2 Chron. 29-30
I mentioned yesterday that king Jotham lived something of a Godly life, but did not seem to have much of a Godly influence on those around him. Not so with King Hezekiah, whose Godly reign was compared to that of King David. When Hezekiah restored the Passover Feast, which he did even though they missed the prescribed time for it, he called out not only to all of Judah, but also to Israel, Ephraim, and Manasseh to return to the LORD. His Godly influence reached even beyond his own kingdom.
They held that Passover Feast in the second month because there were not enough consecrated priests in the first month to do the job.. To have held the feast on time would have been to disregard God’s holiness. To not have it at all because they missed the date would have been to disregard their need for reconciliation.
The date wasn’t the only “rule” concerning the Passover Feast that Hezekiah did not comply with. Many who came from outside Judah had not properly cleansed themselves. According to the Law, they where not permitted to partake in the Feast. But they partook anyway because “Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, ‘May the good Lord pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.’ And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.” (2 Chron 30:18b-20). So Hezekiah also did not make the mistake of the Pharisees, by allowing the letter of the law to stand in the way of doing what was right for the people before God. And we see that, once again, God willingly accepted the sacrifice of a humble and seeking heart.
Acts 19:21-41
Ha! Shouting people you disagree with off the stage is nothing new! And how like Evil to resort to chaos and cacophony in an effort to drown out the Truth! Fortunately for us, the Truth will never be silenced.