by Keith Hunt
THE GOD WHO ACKNOWLEDGES SPECIFIC SITUATIONS
"Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old,
and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem..... And he did
that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all
that David his father had done" (2 Chron.29:1-2).
In the first year of his reign Hezekiah opened the doors of
the house of the Lord, and repaired them. The priests went into
the inner part of the house of the Lord, to cleanse it, and
brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the Temple,
and they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify.
It took them till the 16th day of the first month to get to the
end of the sanctification (verses 3,16,17).
Now because of putting all in order for the Temple they
could not observe the Passover in the first month on the 14th
day. But the king with counsel, and with all the congregation in
Jerusalem, they decided to observe the Passover in the SECOND
month. There was not time for the priests to get ready nor for
the people to travel to Jerusalem. The Passover was allowed under
the laws of Moses to be observed in the second month, for unseen
events that prevented someone observing it in the first month
(see Numbers 9:10,11).
Word was sent out to the people, but the large majority of
the people of Ephraim and Manaseh, even unto Zebulum just laughed
at the idea, some were willing to again humble themselves under
the Word of the Lord, and they did come to Jerusalem; so with the
people of Judah, the commandments of God and the counsel of the
king were obeyed (2 Chron.30:1-12).
There assembled much people at Jerusalem, and they were
willing also to observe the feast of unleavened bread in the
second month (verse 13).
The Passover lamb was killed on the 14th day of the second
month (verse 15).
There was NO LAW in the writings of Moses (Genesis through
Deuteronomy) to allow the feast of unleavened bread to be
observed in the second month. But the king and the people decided
they would do it. They WANTED to do it. Not only for seven days
as prescribed in the law of Moses, but they decided to observe
yet ANOTHER seven days of that feast, and they did it with
gladness (verse 21-23). Not since the time of Solomon, the son of
David was there such joy and gladness in Jerusalem (verse 25-27).
This was a time of TURNING BACK to serving God and His word
with humbleness and great joy. It was a situation and
circumstance that was unique. And it was accepted by the Lord.
The Lord will look at the heart. He rejoices when the heart
of man is humble and good, even if the letter of the law cannot
be followed at that specific time. We do what we can when we see
that we should turn back to serving our God.
This is what Hezekiah and those whose hearts were right did
in not only observing the Passover in the second month, but also
observing the feast of unleavened bread not just for 7 days
(which was very fine in itself) but even adding another 7 days to
that feast.
There are possibly times in a nations history or in the life
of an individual, that it is needful to go "the extra mile."
Nothing we literally do can earn salvation for us, but it may
deepen our relationship with God and His way of life; it
certainly gets us into a better attitude of mind to serve Him.
What the Lord sees is the intent and frame of mind that we
exhibit in unusual circumstances. It is not a blank sheet to just
do our "own thing" at out own time, deceiving ourselves into
thinking we are continually in a "specific situation." For
indeed, if we deceive ourselves with that idea, God knows our
heart there also.
The Lord honors the attitude of a humble and serving mind
when some things may be beyond our control. That is the lesson to
take from this message in the life of Hezekiah and those who
humbled themselves to serve God.
It is all part of worshipping the Eternal One in spirit and
in truth. Another part of knowing the true God.
.......................
Written March 2009
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