2 Chronicles, chapters 29-33
The house of God had been closed by King Ahaz, who did not want the people to honor God, but it is good to know that his son, Hez-e-ki-ah loved the Lord, and as soon as he became king, he had the temple doors opened and all repaired and made ready for the people to come to sacrifice and praise God. He had the idols and false altars destroyed.
Also Hezekiah wanted to keep the feast of the Passover, which God had said these people should keep each year to remember how the children had been saved from death in Egypt (Exo. 13:3-103And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten. 4This day came ye out in the month Abib. 5And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month. 6Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. 7Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. 8And thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. 9And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt. 10Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year. (Exodus 13:3‑10); Deut. 16:1-71Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. 2Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the Lord shall choose to place his name there. 3Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. 4And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning. 5Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee: 6But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt. 7And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents. (Deuteronomy 16:1‑7)).
He sent men with letters that the other people of Israel, who lived north of Jerusalem, should also come to this feast. But when the messengers reached them, after many miles journeying, most of the people laughed at and mocked them, as though it were foolish to remember the Passover.
But there were a few who accepted and came to Jerusalem, and were happy with all of Judah, rejoicing in obeying God’s law. During that week they ate only unleavened bread which we might not think very good, for it is made without yeast, but they were so happy to do God’s way, that they kept it seven extra days with gladness”. There had not been such a gathering of the people for very many years (Chapter. 30:26).
Once a strong enemy came near to take Jerusalem, and their king sent letters boasting that the Lord could not save the people from him, and his men called out loudly to the watchers on the wall against the Lord, as though He were but an idol like their images. But the men obeyed King Hezekiah, and did not answer their awful words. And Hezekiah and Isaiah were praying to God to save them. He did save them that night; by sending an angel to cause the death of the heathen war captains and soldiers, and the wicked king went to his land and was killed his idol temple.
At this time a great wonder was done, for King Hezekiah. He was very sick and would have died, but God granted his prayer, and Isaiah told into that in three, days he would be well and should live 15 years more. The king did not feel sure of God’s Words, and asked a sign, and God said he could choose if the shadow on the sun dial, (which was to them a clock), should move backward or forward. The king chose it should get back, and at Isaiah’s prayer, it moved back ten degrees. This meant that day was ten degrees. longer than other days. We cannot say how long a degree was, but it was their division in a day, perhaps much the same, as an hour to us. This was a great wonder of nature done by God. This seems to have been known in other lands, for after that men came from Babylon “to inquire of the wonder,” and to bring the king a present. When they came, he seemed, to have forgotten it was the Lord who had blessed him so greatly, and he showed them his great treasures with pride to himself. But all that this king did for the Lord, he did willingly, and was one of the best kings of Judah. (See also 2 Kings 20, and Isaiah 38).
What wise words did men of Hezekiah copy? (Prov. 25-30).
ML 09/17/1939