1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hi favor listeners, A good morning, and welcome 2 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: to the Bible Explain podcast on this lovely Monday morning. Today, 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about Hezekiah sending these letters to 4 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,760 Speaker 1: all of Israel, not just Judah, but all Israel, that 5 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: everyone should come and finally celebrate the Passover, possibly for 6 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: the first time in their entire lives. We're going to 7 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 1: get into why Hezekiah did this and also the response 8 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: that the people gave him in just a second. So 9 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: I'm very excited that the weather just seems to be 10 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: getting nicer and nicer as the days go on. Right now, 11 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: it is beautiful and sunny outside, and there's birds chirping, 12 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 1: and just the buds are starting to come out on 13 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: the trees, and I'm so excited, so pumped to see 14 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 1: little signs of spring here in my great state of Ohio. 15 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: All right, as usual, here is a sponsored ad for 16 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: you guys, and then we'll get right into the episode. 17 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: All right, Hopefully during that ad you're able to get 18 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: some coffee or some ta if you prefer tea over coffee, 19 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: and also your Bible out of the version that you prefer. 20 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: As usual, I'll be reading from the web version or 21 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: the World English Bible. I often confuse people when I 22 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 1: say web because people think that it's like a web 23 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: version of the Bible, like you can only find it 24 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: on a specific website online. But that's not true. It's 25 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 1: all over the place that you can find it on 26 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: you version or a Bible Gateway or wherever else you 27 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: get the Bible. Pretty much, it's a not a common version, 28 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: but also not an uncommon version, if that makes sense. 29 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: So it's the World English Bible that I read out of, 30 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: and we're going to go ahead and read Second Chronicles 31 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: thirty today, verses one through twelve. Let's go ahead and 32 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: give reverence to God's word together. Hezekiah is sent to 33 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Efriem 34 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: and Manassa that they should come to they Alway's house 35 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to you Yahweh, the 36 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: God of Israel. For the King had taken council with 37 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem to keep 38 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: the Passover in the second month, for they could not 39 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 1: keep it at that time because the priests had not 40 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: sanctified themselves in sufficient number, and the people had not 41 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. The thing was right in 42 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: the eyes of the King and all the assembly. So 43 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, 44 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to 45 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: keep the passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, 46 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: for they had not kept it in great numbers in 47 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: the way it is written. So the couriers went with 48 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: the letters from the King and his princes throughout all 49 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: Israel and Judah, according to the commandment of the King, saying, you, 50 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: children of Israel, turn again to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, 51 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: Isaac and Israel, that he may return to the remnant 52 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: of you that have escaped out of the hand of 53 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: the kings of Assyria. Don't be like your fathers and 54 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: like your brothers, who trespassed against Yahweh, the God of 55 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation. 56 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 1: As you see now, don't be stiff necked as your 57 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: fathers were, but yield yourselves to Yahweh and enter into 58 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: his sanctuary which he has sanctified forever. And serve Yahweh 59 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: or God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. 60 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: For if you turn again to Yahweh, your brothers and 61 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: your children will find compassion with those who led them captive, 62 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: and will come again into this land. Because Yahweh or 63 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away 64 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: his face from you if you return to him. So 65 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: the couriers passed from city to city throughout the country 66 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: of Ephriam and Manassa, even to Zebulen, but the people 67 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: ridiculed them and mocked to them. Nevertheless, some men of Asher, 68 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: Manassa and Zebulin humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. Also, 69 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: the hand of God came on Judah to give them 70 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: one heart to do the commandment of the king and 71 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: of the princes of Yahwei's word. On Wednesday, we discussed 72 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: the start of the reign of King Hezekiah. Hezekiah was 73 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: the son of Ahaz, who we discussed as being the 74 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: worst king in Judah's history for many reasons, but mainly 75 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: because he introduced all this really terrible idolatry in Israel 76 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: and popularized human sacrifice as well. So ah Has was 77 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: a really really bad king. Not to mention, he actually 78 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: shuddered Yahwei's house so that nobody could go and actually 79 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: worship Yahweh at all. Even though ah Has was a 80 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: terrible king, Hezekiah actually was a very good king. So 81 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: within the first month of becoming the official king, Hezekiah 82 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,840 Speaker 1: commanded his people to go into Yawai's house and clean 83 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: it from top to bottom, get rid of all of 84 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: the idols that they find in the house, and open 85 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: the doors once again. All of that took place in 86 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: eight days, is what it says, and that was completed 87 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: in the first month of Hezekiah's reign. So this shows 88 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 1: how important the worship of Yahweh was to Hezekiah, and 89 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 1: that was all talked about in the previous chapter. So 90 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 1: now knowing how much of a heart Hezekiah has for God, 91 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: which we know that also because Hezekiah is one of 92 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: the few kings where scripture says that he followed in 93 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: the footsteps of David, which very few kings did that. 94 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: You know, David kind of like the peak, like the 95 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 1: role model all the other kings are supposed to follow, 96 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: and pretty much no other king really followed in the 97 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: footsteps of David except for Atha many years prior to Hezekiah, 98 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: and now Hezekiah. These are the only two kings so 99 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: far that we see walking in the footsteps of David, 100 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: So that shows that Hezekiah truly had a heart for Yahweh. 101 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: And knowing that, we go into Second Chronicles, chapter thirty 102 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: and we talk about this story where Hezekiah not only 103 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: opens the temple back up, but wants to celebrate the 104 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: Passover feast with his people once again. And apparently this 105 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 1: was something that the Israelites just weren't doing. And that 106 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 1: makes a lot of sense because you know, King A 107 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: has before Hezekiah completely tried to shut down any form 108 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: of Yahism in Judah at all. So that means that 109 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 1: the Passover celebration, which would have been held in March 110 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: or April, or rather the first month of the Jewish calendar, 111 00:05:57,560 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: it was just not something that the people did anymore, 112 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: most likely because A has tried to completely destroy Yahwism 113 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 1: out of Judah entirely. So if he's shutting down the 114 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: Temple to God, obviously he's not going to encourage his 115 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: people to celebrate the Passover feast, which we know in 116 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: the Old Testament God commanded the people to celebrate the 117 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: Passover feast that's found in Leviticus twenty three four through 118 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 1: eight which says, these are the set feasts of Yahweh, 119 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed season. 120 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, 121 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: in the evening is Yahweh's Passover. In the fifteenth day 122 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: of the same month is the feast of unlovened bread 123 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: to Yahweh. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. In 124 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You 125 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 1: shall do no regular work, but you shall offer an 126 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: offering made by fire to Yahweh. Seven days. In the 127 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: seventh day is a holy convocation. You shall do no 128 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 1: regular work. So that's God talking to the people about 129 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 1: how and when the Passover was supposed to be celebrate it. 130 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 1: And the reason God wanted the people to celebrate the 131 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: Passover was honestly, to remember him, because the Passover celebration 132 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: was in remembrance of God bringing his people out of 133 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: slavery from Egypt. So God wanted his people to take 134 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: an entire week every single year to remember him and 135 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 1: to remember the amazing miracles that took place when God 136 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: protected his people from the Egyptians and from the slavery 137 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: that they were part of, and Unfortunately, the people in 138 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: Hezekiah's day just were not celebrating the Passover. They weren't 139 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: taking any steps to remember God, which is why probably 140 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: Judah fell into such bad idolatry during this time, because 141 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: they were forgetting Yahweh their God. And now Hezekiah wants 142 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: to change all of this. So it says right here 143 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: in verse one that Hezekiah sent to all Israel and 144 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 1: Judah and wrote letters also to Ephriam and Manassa, that 145 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 1: they should come to Yawai's house at Jerusalem to keep 146 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: the passover to yah Ahwah, the God of Israel. And 147 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: that's what it says in verse one of our passage 148 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: for today, Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and 149 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: wrote letters also to Ephriam and Manassa, that they should 150 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: come to Yaowai's house at Jerusalem to keep the passover 151 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: to Yahweh, the God of Israel. For the King had 152 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: taken council with his princes and all the assembly in 153 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 1: Jerusalem to keep the passover in the second month. So 154 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: those verses describe Hezekiah writing some letters to all of 155 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: the different tribes of both Israel and the tribe of Judah. 156 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: And the reason he did this was because he didn't 157 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: want the Passover to only be a celebration for the 158 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: people of Judah, but he wanted it to be a 159 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: celebration for all the Israelites, because that's what it was 160 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 1: for the Israelites were the same as the Judites. They 161 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: were all twelve tribes but one nation. And this was 162 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: something I think that the Israelites and the Judites had 163 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,719 Speaker 1: forgotten before King Hezekiah, because if you notice a few 164 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: chapters ago, in the days of a Has, the King 165 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: of j Judah, the Israelites actually came down and like 166 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: mass slaughtered one hundred and twenty thousand Judaite men and 167 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: just took all this plunder, took a whole bunch of 168 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,559 Speaker 1: slaves for themselves. It was just really terrible actually what 169 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,439 Speaker 1: the Israelites had done when Hezekiah was just a young boy. 170 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 1: But yet Hezekiah is able to look past that and 171 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: see what Israel truly is Israel was part of God's children. 172 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: And actually we know that Hezekiah had a deep regard 173 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: for Israel as a whole because Hezekiah ended up naming 174 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:40,959 Speaker 1: his son Manassa. Manassa was one of the tribes of Israel, 175 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 1: not a tribe of Judah, but a tribe of Israel. 176 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: So this shows that Hezekiah held the Israelites as a 177 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: whole in deep regard. He knew that they were all 178 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: God's children, and so he wanted to invite everybody, every 179 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: single Israelite person to this wonderful Passover celebration. Now this 180 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: does pose a problem though, of when these letters the 181 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:07,679 Speaker 1: Hezekiah wrote were written, because Israel was going through some 182 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: pretty severe problems of their own, where the Assyrian army 183 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: had actually gone into Israel and captured it fully. So 184 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 1: there were very few Israelites left in the land. And 185 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: all of that is discussed I believe in Second Kings fifteen. 186 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: I did not flip there. But somewhere in Second Kings 187 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: it talks about how the Assyrians went into Israel, displaced 188 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: all the people, and brought foreigners in to settle the 189 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: land of Israel. So they completely displaced all of the Israelites. However, 190 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 1: we do know that not every single person in Israel 191 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: was captured by the Assyrians. There were some people, like 192 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: native born people left in Israel. There was always a remnant, 193 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 1: and that's who Hezekiah was likely sending these letters to 194 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: where the remnants the little cities that hadn't gotten captured 195 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,240 Speaker 1: by a sea yet. But before we get into the 196 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: response of these letters, it says in verse three, or 197 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: rather two and three, that they had to keep the 198 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 1: Passover in the second month because they could not keep 199 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: it at that time, meaning the first month, because the 200 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 1: priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, and the 201 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 1: people had not gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. The thing 202 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: was right in the eyes of the king and all 203 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 1: of the assembly. So don't forget what Leviticus chapter twenty 204 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:32,679 Speaker 1: three said. It mentioned that God wanted the Passover celebration 205 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 1: to be held in the first month of the Jewish calendar, 206 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: but it says right here in second Chronicles that Hezekiah 207 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 1: was going to keep the Passover in the second month 208 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:49,319 Speaker 1: rather than the first. However, Hezekiah was actually not breaking 209 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,439 Speaker 1: any laws of God by doing this, because God had 210 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: actually given a stipulation to the people that if for 211 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: whatever reason they weren't able to celebrate to the Passover 212 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:02,079 Speaker 1: in the first month, they they could legally do it 213 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,080 Speaker 1: in the second month, and God would still accept the 214 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 1: Passover celebration in the second month, even though God wanted 215 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 1: it to be done right at the beginning of the year. 216 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: That's talked about in numbers chapter nine one through thirteen, 217 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: so I'll read that real quick. It says Ya always 218 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 1: spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the 219 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: first month of the second year, after they had come 220 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 1: out of the land of Egypt, saying, let the children 221 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 1: of Israel keep the Passover in its appointed season on 222 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: the fourteenth day of this month, at the evening. You 223 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,079 Speaker 1: shall keep it in its appointed season. You shall keep 224 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: it according to all its statutes and according to all 225 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: its ordinances. Moses told the children of Israel that they 226 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: should keep the Passover. They kept the Passover in the 227 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: first month on the fourteenth day of the month at 228 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: evening in the wilderness of Sinai, according to all that 229 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: Yahweh commanded Moses. So the children of Israel did. There 230 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: are certain men who were unclean because of a dead 231 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: body of a man, so they could not keep the 232 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 1: Passover on that day. And they came before Moses and 233 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 1: Aaron on that day. Those men said to him, we 234 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: are unclean because of a dead body of a man. 235 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:00,559 Speaker 1: Why are we kept back that we may not offer 236 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:02,679 Speaker 1: the offering of Yahweh, and it's appointed season among the 237 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: children of Israel. Moses answered them, wait that I may 238 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,440 Speaker 1: hear what Yahweh will command concerning you. Ya always spooke 239 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 1: to Moses, saying, say to the children of Israel, if 240 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,439 Speaker 1: any man of you or of your generation is unclean 241 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:16,559 Speaker 1: by reason of a dead body, or is on a 242 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 1: journey far away, he shall still keep the passover to 243 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,319 Speaker 1: Yahweh in the second month. On the fourteenth day, at 244 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 1: the evening, he shall keep it. They shall eat it 245 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 1: with unloven bread and bitter herbs. And actually, I'm going 246 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: to stop right there instead of reading to verse thirteen. 247 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: But essentially God made a stipulation where if the people 248 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: could not keep the passover in the first month, they 249 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 1: could keep it in the second month for whatever reason 250 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:42,559 Speaker 1: it might be, whether they were on a long journey, 251 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: whether they had become unclean because somebody had died in 252 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 1: their family, or whatever the reason might be. And so 253 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 1: that is what Hezekiah is doing. In Second Chronicles thirty. 254 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 1: It says specifically in verse three that Judah could not 255 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 1: keep the passover at the correct time, meaning the first month, 256 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,560 Speaker 1: because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, 257 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: and the people had not gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. 258 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: So I'm assuming what that means is that Hezekiah tried 259 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:16,679 Speaker 1: to go very fast with this, but the things that 260 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 1: had to be done in order to celebrate the Passover 261 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: in that first month, there was just too much to do. 262 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 1: You know. The Levites were used to king a has 263 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 1: who didn't expect anything from them, didn't expect them to 264 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 1: follow the Old Testament laws, and so the priests weren't 265 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: actually sanctifying themselves in correct number. What that word sanctify 266 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: means is basically to make themselves clean. Okay, And there's 267 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: a whole there's a whole thing about how to make 268 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: a priest clean in Numbers chapter eight, which I am 269 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 1: not going to read. But the other problem going on 270 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: was the fact that the Levites priests just were either 271 00:14:55,760 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: very complacent or didn't truly care about the laws of 272 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 1: God very much. Because if you just jump a chapter 273 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: back the Second Chronicles twenty nine and read verse thirty four, 274 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 1: here's what it says about the priests. The priests were 275 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 1: too few so that they could not skin all the 276 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 1: burnt offerings. Therefore, their brothers. The Levites helped them until 277 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: the work was ended and until the priests had sanctified themselves, 278 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 1: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify 279 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:27,040 Speaker 1: themselves than the priests. So essentially there was some laziness 280 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 1: going on with the priests, is kind of what it 281 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: sounds like here. And the priests just weren't doing the 282 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 1: job that God had told them to do, mainly to 283 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: be clean and to encourage the Israelites or the Judites 284 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: rather also to be clean, and I mean cleanliness was 285 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: not just bodily cleanliness, but also heart cleanliness as well, 286 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 1: and the levitical priests at this time in Hezekiah's day 287 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: just did not care to do that. And so that's 288 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 1: another reason why the passover was forced into the second month, 289 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 1: was because the levitical priests either didn't know how to 290 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 1: sanctify themselves because they hadn't really done their job or 291 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: really read God's laws for a really long period of 292 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 1: time because they just didn't have to, or they were 293 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 1: lazy and truly just didn't care about the things of God, 294 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: or maybe a little bit of both. So that was 295 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 1: the main reason why Hezekiah could not do the Passover 296 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 1: celebration in the first month, but regardless, he decides to 297 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: do it in the second month, because there is nothing 298 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 1: specifically against that in God's law, so it says in 299 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 1: verse five. So they established a decree to make proclamation 300 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they 301 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 1: should come to keep the Passover to Yahweh, the God 302 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 1: of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it 303 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 1: in great numbers in the way it is written. So 304 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 1: that verse right there shows that there were people that 305 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 1: kept the Passover. There were, but unfortunately the vast majority 306 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: did not keep the passover the way it was supposed 307 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 1: to be kept. And Hezekiah wants to change this verse six. 308 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 1: So the couriers went with the letters from the King 309 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, according to 310 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: the command of the King, saying, you, children of Israel, 311 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 1: turn again to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, 312 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: that he may return to the remnant of you that 313 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: have escaped out of the hands of the King of Assyria. 314 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 1: So there you go that this letter was clearly written 315 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:24,679 Speaker 1: to the people who had escaped from Assyria. The cities 316 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: that hadn't gotten taken by the Assyrian king yet, or 317 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 1: maybe just the people that were allowed to stay in Assyria. 318 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 1: You know, the Assyrians, even though they took a huge 319 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: chunk of people out of Israel, they didn't take every 320 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 1: single person. They would probably honestly be kind of impossible 321 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: to do, especially back in these days. So they did 322 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 1: leave some people in the land, even though the land 323 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 1: now was majority foreigners that came in. And by the way, 324 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 1: that's the reason why the Israelites and the Samaritans hated 325 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: each other so much in the days of jesus Us. 326 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 1: When the Assyrians took the Israelites out of Israel, they 327 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:08,880 Speaker 1: brought other people in and those people became the Samaritans, 328 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: and they also intermarried with the Israelites left in the land. 329 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 1: And so the Israelites of Jesus's day considered the Samaritans 330 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:19,679 Speaker 1: to be half breeds, and they just didn't like them. 331 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: They thought that they were stealing the land. They worshiped 332 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 1: other gods, they didn't have the correct theology. You know, 333 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:29,359 Speaker 1: the Israelites just did not like the Samaritans, and vice versa. 334 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: But that's just a little side note for all of 335 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:34,640 Speaker 1: you guys. Not really part of the story right here. 336 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:37,879 Speaker 1: So anyway, Hezekiah is sending this letter to anybody who 337 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: will listen, any Israelites that's in the land who will listen. 338 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 1: So he tells them. He says, you, children of Israel, 339 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,959 Speaker 1: turn against Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, 340 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:52,080 Speaker 1: that he may return to the remnant of you that 341 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,200 Speaker 1: have escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. 342 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: Don't be like your fathers and like your brothers, who 343 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:01,639 Speaker 1: trespassed against Yahweh, the god god of their fathers, so 344 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,719 Speaker 1: that he gave them up to desolation as you see. 345 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:08,680 Speaker 1: Don't be stiff necked as your fathers were, but yield 346 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:12,359 Speaker 1: yourselves to Yahweh and enter into his sanctuary, which he 347 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: has sanctified forever, and serve Yahweh, your God, that his 348 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 1: fierce anger may turn away from you. So Hezekiah is 349 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:23,679 Speaker 1: calling the Israelites to repentance. Look at how all of 350 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: these curses that God told you would happen. Look how 351 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: they're coming true because you have abandoned Yahweh, the God 352 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,639 Speaker 1: of your fathers. So now just turn to him. And 353 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 1: all you have to do to turn to him is 354 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:40,240 Speaker 1: just come to this Passover celebration and truly honor him 355 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,879 Speaker 1: with your heart, and God will look at you, is 356 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:47,200 Speaker 1: what Hezekiah says. He says, don't trespass the way your 357 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:51,359 Speaker 1: fathers did, but yield yourselves, humble yourselves to Yahweh and 358 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: serve Yahweh or God, that his fierce anger may turn 359 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:57,240 Speaker 1: from you. For if you turn again to Yahweh, your 360 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:00,640 Speaker 1: brothers and your children will find compassion with those who 361 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 1: led them captive and will come again into this land. 362 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:08,120 Speaker 1: Because Yahweh H, God is gracious and merciful and will 363 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: not turn away his face from you if you return 364 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:13,439 Speaker 1: to him. So not only does he tell the people, 365 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: you guys have to repent, but he also encourages them 366 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 1: in the sense that if they worship God, God is 367 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: going to take care of their brothers and sisters that 368 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:28,159 Speaker 1: were led away captive by the Assyrians. And God is 369 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:29,719 Speaker 1: going to take care of them to the extent that 370 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:33,399 Speaker 1: he will bring them back into the land once again. 371 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: And all the people have to do is just listen 372 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 1: to this letter and come to Jerusalem for the first 373 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 1: time probably in any of their lives, and worship God 374 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:47,640 Speaker 1: at Passover Verse ten. So the couriers passed from city 375 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: to city, through the country of Ephraim and Manassa, even 376 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 1: to Zebulen, but the people ridiculed them and mocked them, 377 00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:58,360 Speaker 1: I believe. Josephus adds that some of these messengers were 378 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: also killed as well, So the Israelites did not listen 379 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,679 Speaker 1: to the message of King Hezekiah. They didn't care at all. Actually, 380 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 1: and this kind of reminds me of a verse we 381 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: read all the way at the end of the Bible, 382 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: Revelation nine twenty and twenty one. Here's what's going to 383 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: happen in the end days. It says the rest of 384 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,639 Speaker 1: mankind who are not killed with these plagues, didn't repent 385 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:23,159 Speaker 1: of the works of their hands, that they wouldn't worship 386 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:25,800 Speaker 1: demons and the idols of gold and of silver, and 387 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 1: of brass and stone and of wood which can't see, hear, 388 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:33,160 Speaker 1: or walk. They didn't repent of their murders, their sorceries, 389 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:37,879 Speaker 1: their sexual immorality, or their thefts. That's talking about the 390 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 1: end times, when all of these different disasters happen to 391 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 1: the world. The people who are left on the world 392 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 1: that weren't killed or deeply affected by these plagues or problems. 393 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 1: They wouldn't turn to God, even though they could see 394 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:58,399 Speaker 1: all of the misery and the crap happening in the world. 395 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: They said, no, I don't want want God. I'm not 396 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 1: going to turn to him. I'm just going to keep 397 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,240 Speaker 1: doing what I'm doing. I'm going to worship my idols 398 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 1: and my demons. I'm going to keep on doing murder 399 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: and sorceries and sexual immorality or thefts. And that's an 400 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 1: unfortunate verse and it kind of shows the human condition 401 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:20,159 Speaker 1: because in Second Chronicles thirty, this is exactly what the 402 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: people do to Hezekiah's message when Hezekiah is like, repent, 403 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:28,160 Speaker 1: turn to God. You know, you see all this bad 404 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:31,119 Speaker 1: stuff happening in Israel. It's going to affect you. If 405 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 1: you feel like it's not affecting you right now, it 406 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:39,400 Speaker 1: will affect you. Turn to God while you can pray 407 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: for your brothers and sisters who have already been captured 408 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: by the Assyrians. Pray for them that they come back 409 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:50,120 Speaker 1: into the land. Turn yourself to God. And the people 410 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: are like, no, we're not going to do that. We'd 411 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:56,160 Speaker 1: rather have our gods and worship our demons and our idols. 412 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 1: We do not want to serve God. It kind of 413 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 1: just shows that people will do anything to avoid worshiping God, essentially, 414 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 1: But there was some good news in verse eleven. Nevertheless, 415 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: some men of asher Manassa and Zebulin humbled themselves and 416 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: came to Jerusalem. So there were some people who listened, 417 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:18,919 Speaker 1: not the majority. The majority didn't want to listen. The 418 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:22,399 Speaker 1: majority wanted to mock the messengers that came with this letter. 419 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:27,600 Speaker 1: But some people actually did listen. And I think this 420 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: really shows the Great commission. Honestly, this entire thing could 421 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: be an analogy of Jesus sending out his messengers. The 422 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: majority of people that listen to those messengers aren't going 423 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:43,800 Speaker 1: to believe. They're not going to listen, they're not going 424 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 1: to care. They might even mock the messengers, but that's 425 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 1: what they do. They get mad at the message and 426 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 1: so they kill the messenger or they mock the messenger. 427 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:57,080 Speaker 1: But there are a few that are going to listen. 428 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: And that's what happened here. A few people actually came 429 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 1: to Jerusalem for the Passover. It says that they humbled 430 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: themselves and came to Jerusalem. So they saw what was 431 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 1: going on in the world, and they said, we don't 432 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 1: want that we are going to turn back to God. 433 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: And so they truly did humble themselves. But it says 434 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: in verse twelve that the entire tribe of Judah actually 435 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: had one heart in this matter, and God gave them 436 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,439 Speaker 1: that heart. It says in verse twelve to do the 437 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: commandment of the King and the princes by Yahweh's word. Now, 438 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 1: the people of Judah were very excited in the previous chapter, 439 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 1: if you recall, because Hezekiah had just cleaned out the 440 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 1: temple to God and opened its doors once again. And 441 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: I think the people were just excited to have the 442 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:51,120 Speaker 1: worship of Yahweh back once again. Now it says right here, though, specifically, 443 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 1: that the hand of God came on Judah to give 444 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 1: them one heart, in other words, to be unified in 445 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:01,120 Speaker 1: this matter. But one thing that I personally believe is 446 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 1: that God does not force you to obey, but he 447 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:07,160 Speaker 1: does help you obey. I don't know if you guys 448 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: have ever had this experience before, but maybe some of 449 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 1: you have been like, man, you know, I really don't 450 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:13,640 Speaker 1: want to do this thing that I think I need 451 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: to do, but I know God probably wants me to 452 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:19,440 Speaker 1: do it. And so then you pray and you're like, God, 453 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 1: just help me do this thing, help me obey. Even 454 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: though I really don't want to do it. God will 455 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:29,919 Speaker 1: in fact help you obey. He does it. And so 456 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: the people of Judah were already going through this heart change. Now, unfortunately, 457 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: the people of Judah never did this long term. I 458 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:42,720 Speaker 1: think there's a verse in Hoseiah, if I'm remembering correctly, 459 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 1: where God is just so saddened by the fact that 460 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 1: the love of his people is like the morning do. 461 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 1: One second's there and the next it's evaporated away, it's gone. So, yes, 462 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 1: the people of Judah, the people of Israel would go 463 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 1: through these periods of loving God and turning back to God, 464 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 1: but it was so fast. It was here one second 465 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 1: and gone the very next second. So even though Hezekiah 466 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 1: is a great king trying to encourage his people to 467 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 1: come back to Yahweh by celebrating the passover, by remembering 468 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:20,200 Speaker 1: what God did for them, unfortunately the people just did 469 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:22,680 Speaker 1: not do this long term. And we'll talk about that 470 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 1: on another day, But for right now, here's a quick 471 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:28,520 Speaker 1: word from a sponsor. And then after that I will 472 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:34,160 Speaker 1: say goodbye with some closing notes. Already Faithful listeners, if 473 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,919 Speaker 1: you enjoy the Bible Explain Podcast, share it on their 474 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 1: social media platforms and tell people that the Bible Explained 475 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:43,440 Speaker 1: Podcast exists. I really appreciate any comments that I get 476 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:45,919 Speaker 1: from you guys. I do see all the Spotify comments 477 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 1: that you leave, and I also read the reviews that 478 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 1: I get on Apple Podcasts and other places. But something 479 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 1: you guys might not know about me is I also 480 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,040 Speaker 1: read my emails. So if you reach out to me 481 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,320 Speaker 1: via email, I do, in fact read it, especially if 482 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 1: you have a prayer request. I will write you down 483 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 1: in my little prayer journal and pray for you for 484 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: the week. So don't hesitate to reach out with an email, 485 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,120 Speaker 1: especially if you have a prayer request that you need 486 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:12,520 Speaker 1: prayed for. So, faithful listeners, I hope you had a 487 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:15,639 Speaker 1: fantastic and wonderful time here with me today, and I 488 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:17,919 Speaker 1: hope you have a wonderful rest of your day as well. 489 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:19,920 Speaker 1: I'll see you guys tomorrow for an episode from the 490 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: Book of Keepers, Cappy Listening, and God bless. I just 491 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:30,479 Speaker 1: want to take a second to thank the team at 492 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 1: Life Audio for their partnership with me on the Bible 493 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:36,000 Speaker 1: Explain Podcast. In fact, if you go to lifeaudio dot com, 494 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 1: you will find dozens of other faith centered podcasts in 495 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:42,320 Speaker 1: their network. They've got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, 496 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: and more.