Delayed Passover
The Passover is first among the seven feasts of the
LORD. It was observed at twilight on the 14th day of the first month.
Leviticus 23:5
On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’s
Passover.
In the Wilderness of Sinai, the LORD had instructed Moses about
celebrating a Second Passover at twilight on the 14th day of second
month if the people were not ready to observe it on the first month.
Numbers 9:1-14
The Second Passover
1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the
first month of the second year after they had come out of the land
of Egypt, saying:
2 “Let the children of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed
time.
3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you
shall keep it at its appointed time. According to all its
rites and ceremonies you shall keep it.”
4 So Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the
Passover.
5 And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first
month, at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all
that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did.
6 Now
there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse,
so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and
they came before Moses and Aaron that day.
7 And those men said to him, “We became defiled by a human corpse.
Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the LORD at its
appointed time among the children of Israel?”
8 And Moses said to them, “Stand still, that I may hear what
the LORD will command concerning you.”
9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
10 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If anyone of you or
your posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a
journey, he may still keep the LORD’s Passover.
11 On the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight,
they may keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter
herbs.
12 They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break one of its
bones. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall
keep it.
13 But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and ceases to
keep the Passover, that same person shall be cut off from among his
people, because he did not bring the offering of the LORD at its
appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.
14 ‘And if a stranger dwells among you, and would keep the LORD’s
Passover, he must do so according to the rite of the Passover and
according to its ceremony; you shall have one ordinance, both for
the stranger and the native of the land.’ ”
In 2 Chronicles 29 to 31, there
was a delayed Passover in the first year reign of King Hezekiah when
he was 25 years old. There was a period of 16 days used for temple
cleaning starting from the first day and ending on the sixteenth day
of the first month. Because the people were not ready for the Passover on the 14th day of the first month, a delay of one month was
observed according to what the LORD had instructed Moses in Numbers
9.
As the king commanded the priests and the Levites, they began to
make the Temple ritually clean, according to the Law of the LORD.
The priests went inside the Temple to purify it, and they carried
out into the Temple courtyard everything that was ritually unclean.
From there the Levites took it all outside the city to Kidron
Valley. The whole cleaning and sanctification process took 16 days!
There was so much unclean and unholy things and rubbish in the house of the
LORD!
As the Passover was not observed
on the first month, it was postponed to the 14th day of the second
month. Even after the delay, many still were not ready to observe
the Passover. Messengers were sent throughout
the land to invite the people of God to come to Jerusalem to observe
the delayed Passover. Many refused; some even scorned those runners who
carried the invitation and message.
Herein is the biblical record
(NKJV):
2
Chronicles 29
- Hezekiah
became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned
twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was
Abijah the
daughter of Zechariah.
- And he did
what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that
his father David had done.
- In the
first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors
of the house of the LORD and repaired them.
- Then he
brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them in the
East Square,
- and said to
them: "Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the
house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish
from the holy place.
- "For our
fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the LORD
our God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away
from the dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on
Him.
- "They have
also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and
have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy
place to the God of Israel.
- "Therefore
the wrath of the LORD fell upon Judah and Jerusalem,
and He has given them up to trouble, to desolation, and to
jeering, as you see with your eyes.
- "For
indeed, because of this our fathers have fallen by the sword;
and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity.
-
"Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of
Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.
- "My sons,
do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand
before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him
and burn incense."
- Then these Levites arose (went into action <TLB>): Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel
the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; of the sons
of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of
Jehalelel; of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden
the son of Joah;
- of the sons
of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah
and Mattaniah;
- of the sons
of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun,
Shemaiah and Uzziel.
- And
they gathered their brethren, sanctified themselves, and went
according to the commandment of the king, at the words of the
LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD.
- Then the
priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to
cleanse it, and brought out all the debris that they found in
the temple of the LORD to the court of the house of the LORD.
And the Levites took it out and carried it to the Brook Kidron.
- Now
they began to sanctify on the first day of the first
month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to
the vestibule of the LORD (Note: the outer court). Then they sanctified the house of the
LORD in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first
month they finished. (Note: The 14th day of the first month
is the beginning of the Passover. The entire cleaning job was
completed in sixteen days.)
- Then they
went in to King Hezekiah and said, "We have cleansed all the
house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offerings with all its
articles, and the table of the showbread with all its articles.
- "Moreover
all the articles which King Ahaz in his reign had cast aside in
his transgression we have prepared and sanctified; and there
they are, before the altar of the LORD."
- Then King
Hezekiah rose early, gathered the rulers of the city, and went
up to the house of the LORD.
- And they
brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male
goats for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and
for Judah. Then he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to
offer them on the altar of the LORD.
- So they
killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and
sprinkled it on the altar. Likewise they killed the rams and
sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the lambs and
sprinkled the blood on the altar.
- Then they
brought out the male goats for the sin offering before the king
and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them.
- And the
priests killed them; and they presented their blood on the altar
as a sin offering to make an atonement for all Israel, for the
king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering be
made for all Israel.
- And he
stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals,
with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the
commandment of David, of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the
prophet; for thus was the commandment of the LORD by his
prophets.
- The Levites
stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the
trumpets.
- Then
Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the
altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD
also began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David
king of Israel.
- So all the
assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters
sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was
finished.
- And when
they had finished offering, the king and all who were present
with him bowed and worshiped.
- Moreover
King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing
praise to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the
seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their
heads and worshiped.
- Then
Hezekiah answered and said, "Now that you have consecrated
yourselves to the LORD, come near, and bring sacrifices and
thank offerings into the house of the LORD." So the assembly
brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were
of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.
- And the
number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was
seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all
these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.
- The
consecrated things were six hundred bulls and three thousand
sheep.
- But the
priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt
offerings; therefore their brethren the Levites helped them
until the work was ended and until the other priests had
sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more
diligent in sanctifying themselves than the priests.
- Also the
burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace
offerings and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering.
So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.
- Then
Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the
people, since the events took place so suddenly.
2
Chronicles 30
- And
Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to
Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the
LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the LORD God of
Israel.
- For the
king and his leaders and all the congregation in Jerusalem had
agreed to keep the Passover in the second month.
- For they
could not keep it at the regular time, because a sufficient
number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the
people gathered together at Jerusalem.
- And the
matter pleased the king and all the assembly.
- So they
resolved to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from
Beersheba to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to
the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem, since they had not done it
for a long time in the prescribed manner.
- Then the
runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters
from the king and his leaders, and spoke according to the
command of the king: "Children of Israel, return to the
LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to
the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings
of Assyria.
-
"And do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who
trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, so that He
gave them up to desolation, as you see.
-
"Now do not be stiff necked, as your fathers were, but yield
yourselves to the LORD; and enter His sanctuary, which He has
sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that the
fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you.
-
"For if you return to the LORD, your brethren and your children
will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive,
so that they may come back to this land; for the LORD your God
is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if
you return to Him."
- So the
runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim
and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; but they laughed at
them and mocked them.
-
Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled
themselves and came to Jerusalem.
-
Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of
heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the
word of the LORD.
- Now many
people, a very great assembly, gathered at Jerusalem to keep the
Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.
- They arose
and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took
away all the incense altars and cast them into the Brook Kidron.
- Then
they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth
day of the second month. The priests and the Levites
were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought the burnt
offerings to the house of the LORD.
- They stood
in their place according to their custom, according to the Law
of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood
received from the hand of the Levites.
- For there
were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves;
therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the
Passover lambs for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them
to the LORD.
- For a
multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar,
and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the
Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for
them, saying, "May the good LORD provide atonement for everyone
- who
prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers,
though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the
sanctuary."
- And
the LORD listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
- So the
children of Israel who 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 to
the LORD, accompanied by loud instruments.
- And
Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the
good knowledge of the LORD; and they ate throughout the
feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession
to the LORD God of their fathers.
- Then
the whole assembly agreed to keep the feast another seven days,
and they kept it another seven days with gladness. (Note: This Delayed Passover was
celebrated for two weeks instead of one.)
- For
Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and
seven thousand sheep, and the leaders gave to the assembly a
thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of
priests sanctified themselves.
- The whole
assembly of Judah rejoiced, also the priests and Levites, all
the assembly that came from Israel, the sojourners who came from
the land of Israel, and those who dwelt in Judah.
- So
there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon
the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like
this 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, to heaven.
2
Chronicles 31
- Now when
all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to
the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut
down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and the
altars-- from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh-- until
they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of
Israel returned to their own cities, every man to his
possession.
- And
Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites
according to their divisions, each man according to his service,
the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings,
to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp
of the LORD.
- The king
also appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt
offerings: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, the
burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons and the set
feasts, as it is written in the Law of the LORD.
- Moreover he
commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute
support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote
themselves to the Law of the LORD.
- As soon as
the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought
in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey,
and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in
abundantly the tithe of everything.
- And the
children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah,
brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy
things which were consecrated to the LORD their God they laid in
heaps.
- In the
third month they began laying them in heaps, and they finished
in the seventh month.
- And when
Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed
the LORD and His people Israel.
- Then
Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the
heaps.
- And Azariah
the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and
said, "Since the people began to bring the offerings
into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and have
plenty left, for the LORD has blessed His people; and what is
left is this great abundance."
- Now
Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the
LORD, and they prepared them.
- Then they
faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the
dedicated things; Cononiah the Levite had charge of them, and
Shimei his brother was the next.
- Jehiel,
Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah,
Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah
and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king
and Azariah the ruler of the house of God.
- Kore the
son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over
the freewill offerings to God, to distribute the offerings of
the LORD and the most holy things.
- And under
him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and
Shecaniah, his faithful assistants in the cities of the priests,
to distribute allotments to their brethren by divisions, to the
great as well as the small.
- Besides
those males from three years old and up who were written in the
genealogy, they distributed to everyone who entered the house of
the LORD his daily portion for the work of his service, by his
division,
- and to the
priests who were written in the genealogy according to their
father's house, and to the Levites from twenty years old and up
according to their work, by their divisions,
- and to all
who were written in the genealogy-- their little ones and their
wives, their sons and daughters, the whole company of them-- for
in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness.
- Also for
the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the
common-lands of their cities, in every single city, there were
men who were designated by name to distribute portions to all
the males among the priests and to all who were listed by
genealogies among the Levites.
-
Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good
and right and true before the LORD his God.
- And
in every work that he began in the service of the house of God,
in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it
with all his heart. So he prospered.
Special Notes:
King Hezekiah's
mother was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah.
Interestingly, the
forerunner of our Lord is John the Baptist. His dad, Zechariah is a
priest who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; and his
mother Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were
upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments
and regulations blamelessly (Luke 1:5-7).