◄ 2 Chronicles 30:5 ►
So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem. For they had not observed it as a nation as prescribed.
Study Bible
So they established a decree
This phrase indicates a formal decision made by the leaders, likely under King Hezekiah's direction. Decrees in ancient Israel were authoritative commands, often involving religious reforms or national calls to action. Hezekiah's reign was marked by efforts to restore proper worship and adherence to the Law of Moses, reflecting a return to covenant faithfulness.

to circulate a proclamation throughout Israel
The proclamation was intended to reach all the tribes of Israel, emphasizing unity and collective responsibility in worship. This was significant during a time when the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah were often divided. The call to worship was an invitation to return to the covenant relationship with God, transcending political divisions.

from Beersheba to Dan
This phrase denotes the entire land of Israel, from the southernmost point (Beersheba) to the northernmost (Dan). It underscores the comprehensive nature of the call to worship, aiming to include all Israelites. This geographical reference is often used in Scripture to signify the whole nation (Judges 20:1, 1 Samuel 3:20).

that the people should come to keep the Passover of the LORD
The Passover was a foundational feast in Israel's religious calendar, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt and God's deliverance. It was a time of remembrance and renewal of the covenant. The call to observe Passover was a call to return to the roots of their faith and identity as God's chosen people.

the God of Israel
This title emphasizes the covenant relationship between God and the nation of Israel. It serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the people's obligation to worship Him alone. The use of this title reinforces the call to national repentance and spiritual renewal.

in Jerusalem
Jerusalem was the designated place for worship and sacrifice, housing the Temple built by Solomon. It was the spiritual center of Israel, where God's presence dwelt. The call to gather in Jerusalem for Passover highlights the importance of centralized worship and the unity of the nation under God's covenant.

For they had not observed it in great numbers as prescribed
This indicates a lapse in religious observance, likely due to the idolatry and apostasy that had plagued Israel and Judah. The prescribed observance of Passover was detailed in the Law (Exodus 12, Leviticus 23), and neglecting it was a sign of spiritual decline. Hezekiah's reform aimed to restore proper worship and adherence to God's commands, reflecting a desire for national repentance and renewal.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Hezekiah
The king of Judah who initiated religious reforms and called for the celebration of the Passover.

2. Israel
Refers to the northern kingdom, which had been in spiritual decline and was invited to join in the Passover celebration.

3. Judah
The southern kingdom, where Hezekiah reigned and from where the call to celebrate Passover was issued.

4. Beersheba to Dan
Geographical markers indicating the entire land of Israel, from the southernmost to the northernmost points.

5. Passover
A significant Jewish festival commemorating the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt, which had not been observed as a nation for some time.
Teaching Points
Revival and Reform
Hezekiah's call to celebrate the Passover demonstrates the importance of returning to God's commands as a means of spiritual revival. We should seek to align our lives with God's Word and restore practices that honor Him.

Unity in Worship
The invitation extended to all of Israel, including the northern kingdom, highlights the call for unity among God's people. In our communities, we should strive for unity in worship and fellowship, setting aside divisions for the sake of honoring God together.

Obedience to God's Commands
The neglect of the Passover as prescribed shows the consequences of disobedience. We are reminded to faithfully observe God's instructions, recognizing that they are given for our benefit and His glory.

Historical and Spiritual Significance
Understanding the historical context of the Passover enriches our appreciation of its spiritual significance. As Christians, we see its fulfillment in Christ, which should deepen our worship and gratitude.
Bible Study Questions
1. What motivated Hezekiah to call for the celebration of the Passover, and how can we apply this motivation to our own spiritual practices?

2. How does the geographical reference "from Beersheba to Dan" emphasize the scope of Hezekiah's call, and what does this teach us about inclusivity in worship?

3. In what ways does the Passover serve as a reminder of God's deliverance, and how can we incorporate this remembrance into our daily lives?

4. How does the New Testament understanding of Christ as our Passover lamb enhance our appreciation of the Old Testament Passover?

5. What steps can we take to ensure that we are observing God's commands as prescribed, both individually and as a community of believers?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 12
Provides the original instructions for the Passover, highlighting its importance as a perpetual ordinance for Israel.

2 Kings 18-19
Offers a parallel account of Hezekiah's reign and his efforts to restore proper worship in Judah.

Deuteronomy 16
Details the requirements for observing the Passover, emphasizing its role in Israel's covenant relationship with God.

1 Corinthians 5:7
Connects the Passover to Christ, who is described as our Passover lamb, underscoring the fulfillment of the festival in the New Testament.
Sermons
Letters to Ephraim: GenerosityW. Clarkson 2 Chronicles 30:1, 10, 11
Preparations for a Grand National PassoverT. Whitelaw 2 Chronicles 30:1-12
People
Asher, Dan, David, Hezekiah, Isaac, Issachar, Levites, Manasseh, Solomon, Zebulun
Places
Assyria, Beersheba, Dan, Jerusalem, Kidron
Topics
Agreement, Beersheba, Beer-sheba, Calling, Cause, Celebrate, Celebrated, Circulate, Dan, Decree, Decreed, Establish, Established, Held, Hold, Intimation, Jerusalem, Kept, Large, Law, Manner, Numbers, Ordered, Pass, Passover, Prescribed, Proclamation, Sort, Throughout, Written
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Chronicles 30:5

     4831   largeness

2 Chronicles 30:1-5

     7406   Passover

2 Chronicles 30:1-10

     5463   proclamations

2 Chronicles 30:1-20

     7266   tribes of Israel

2 Chronicles 30:1-27

     8466   reformation

Library
A Loving Call to Reunion
'And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel. 2. For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month. 3. For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
BY JOHN BUNYAN PREFATORY REMARKS BY THE EDITOR This important treatise was prepared for the press, and left by the author, at his decease, to the care of his surviving friend for publication. It first appeared in a collection of his works in folio, 1692; and although a subject of universal interest; most admirably elucidated; no edition has been published in a separate form. Antichrist has agitated the Christian world from the earliest ages; and his craft has been to mislead the thoughtless, by …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The New Temple and Its Worship
'And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo: and they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15. And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. 16. And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature
1. The Traditional Law. - The brief account given in vol. i. p. 100, of the character and authority claimed for the traditional law may here be supplemented by a chronological arrangement of the Halakhoth in the order of their supposed introduction or promulgation. In the first class, or Halakhoth of Moses from Sinai,' tradition enumerates fifty-five, [6370] which may be thus designated: religio-agrarian, four; [6371] ritual, including questions about clean and unclean,' twenty-three; [6372] concerning …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers. …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Covenanting Performed in Former Ages with Approbation from Above.
That the Lord gave special token of his approbation of the exercise of Covenanting, it belongs to this place to show. His approval of the duty was seen when he unfolded the promises of the Everlasting Covenant to his people, while they endeavoured to perform it; and his approval thereof is continually seen in his fulfilment to them of these promises. The special manifestations of his regard, made to them while attending to the service before him, belonged to one or other, or both, of those exhibitions …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Covenanting a Duty.
The exercise of Covenanting with God is enjoined by Him as the Supreme Moral Governor of all. That his Covenant should be acceded to, by men in every age and condition, is ordained as a law, sanctioned by his high authority,--recorded in his law of perpetual moral obligation on men, as a statute decreed by him, and in virtue of his underived sovereignty, promulgated by his command. "He hath commanded his covenant for ever."[171] The exercise is inculcated according to the will of God, as King and …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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