1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 2: Hi there, guys, Welcome and good morning. Thank you so 3 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:08,799 Speaker 2: much for tuning into the Bible Explain podcast on this 4 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 2: absolutely lovely morning. We're gonna finish out Second Chronicles chapter 5 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 2: thirty today and talk about the Passover celebration in Jerusalem. 6 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: We'll get into it in just. 7 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 2: A second, and as usual, before I begin today's episode, 8 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 2: here is a quick word from a sponsor. Okay, we're 9 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 2: gonna read Second Chronicles thirty thirteen through twenty seven, and 10 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 2: we'll finish up this chapter today talking about this revival 11 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 2: that takes place in Jerusalem and how this revival shows 12 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 2: that people are the most joyful when they're actually doing 13 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 2: what they're created to do. So let's go ahead and 14 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 2: read Second Chronicles thirty thirteen through twenty seven. As usual, 15 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 2: I'll be reading from the Web or the World English Bible. 16 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 2: Grab a cup of coffee, and let's read this together. 17 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 2: Many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of 18 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 2: unloven bread in the second month, a very great assembly. 19 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,199 Speaker 2: They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem. 20 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,399 Speaker 2: And they took away all the altars for incense and 21 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 2: threw them into the brook Kidron. Then they killed the 22 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 2: Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The 23 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 2: priests and the Levites were ashamed and sanctified themselves and 24 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 2: brought burnt offerings into Yahwei's house. They stood in their 25 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 2: place after the order. According to the law of Moses, 26 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 2: the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood which 27 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 2: they received on the hand of the Levites, for there 28 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 2: were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves. Therefore, 29 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 2: the Levites were in charge of killing the Passovers for 30 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 2: everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to Yahweh. 31 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 2: For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephrium, 32 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 2: menasse Isakar, and Zebulin, had not cleansed themselves. Yet they 33 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 2: ate the Passover other than the way it was written, 34 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 2: for Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, may the good 35 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 2: Yahweh pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God Yahweh, 36 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 2: the God of his fathers, even if they aren't clean. 37 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 2: According to the purification of the sanctuary. Yahweh listened to 38 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 2: Hezekiah and healed the people. The children of Israel who 39 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 2: were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unlevened bread 40 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 2: seven days with great gladness. The Levites and the priests 41 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,839 Speaker 2: praised Yahweh day by day, singing with loud instruments to Yahweh. 42 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 2: Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good 43 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 2: understanding in the service of Yahweh. So they ate throughout 44 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 2: the feast for seven days, offering sacrifices of peace, offerings, 45 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 2: and making confession to Yahweh, the God of their fathers. 46 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 2: The whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days, 47 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 2: and they kept another seven days with gladness. For Hezekiah, 48 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 2: king of Judah, gave to the Assembly for offerings one 49 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 2: thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the princes gave 50 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 2: to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep, 51 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 2: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves. All the 52 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 2: Assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and 53 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 2: all the assembly who came out of Israel, and the 54 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 2: foreigners who came out of the land of Israel who 55 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 2: lived in Judah rejoiced. So there was great joy in Jerusalem. 56 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 2: For since the time of Psalomon the Sun and Dayvid, 57 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 2: King of Israel, there was nothing like this in Jerusalem. 58 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 2: Then the levitical priests arose and blessed the people. Their 59 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 2: voice was heard, and their prayer came up to His 60 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:11,559 Speaker 2: holy habitation, even to Heaven. 61 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:13,959 Speaker 1: On Monday. 62 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 2: We talked about the first portion of this chapter where 63 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 2: Hezekia decided he wanted to keep the Passover celebration for 64 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 2: the first time in generations. It actually says at the 65 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 2: very end of the chapter, we just read that a 66 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 2: Passover celebration was not kept like this since the days 67 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 2: of Solomon. So this was something very very special that 68 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 2: took place. And this Passover celebration wasn't just for the 69 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 2: people of Judah. It was for Israel entirely. Anybody who 70 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 2: was left in northern Israel after the Assyrians came in, 71 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 2: they were invited to this feast. Now, a lot of 72 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 2: them did not come to the feast. They actually criticized 73 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 2: it and made fun of it and mocked it. But 74 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,119 Speaker 2: there were a few men and women that came down 75 00:03:56,120 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 2: to Judah to actually celebrate this Passover feast. And starting 76 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 2: in verse thirteen, it says many people assembled at Jerusalem 77 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 2: to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, 78 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 2: a very great assembly. So a bunch of people are 79 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 2: now in Jerusalem. And the first thing they do, it says, 80 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 2: they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, 81 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 2: and they took all the altars for incense and threw 82 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 2: them into the Brook Kidron. Now the Brook Kidrin, we've 83 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,359 Speaker 2: talked about that brook a handful of times. That was 84 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 2: like the idole dumping ground. Whenever a new king that 85 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 2: was actually loyal to Yahweh started reigning on the throne, 86 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,159 Speaker 2: he would take all the idols that the previous kings 87 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 2: had made and he dumped them in the Brook Kidron. 88 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 2: This tradition started back in the days of King Aesa 89 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: with Ace's reform. So that is the first form of 90 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 2: worship that the Israelites do when they're celebrating the Passover. 91 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 2: They come down to Jerusalem and they say, you know what, 92 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 2: we are dedicating ourselves to God. This is what we 93 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 2: want to do, and they go and take all of 94 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 2: the altars that were strewn around Jerusalem, likely to foreign gods. 95 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 2: Because don't forget who the previous king was. He was 96 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 2: King a has pretty much the worst king in Israel's history, 97 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 2: and a has introduced so much idolatry into Jerusalem and 98 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 2: Judah as a whole. So a lot of these altars 99 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 2: to foreign deities were built by King a Has that's 100 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 2: talked about a couple chapters ago. So now the people 101 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 2: and King Hezekiah are behind getting rid of all of 102 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 2: these alters and actually taking the time to dedicate themselves 103 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 2: to Yahweh. This is one of the few times we 104 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 2: see revival in Israel's history, which is unfortunate because revival 105 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 2: didn't come very often and it didn't last very long 106 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 2: when it did come. Actually, God talks about that in 107 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:47,039 Speaker 2: Hoseiah six, verse four. He says Ephraim, what shall I 108 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 2: do to you Judah? What shall I do to you? 109 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: Fear? 110 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 2: Love is like a morning cloud, and like the dew 111 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 2: that disappears early. Whenever revival came, you know, the people 112 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 2: were really gung ho about God. They would dedicate themselves 113 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 2: to God and God would accept them. You know, we're 114 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 2: going to read this passage today about how God truly 115 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 2: did accept his people, but he knew it was not 116 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 2: going to last for very long. Their love was like 117 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 2: a mourning cloud that's there one minute and gone the next, 118 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,159 Speaker 2: or like the morning dew, where it's there until the 119 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 2: sun rises and it dries it all up, and this 120 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,559 Speaker 2: was one of the times when it actually did come 121 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 2: the people truly wanted to rededicate themselves to Yahweh. And 122 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 2: here's something else I want to mention about this that 123 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 2: I think is really good, not just the fact that 124 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 2: revival is finally happening in Israel, but that Hezekiah himself 125 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 2: was willing to go against the religion of his father. 126 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 2: And that is not something that a lot of people 127 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 2: are willing to do, to go against their parents like that. 128 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 2: But Hezekiah was so dedicated to God and to bringing 129 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 2: the people back to God that he didn't care what 130 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 2: his family might think. You know, even though his father 131 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 2: had died at this point, that doesn't mean that his 132 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:01,600 Speaker 2: family had all died. You know. Hezekiah was a relatively 133 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 2: young man when he became the king, so it's very 134 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 2: likely that his family was all still alive other than 135 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 2: his father. Yet Hezekiah was willing to go against his 136 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 2: family for his love for God. That's talked about in 137 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 2: Luke chapter fourteen. This is what Jesus says in verse 138 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 2: twenty six. He says, if anyone comes to me and 139 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 2: doesn't disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters, yes, 140 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 2: and even his own life. He can't be my disciple. 141 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 2: So that's Jesus saying that a true disciple is going 142 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 2: to follow Jesus before he follows anybody else, even his 143 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 2: own family, even his own life. Not following your own 144 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 2: will or the will of your husband or your wife, 145 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 2: or your parents or your children, but following the will 146 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 2: of God first. And that's what Hezekiah did honestly in 147 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 2: Second Chronicles thirty. So he is definitely a character to imitate, 148 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 2: for sure. So after throwing all the altars into the 149 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 2: brook kid, it says they then killed the passover. In 150 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 2: verse fifteen, the priests and the Levites were ashamed and 151 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 2: sanctified themselves and brought burnt offerings into Yahweh's house. Now 152 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 2: you'll remember us talking about how the priests and the 153 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 2: Levites unfortunately were not really in tune with God very 154 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 2: much before this point. They sort of were complacent. They 155 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 2: didn't really follow the Old Testament laws. It actually says 156 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 2: that they didn't work on sanctifying themselves, and we'll talk 157 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 2: about what sanctification is in just a second, but they 158 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 2: didn't really do anything that God truly told them to do. 159 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 2: They were complacent, maybe a little bit lazy, and maybe 160 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 2: also unknowledgeable about the laws of God, so they didn't 161 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 2: do what God told them to do. But now in 162 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,719 Speaker 2: this verse it says that they were actually ashamed. So 163 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 2: something was happening here in Jerusalem. There was a true movement, 164 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 2: a true moving of the Holy Spirit among the people, 165 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 2: because everybody was kind of unified. You know, there was 166 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 2: a true heart movement happening at this time. I don't 167 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 2: know if you've ever felt something like that before. Maybe 168 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 2: you've gone to a Christian conference or a revival or 169 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 2: a youth event or something where you really felt the 170 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 2: moving of God like in that event, and you just 171 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:23,199 Speaker 2: feel so on fire for God. You are so excited 172 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 2: to be with all of these people just worshiping God together, 173 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 2: and there's a true heart change that you feel. That's 174 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 2: what's happening here in Judah. These people were genuinely feeling this, 175 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 2: genuinely wanting to turn to God. After the Levites sanctified themselves, 176 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 2: it says that they stood in their place after their 177 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 2: order according to the law of Moses, the man of God. 178 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 2: So they're finally going back to the laws and reading 179 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 2: them and seeing what God wants them to do. So 180 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 2: the priests sprinkled the blood which they received of the 181 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,199 Speaker 2: hand of the Levites. For there are many in the 182 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 2: assembly who had not sanctified themselves. Therefore, the Leevi were 183 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 2: in charge of killing the passovers for everyone who was 184 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 2: not clean, to sanctify them to Yahweh. So the Levites 185 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 2: had to be clean for the people who were not clean. 186 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 2: It mentions in verse eighteen that there was a lot 187 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:16,319 Speaker 2: of people actually that weren't clean, for a multitude of 188 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 2: the people, even many from Ephrium, manassa Isekar and Zebulin 189 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 2: had not cleansed themselves. Yet they ate the Passover other 190 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 2: than the way it is written now, this verse honestly 191 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:29,839 Speaker 2: shows the level of ignorance that the Israelites had at 192 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:35,719 Speaker 2: this time, because they're eating the Passover meal without sanctifying 193 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 2: themselves first, without making themselves clean before God. And this 194 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 2: was a problem because they weren't following the laws of God, 195 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 2: yet still eating the Passover. And you might be like, well, Jen, 196 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 2: what's the idea of sanctification or making yourself clean? 197 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:52,679 Speaker 1: And why did God require that? 198 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:56,560 Speaker 2: Well, to answer the first question, sanctification just means to 199 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 2: set yourself apart, to make yourself different, to make your 200 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,439 Speaker 2: yourself holy in front of God, to make yourself clean essentially. 201 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 2: And God required that because he wants his people to 202 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 2: be clean, to be holy, to be set apart, and 203 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 2: that's why God put the laws in place that he did, 204 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 2: specifically when it came to eating the Passover LAMB. Now, 205 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 2: a lot of these laws regarding sanctification for the Passover 206 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 2: were kind of like analogies. For example, one of the 207 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 2: rules was that you had to remove all the leaven 208 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 2: out of your house, so all the yeast essentially from 209 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:34,439 Speaker 2: your house must be discarded every year before the Passover, 210 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 2: and that was because leaven signified pride, so you're supposed 211 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 2: to remove the leaven out of the house to show 212 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 2: that you're removing the pride from your heart. But also 213 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 2: there was just a health reason for that too. You know, 214 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:49,440 Speaker 2: yeast goes bad after a while, and a lot of 215 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,319 Speaker 2: the laws that God put in place was actually protecting 216 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 2: the health of his people as well. Interestingly enough, so 217 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 2: there was a lot of sanctification laws that God put 218 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 2: in placefically before the Passover was supposed to happen. For example, 219 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 2: some of the laws were the men that participated in 220 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 2: the Passover had to be circumcised to show that they 221 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 2: were people of God. Another law was that they couldn't 222 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 2: take the Passover meat outside of the house. They had 223 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 2: to basically eat it with their families. And obviously that 224 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 2: would build a bond between you and your family as well, 225 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:25,960 Speaker 2: if you're eating the Passover meal together. And then there 226 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 2: were some other rules about, you know, how your clothes 227 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:32,319 Speaker 2: needed to be clean, how you shouldn't be touching carcasses beforehand, 228 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 2: or you know, dead bodies beforehand. But you're supposed to 229 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 2: make yourself clean physically as well in the sight of God. 230 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 2: But unfortunately, the Israelites from the northern tribes of Israel 231 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 2: were so ignorant of God's laws that they went ahead 232 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 2: and just ate the Passover without knowing that they were 233 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 2: supposed to make themselves clean before eating it. However, Hezekiah 234 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 2: ends up praying for all of these people. It says 235 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 2: right here that Hezekiah prayed for them, saying made the 236 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:07,439 Speaker 2: good Yahweh pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek 237 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 2: God Yahweh, the God of his fathers, even if they 238 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,720 Speaker 2: aren't clean. According to the purification of the sanctuary and 239 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 2: God listened to Hezekiah's what it says, and he healed 240 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 2: the people, And that shows right there that the laws 241 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 2: were actually secondary to the heart. God cares about the 242 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 2: heart first, and all of these people from the northern 243 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:32,960 Speaker 2: tribes of Israel, their hearts truly were trying to seek God, 244 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 2: but they didn't understand the Old Testament laws unfortunately, so 245 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 2: they ended up breaking a whole bunch of them before 246 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,320 Speaker 2: the Passover. But God still ended up forgiving them because 247 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 2: He knew what their hearts were, that they truly wanted 248 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 2: to worship God in spirit and in truth. So God 249 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 2: forgave them. And it says that he healed the people, 250 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 2: probably talking about not necessarily physical healing, but healing the 251 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 2: sin of the people. It says the children of Israel 252 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:05,439 Speaker 2: who are present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unlove 253 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 2: and bread for seven days with great gladness. And it 254 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:12,319 Speaker 2: also says that the Levites and the priests praised Yahweh 255 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 2: day by day, singing with loud instruments to Yahweh. 256 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: So worship was back. 257 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 2: Worship had been shut down as long as a has 258 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 2: was the king, but now it is back, and it 259 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 2: is better than ever. It says, Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to 260 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 2: all the Levites who had good understanding in the service 261 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 2: of Yahweh. So that versus interesting because it kind of 262 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 2: proves that there were only a few Levites. There were 263 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 2: not very many. It was a minority of Levites who 264 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 2: actually understood how to worship Yahweh, and so Hezekiah really 265 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 2: encouraged those particular Levites. He was like, good job with 266 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 2: actually understanding God's law and making sure that everybody else 267 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:53,160 Speaker 2: understands God's law as well. Because not all the Levites, 268 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 2: as we've discovered before, like on Monday we talked about this, 269 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 2: not all the Levites or the priests really cared about 270 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,239 Speaker 2: the things of Yahweh. There is only a slim minority 271 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 2: that did, which is why Hezekiah makes sure to really 272 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 2: encourage those particular Levites to keep doing what they're doing, 273 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 2: it says. So they ate throughout the feast for seven days, 274 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 2: offering sacrifices of peace, offerings and making confession to Yahweh, 275 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 2: the God of their fathers. So there was a lot 276 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 2: going on for this celebration. It wasn't just the Passover, 277 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 2: but people were truly turning their hearts back to God. 278 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 2: The people were coming and making confessions. They were giving 279 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 2: peace offerings to God. A peace offering would happen after 280 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 2: the sin or the guilt offering to basically make peace 281 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 2: with God. And that was the offering where the people 282 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 2: could keep part of the animal. So some of the 283 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 2: animal was given to God, and then a portion of 284 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 2: it was given to the priest, and then another portion 285 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 2: was given to you and your family. And peace offerings 286 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 2: symbolized fellowship with God once again, because you're almost like 287 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 2: sharing a meal with God, if that makes sense. And 288 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 2: this was all going so well. The people were so 289 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 2: excited that they actually decided to do this for another week. 290 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 2: That is how strongly the people felt about this. They 291 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 2: didn't want it to end. I remember going to the 292 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 2: Winter treat last year with my youth group, and I 293 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:15,960 Speaker 2: felt that way. You know, it was only a weekend, 294 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 2: but it was really one of the most impactful weekends 295 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 2: I had ever had as an adult or a teenager. 296 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 2: You know, the messages actually spoke to me as well, 297 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 2: even though they were four teenagers. Man, that guy was 298 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,239 Speaker 2: a good speaker. And not to mention just the worship 299 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 2: and the fellowship I had with all of the students. 300 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 2: It was just so much fun. I did not want 301 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 2: it to end, and unfortunately it did end. But I 302 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 2: can imagine if there was a possibility for me to 303 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 2: do another week at that camp, I absolutely would have 304 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 2: done it. And that's how everyone was feeling. In verse 305 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 2: twenty three, it says the whole assembly took counsel to 306 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 2: keep another seven days, and they kept another seven days 307 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 2: with gladness. So they didn't do this out of obligation. 308 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:00,800 Speaker 2: They did it out of gladness. They wanted to do this. 309 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 2: There was a true movement, a true revival happening here, 310 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 2: and Hezekiah helped with all of this, it says in 311 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:10,440 Speaker 2: verse twenty four, for Hezekiah, the king of Judah, gave 312 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 2: to the assembly for offerings one thousand bulls and seven 313 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 2: thousand sheep, and the princes gave to the assembly a 314 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:18,960 Speaker 2: thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep, and a great number 315 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 2: of priests sanctified themselves. So first and foremost, Hezekiah and 316 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 2: the princes gave gifts to the people. They gave gifts 317 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 2: of animals that the people could use as either burnt 318 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 2: offerings or sacrifices, or even peace offerings. If they didn't 319 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 2: have enough animals to continue on for another week. Hezekiah 320 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 2: and the princes gave gladly to the people, and they 321 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,920 Speaker 2: gave thousands of animals to all of these people, probably 322 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 2: enough so that each family in Jerusalem got an animal 323 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 2: that they could sacrifice or use as a peace offering. 324 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 2: And not to mention, all of the priests were really 325 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 2: on board with this as well. The priest is said 326 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:02,719 Speaker 2: in great number sanctified themselves. So I think what that 327 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:06,679 Speaker 2: means is that the priests also their hearts were turning 328 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,679 Speaker 2: back to God. Initially they might not have had hearts 329 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 2: for God, but now they do. Now they see what's 330 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 2: happening in Jerusalem and they feel moved by it as well. 331 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:21,280 Speaker 2: They see this revival taking place, and they are excited, 332 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 2: and so they finally sanctify themselves on the second week. 333 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 2: Or it could be that they sanctified themselves again to 334 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 2: do all of this all over again the next week, 335 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 2: because they could have had to sanctify themselves twice. But 336 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,679 Speaker 2: whatever the case, the Levites were doing it with a 337 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,359 Speaker 2: glad heart. They were excited to see all of this 338 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 2: taking place, and so they sanctify themselves. It says all 339 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 2: the Assembly of Judah with the priests and the Levites, 340 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 2: and all the assembly who came out of Israel, and 341 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 2: the foreigners who came out of the land of Israel 342 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 2: and who lived in Judah rejoiced. So even the foreigners 343 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:55,199 Speaker 2: were taking place in all of this, and that was 344 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,120 Speaker 2: not against God's law. By the way, the foreigners could 345 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 2: always partake in the feasts of the Jews, but in 346 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:04,679 Speaker 2: order to do that, they did have to follow the 347 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:08,160 Speaker 2: same laws as the Jews. For example, in Exodus twelve, 348 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 2: verse forty eight, it says, when a stranger lives as 349 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 2: a foreigner with you and would like to keep the 350 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,199 Speaker 2: Passover to Yahweh, let all his males be circumcised, and 351 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,879 Speaker 2: then let him come near and keep it. He shall 352 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 2: be as one who is born in the land, but 353 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 2: no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. Now we do 354 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 2: know that there were a lot of foreigners living in 355 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:31,600 Speaker 2: Jerusalem and Israel because the Hebrew people never fully took 356 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 2: the land for themselves, so the Canaanites actually lived among them. 357 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 2: But what's really cool about this Passover celebration is it's 358 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 2: actually encouraging the foreigners living in the land to follow 359 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 2: Yahweh Israel for the first time kind of ever is 360 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 2: doing what God called them to do, being a light 361 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 2: to the other nations, being an example, worshiping Yahweh the 362 00:19:57,119 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 2: way they should be. And so the foreigners were actually 363 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 2: celebrating the Passover feast as well, and this was something 364 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 2: that never happened Verse twenty six. There was great joy 365 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 2: in Jerusalem. For since the time of Solomon, the son 366 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 2: of David, King of Israel, there was nothing like this 367 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:19,959 Speaker 2: in Jerusalem. So what like two centuries before the people 368 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:23,359 Speaker 2: celebrated the Passover to this extent, but they hadn't celebrated 369 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 2: it since then. Hezekiah brought the Passover back and the 370 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,560 Speaker 2: people celebrated it with great joy. We were created to worship. 371 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:36,440 Speaker 2: That is why every single person worships something. We can 372 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 2: either worship God, or we can worship creation, or we 373 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 2: can worship something that is man made. But everybody worships something. 374 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 2: But when you focus on the person you're truly supposed 375 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,919 Speaker 2: to worship Yahweh, that is when you have the most 376 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 2: purpose and the most fulfillment because you're actually fulfilling this 377 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:59,080 Speaker 2: deep desire that God put inside you. And that is 378 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 2: how the iSites and the Judites are feeling during this 379 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:08,119 Speaker 2: Passover celebration, this innate purpose and joy just being in 380 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:11,680 Speaker 2: God's presence, and that's why there's great joy in Jerusalem, 381 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 2: it says in verse twenty seven. Then the levitical priests 382 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 2: arose and blessed the people. Their voice was heard, and 383 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 2: their prayer came up to His holy habitation, even to heaven. 384 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 2: So the priests finish out the two weeks doing a 385 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 2: traditional blessing for the people before they go back home. 386 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 2: And I'm going to guess that the traditional blessing was 387 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 2: probably that one from Numbers, which is the Lord bless 388 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 2: you and keep you, and make his face shine upon 389 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,400 Speaker 2: you and give you peace. But regardless of what blessing 390 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 2: the priest gave the people, God heard it. It says 391 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 2: their voice was heard by God and their prayer went 392 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 2: up to His holy habitation, even to heaven. So the 393 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 2: moral of the story is that when people worship God, 394 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 2: he hears them. All, right, faith listeners, Before I close 395 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:02,199 Speaker 2: up the episode with a little note of encouragement for you, 396 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 2: here is a quick word from a sponsor. Well, faithful listeners, 397 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,880 Speaker 2: I hope you enjoyed today's episode learning about the Passover 398 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:15,119 Speaker 2: celebration that the people finally did after several centuries I 399 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 2: guess of not performing any Passover celebration. The people are 400 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 2: finally back to the place that they should be. The 401 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 2: covenant they made with God so many years prior to 402 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 2: this has been renewed and there is revival in Israel 403 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 2: once again. But unfortunately, revival never lasts very long, and 404 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 2: that's the downside to this story. So we will get 405 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:36,919 Speaker 2: into that on a later date. But for now, we 406 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 2: can take comfort in this passage knowing that when we 407 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,640 Speaker 2: come to God, when we worship God, he hears us. 408 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 1: And also it's a fulfilling thing for us. 409 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,399 Speaker 2: It is something that we were made to do, and 410 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:51,879 Speaker 2: God hears us when we get back to our roots 411 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 2: in Him. All righty, Faithfu listeners, have a fantastic and 412 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 2: wonderful rest of your day. I'll see you guys tomorrow 413 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 2: for an episode from Hebrews Until tomorrow morning. 414 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 1: Happy listening, and God bless. 415 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 2: I just want to take a second to thank the 416 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 2: team at Life Audio for their partnership with me on 417 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,760 Speaker 2: the Bible Explain podcast. In fact, if you go to 418 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 2: lifeaudio dot com you will find dozens of other faith 419 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 2: centered podcasts in their network, they've got shows about prayer, 420 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:23,880 Speaker 2: Bible study, parenting, and more.