2 Chronicles 30 1-2 Chronicles 30 27
Hezekiah sent a message to all the people of Israel and Judah. He also wrote letters to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. He invited everyone to come to the Lord’ s temple in Jerusalem. He wanted them to celebrate the Passover Feast to honor the Lord. He is the God of Israel.The king, his officials and the whole community in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover Feast in the second month.They hadn’t been able to celebrate it at the regular time. That’s because there weren’t enough priests who had set themselves apart to the Lord. Also, the people hadn’t gathered together in Jerusalem.The plan seemed good to the king and the whole community.They decided to send a message all through Israel. It was sent out from Beersheba all the way to Dan. The message invited the people to come to Jerusalem. It invited them to celebrate the Passover Feast to honor the Lord, the God of Israel. The Passover Feast hadn’t been celebrated by large numbers of people for a long time. It hadn’t been done in keeping with what was written in the law.Messengers went all through Israel and Judah. They carried letters from the king and his officials. The king had ordered them to do that. The letters said,“ People of Israel, return to the Lord. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Return to him. Then he will return to you who are left in the land. You have escaped from the power of the kings of Assyria.Don’t be like your parents and the rest of your people. They weren’t faithful to the Lord, the God of their people. That’s why he punished them. He made them look so bad that everyone was shocked when they saw them. You can see it for yourselves.Don’t be stubborn. Don’t be as your people were. Obey the Lord. Come to his temple. He has set it apart to himself forever. Serve the Lord your God. Then he’ll stop being angry with you.Suppose you return to the Lord. Then those who captured your relatives and children will be kind to them. In fact, your relatives and children will come back to this land. The Lord your God is kind and tender. He won’t turn away from you if you return to him.”The messengers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh. They went all the way to Zebulun. But people laughed and made fun of them.In spite of that, some people from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun made themselves humble. They went to Jerusalem.God helped the people of Judah. He helped them agree with one another. So they did what the king and his officials had ordered. They did what the Lord told them to do.A very large crowd of people gathered together in Jerusalem. They went there to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It took place in the second month.They removed the altars in Jerusalem. They cleared away the altars for burning incense. They threw all the altars into the Kidron Valley.They killed the Passover lamb on the 14th day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed of how they had lived. They set themselves apart to the Lord. They brought burnt offerings to his temple.Then they did their regular tasks just as the Law of Moses, the man of God, required. The Levites gave the blood of the animals to the priests. The priests splashed it against the altar.Many people in the crowd hadn’t set themselves apart to the Lord. They weren’t“ clean.” They couldn’t set apart their lambs to him. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all of them.Many people came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun. Most of them hadn’t made themselves pure and“ clean.” But they still ate the Passover meal. That was against what was written in the law. But Hezekiah prayed for them. He said,“ The Lord is good. May he forgive everyonewho wants to worship God with all their heart. God is the Lord, the God of their people. May God forgive them even if they aren’t‘ clean’ in keeping with the rules of the temple.”The Lord answered Hezekiah’s prayer. He healed the people.The people of Israel who were in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They celebrated for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests praised the Lord every day. They praised the Lord with loud musical instruments. The instruments had been set apart to the Lord.Hezekiah spoke words that gave hope to all the Levites. They understood how to serve the Lord well. For the seven days of the feast they ate the share given to them. They also sacrificed friendship offerings. They praised the Lord, the God of their people.Then the whole community agreed to celebrate the feast for seven more days. So for another seven days they celebrated with joy.Hezekiah, the king of Judah, provided 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats for the community. The officials provided 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats for them. A large number of priests set themselves apart to the Lord.The entire community of Judah was filled with joy. So were the priests and Levites. And so were all the people who had gathered together from Israel. That included the outsiders who had come from Israel. It also included those who lived in Judah.There was great joy in Jerusalem. There hadn’t been anything like it in Israel since the days of Solomon, the son of David. Solomon had been king of Israel.The priests and Levites gave their blessing to the people. God heard them. Their prayer reached all the way to heaven. It’s the holy place where God lives.
Exodus 12:6-36
Take care of them until the 14th day of the month. Then the whole community of Israel must kill them when the sun goes down.Take some of the blood. Put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where you eat the lambs.That same night eat the meat cooked over a fire. Also eat bitter plants. And eat bread made without yeast.Do not eat the meat when it is raw. Don’t boil it in water. Instead, cook it over a fire. Cook the head, legs and inside parts.Do not leave any of it until morning. If some is left over until morning, burn it up.Eat the meat while your coat is tucked into your belt. Put your sandals on your feet. Take your walking stick in your hand. Eat the food quickly. It is the Lord’ s Passover.“ That same night I will pass through Egypt. I will strike down all those born first among the people and animals. And I will judge all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.The blood on your houses will be a sign for you. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. No deadly plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.“ Always remember this day. You and your children after you must celebrate this day as a feast to honor the Lord. You must do this for all time to come. It is a law that will last forever.For seven days eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your homes. For the next seven days, anyone who eats anything with yeast in it must be separated from Israel.On the first and seventh days, come together for a sacred assembly. Do not work at all on these days. The only thing you are allowed to do is prepare food for everyone to eat.“ Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I brought you out of Egypt on this very day like an army on the march. It is a law that will last for all time to come.In the first month eat bread made without yeast. Eat it from the evening of the 14th day until the evening of the 21st day.For seven days do not let any yeast be found in your homes. Anyone who eats anything with yeast in it must be separated from the community of Israel. That applies to outsiders and Israelites alike.Do not eat anything made with yeast. No matter where you live, eat bread made without yeast.”Then Moses sent for all the elders of Israel. He said to them,“ Go at once. Choose the animals for your families. Each family must kill a Passover lamb.Get a branch of a hyssop plant. Dip it into the blood in the bowl. Put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you can go out of the door of your house until morning.The Lord will go through the land to strike down the Egyptians. He’ll see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. He will pass over that house. He won’t let the destroying angel enter your homes to strike you down.“ Obey all these directions. It’s a law for you and your children after you for all time to come.The Lord will give you the land, just as he promised. When you enter it, keep this holy day.Your children will ask you,‘ What does this holy day mean to you?’Tell them,‘ It’s the Passover sacrifice to honor the Lord. He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. He spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ ” Then the Israelites bowed down and worshiped.They did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.At midnight the Lord struck down every oldest son in Egypt. He killed the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne. He killed all the oldest sons of prisoners. He also killed all the male animals born first to their mothers among the livestock.Pharaoh and all his officials got up during the night. So did all the Egyptians. There was loud crying in Egypt because someone had died in every home.During the night, Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. He said to them,“ Get out of here! You and the Israelites, leave my people! Go. Worship the Lord, just as you have asked.Go. Take your flocks and herds, just as you have said. And also give me your blessing.”The Egyptians begged the people of Israel to hurry up and leave the country.“ If you don’t,” they said,“ we’ll all die!”So the people took their dough before the yeast was added to it. They carried it on their shoulders in bowls for kneading bread. The bowls were wrapped in clothes.They did just as Moses had directed them. They asked the Egyptians for things made out of silver and gold. They also asked them for clothes.The Lord had caused the Egyptians to treat the Israelites in a kind way. So the Egyptians gave them what they asked for. The Israelites took many expensive things that belonged to the Egyptians.
