2 Chronicles 30
v.3
They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem.
v.6
At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read: “People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.
v.9
If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”
His word of assurane that their exiled brothers “will be shown compassion… and will come back” was based on this same prediction, as made by Moses (Lev 26:40-42).
v.10
The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but the people scorned and ridiculed them.
Many of the northerners—particularly those of Ephraim—still “scorned and ridiculed” the king’s appeal (but see vv.11, 18): human depravity is so total that people will resist a gospel call even on the brink of disaster (cf. Am 4:10; Rev 9:20).
v.12
Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD.
v.18-19
Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone 19who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.”
If they really sought God in their hearts, their failures in regard to outward conformity—at least on this first occasion—could be “healed” (v.20; GK 8324), i.e., pardoned. The situation reflects the biblical principle that faith takes precedence over ritual (Jn 7:22-23; 9:14-16).
v.22-23
Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the LORD. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised the LORD, the God of their fathers. 23The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully.
The extension of “the festival” for “seven more days” (v.23) parallels the way Solomon joined a special seven-day celebration for dedicating the temple with the regular week for the fall Feast of Tabernacles (see comment on 7:9).
v.26
There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.
v.27
The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.