ordinances (2 Chronicles 30:18).
King Hezekiah prayed for their pardon asking God to accept those who prepared their hearts to seek Him but were unprepared "according to the purification rules of the sanctuary" (2 Chronicles 30:18, 19--NAS).
2 Chronicles 30:20 states without elaboration, "So the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people."
Here are people in violation of purification rules who were allowed to participate in the Passover meal that was conducted on the wrong month. This occurrence should be factored into our obedience concept.
Apparently, the concept of obedience is not the "black and white" issue some affirm it is. Obviously, the intents and motives of the person is a factor God considers when the person seeks to honor God.
For Thought and Discussion
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 12