Chapter Twelve - When and Why the Temple Sacrifice of the Passover Was Instituted—Part One

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When was the Passover sacrifice changed from the domestic killing of the lamb at the beginning of the 14th to the temple sacrifice of the lamb toward the end of the 14th? Why did this change take place? Was it done in willful rebellion against God? If the change was not made in rebellion and defiance, what were the reasons for changing the Passover? Who instituted the change? Was the change commanded by the kings of Judah, or did a mass movement by the people bring about the change?

The answer to these questions can be found in the Scriptural records of the history of the kingdom of Judah.

The Jews’ Treacherous Rebellion Against God

In the previous chapter, we learned that it was Baal and Asherah worship which brought God’s judgment upon the northern kingdom of Israel and led to the captivity of its people. Rather than hearing and fearing, repenting of their idolatries and returning to God, the people of Judah, ancestors of the Jews, multiplied their evil and did far worse than the people of Israel! God did not take their unfaithfulness lightly. Although Israel had been the first to sin, Judah received the greater condemnation:

“...Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and has played the harlot there. And I said after she had done all these things, ‘She will return to Me! But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah [the kingdom of Judah] saw it. And I saw, when for all causes for which backsliding Israel committed adultery, I sent her away and gave a bill of divorce to her, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and played the harlot also. And it came to pass through the folly of her whoredom, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but with deception,’ says the LORD. And the LORD said to me, ‘The backsliding Israel has justified herself more than treacherous Judah’ ” (Jer. 3:6-11).

The people of Judah forsook their covenant with God and went whoring after the gods of the nations around, just as the northern ten tribes of Israel had done. The kings of Judah forsook the righteous ways of their ancestor David and followed in the evil footsteps of King Jeroboam of Israel.

Periods of Repentance and Backsliding

During the reigns of righteous kings, there were periods of repentance and returning to God. In II Chronicles 15, we read of the repentance of the people of Judah in the days of King Asa: “And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul....and sought Him with their whole desire. And He was found by them....But the high places were not taken away out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was perfect all his days” (verses 12, 15, 17).

Later, Asa’s son Jehoshaphat was also accepted by God: “And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first ways of his father David and did not seek to the Baalim. But he sought to the God of his father, and walked in His commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel (II Chron. 17:3-4).

Although Jehoshaphat served God, his obedience was not perfect. In II Chronicles 20 we read, “And he walked in the way of Asa his father and did not depart from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to the God of their fathers” (verses 32-33).

Jehoshaphat did not obey God’s laws fully and completely, but because he set his heart to obey, God overlooked his shortcomings. Despite his righteous leadership, the people of Judah did not fully repent of their idolatries. As we have read, they did not “prepare their hearts to the God of their fathers.” They were led back into the depths of paganism by Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram, who walked in the ways of Jeroboam and all the wicked kings of Israel (II Chron. 21:6).

Some of the kings who ruled afterwards were even more wicked than Jehoram, and the people followed them in their abominable practices. One of the most evil and wicked kings of Judah was King Ahaz. The Scriptural account of his reign reveals a degeneracy and idolatry that was in some ways more evil than Manasseh, his grandson. As the account shows, Ahaz “...walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and also made molded images for the Baals. And he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom and burnt his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the sons of Israel” (II Chron. 28:2-3).

The statement that Ahaz “burnt his children in the fire” means that he offered his children as a sacrifice to the fire god Molech. The flesh of his children was probably eaten by the priests of Molech. God punished Ahaz for his wicked and abominable practices, but Ahaz refused to repent and instead went deeper into idolatry:

“And he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every leafy tree. And the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. And they struck him and carried away a great number into captivity and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter....For the LORD brought Judah low...For he had promoted wickedness in Judah, and had sinned grievously against the LORD. And Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria came to him and troubled him, but did not strengthen him. For Ahaz took away a portion of the house of the LORD, and of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria. But it was no help to him.

“And in the time of his distress he trespassed even more against the LORD, this same king Ahaz, for he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who struck him. And he said, ‘Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.’ But they were the ruin of him...” (II Chron. 28:4-5, 19-23).

During Ahaz’ reign, paganism was rife. Ahaz shut up the temple of God, and took the gold of the temple and its vessels of gold to make idols and images of other gods, filling Jerusalem and the entire land of Judah with his abominations. Ahaz’s idolatry continued until the day of his death:

“And Ahaz gathered the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD. And he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And in each separate city of Judah he [Ahaz] made high places [shrines and temples to Baalim] to burn incense to other gods and provoked the LORD....And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem…. And his son Hezekiah reigned in his place “ (II Chron. 28:24-27).

The Revival of Judah under Hezekiah

Hezekiah succeeded Ahaz as king of Judah. Unlike his wicked father Ahaz, Hezekiah worshiped the Lord, following the righteous example of his ancestor David. Hezekiah brought about a tremendous revival in Judah, turning the people back to God and restoring the temple so that sacrifices could again be offered to Him:

“Hezekiah began to reign being twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them into the east street. And he said to them, ‘Hear me, Levites now sanctify yourselves and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers and carry the filthiness out of the holy place!

“For our fathers have sinned and done evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken Him, and have turned away their faces from the dwelling place of the LORD, and have turned their backs. Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the sanctuary to the God of Israel. Therefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing as you see with your eyes. For lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. And it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us’ ” (II Chron. 29:1-10).

As King Hezekiah had commanded, the priests and Levites completely cleansed and sanctified the temple, but not in time to keep the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the first month. The Scriptures record that “...they began to sanctify on the first day of the first month. And on the eighth day of the month they came to the porch of the LORD. And they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days, and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end” (verse 17).

When the cleansing of the temple was completed, Hezekiah reinstituted the temple service with a command that sin offerings be made for all Israel. When these had been offered, the whole congregation brought thank offerings and burnt offerings. So abundant were the sacrifices that the priests could not do all the work, and the Levites were called upon to assist them. The king and all the people rejoiced in this renewal of the temple service:

“...And the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people, for the thing happened suddenly” (verses 35-36).

The Epochal Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread of Hezekiah

Because the temple was not ready in time to keep the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the first month, Hezekiah and the people decided to observe them in the second month, according to God’s instructions in Numbers 9. After taking counsel with the princes and the elders who represented the people, here is what the king proposed. Notice his leadership in establishing the decree:

“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 to the LORD God of Israel. And the king and his leaders, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, took counsel to keep the Passover in the second month. For they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, nor had the people gathered to Jerusalem. And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation. And they established a decree to send a notice throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem, for they had not done it in large numbers as it was written” (II Chron. 30:1-5).

Although many kings had reigned in Israel and Judah, the Passover observance in Hezekiah’s time is the first account of the Passover being kept as a major feast. During Solomon’s reign, the Feast of Tabernacles is recorded as the major feast that was celebrated by the people. During Hezekiah’s reign, the emphasis shifted from the fall festival season to the spring festival season.

As we learn how the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were celebrated in the days of King Hezekiah, we will notice some significant changes from the ordinances that God had delivered at Israel’s first Passover. These changes were instituted by the command of the king in his zeal to abolish idolatry from the land and to restore the worship of the true God at the temple. Although the prophet Isaiah lived during Hezekiah’s reign, it was the king who ordered the restoration of the temple. He was the one who commanded that the temple be cleansed by the priests and Levites. He was the one who revived the temple service and commanded that sacrifices be made to God. He was the driving force behind the observance of the Passover in Jerusalem and that renewal of the covenant with God.

In the times before Hezekiah, it was the judge or the king who administered civil affairs, and the priests who administered religious matters. During the days of Samuel, God combined the office of prophet, priest and judge in the one person of Samuel. It was separated again when Saul was made king, with the priests administering the religious matters and the king the civil affairs. The Scriptures show that the prophet and/or chief priest had authority over the king in spiritual matters, as in the case of David and his sin with Bathsheba. The prophet Nathan corrected David for his sins and pronounced the punishment of the Lord against David. Although David composed many psalms that were sung by the Levites, and helped Samuel institute the courses of the priests, he never exerted authority over the priesthood.

By the time of Hezekiah, the people had fallen into grievous idolatry, and the sacrifices to God at the temple had ceased. Hezekiah was moved to use his authority as king to restore the temple service of the priests and Levites. In this endeavor, Hezekiah did not usurp authority over the priesthood. He did not attempt to perform any priestly duties, as King Uzziah had done, and had provoked God’s immediate judgment. But Hezekiah was determined to restore the worship of God in Judah, and he made sure that the priests did their jobs! This use of his kingly power is an important event which helped lay the groundwork for changes in the observance of the Passover.

Before we study the account of Hezekiah’s Passover in II Chronicles 30, it is important for us to understand that Ezra was the one who wrote the books of Chronicles, as part of his work in compiling and editing the Old Testament records. Although Hezekiah’s Passover took place about one hundred years before the captivity of Judah, Ezra did not record it until after the Jews had returned from their Babylonian captivity. As we will see, Ezra had a specific reason to highlight the Passovers of Hezekiah and Josiah in his accounts in II Chronicles, although they receive little or no mention in the parallel accounts in II Kings.

In his account of Hezekiah’s Passover, Ezra records that “the runners went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah...according to the commandment of the king...” (II Chron. 30:6).

Ezra’s statement makes it clear that the king was in charge of this undertaking. Although the Scriptures make provision for observing the Passover in the second month, the emphasis is that it would be observed “according to the commandment of the king.”

In response to Hezekiah’s command to come to Jerusalem for the Passover, Ezra records that “...many people gathered at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month...” (verse 13). This is the first Scriptural record in which the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover are used interchangeably in referring to the spring festival season (verses 1-2, 13). In the days of Hezekiah, the term “Passover” had not yet been established as a name for the entire eight-day observance, as later practiced by the Jews.

As we continue to study the account in II Chronicles, we will see that Hezekiah’s Passover is the first record in Scripture of killing the Passover lambs at the temple. Although Ezra’s account does not state the time that the lambs were slain, it appears that they were slain during the day portion of the 14th.

This Passover observance, which occurred approximately 780 years after the Passover in Egypt, is the first indication in Scripture of the Passover lambs being slain during the day portion of the 14th. This is also the first Scriptural record of killing the Passover at the temple and dashing the blood of the lamb against the altar instead of applying the blood to the door posts at home, as was done with the domestic sacrifice of the lamb. Why did Hezekiah institute these changes in the observance of the Passover?

When we consider the idolatrous history of the people of Israel and Judah, it is not surprising that Hezekiah decreed that the Passover be observed at the temple in Jerusalem. In view of the people’s deep-seated, habitual attraction to Baal and Asherah, and their longstanding practice of worshiping these pagan deities, the children of Israel and Judah could not be trusted to keep the Passover at home! Any sacrificing they did at home might have been offered to Baal, because that is what they were accustomed to doing. Instead of eating the Passover meal in commemoration of the passing over of the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, as God had commanded, they might have eaten the communal meal in dedication to the god Baal.

Few in our modern times realize that the pagans had a feast to celebrate Baal’s exploits on the 15th of Nisan, the first month of the year, on the very day that the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins. The pagans also observed the feast of Ishtar, or Easter, in the springtime in honor of the queen of heaven, Semiramis. Knowing how powerfully the people were tempted to participate in these pagan festivals, it is easy to understand why King Hezekiah commanded the priests, the Levites, and the people of Israel and Judah to keep the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread at the temple in Jerusalem. He had personally sought God. He had personally made a covenant with God in his heart. If it were not for him, the remnant of Israel and the people of Judah would have continued their abominable Baal and Asherah worship!

Continuing with Ezra’s account in II Chronicles 30, we read, “And many people gathered at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great congregation. And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense to other gods they took away, and cast them into the Brook Kidron.

“And they killed the Passover, on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood from the hand of the Levites. For many in the congregation were not sanctified. And the Levites were over the killing of the Passover lambs for everyone who was not clean in order to sanctify them unto the LORD” (verses 13-17).

Verse 15 tells us that “they killed the Passover [lamb], on the fourteenth day of the second month.” Does this mean that they killed the Passover lambs at the beginning of the 14th, observing a domestic Passover?

When we examine the full account of Hezekiah’s Passover, we find no indication that the Passover lambs were killed at the beginning of the 14th, “between the two evenings,” as commanded in Exodus 12. Since ben ha arbayim is not used in II Chronicles 30, it is evident that the Passover lambs that were slain at the temple were not killed in accordance with God’s command for a domestic observance. There is not one detail in the account which resembles the domestic observance that is recorded in Exodus 12. To the contrary, the account in II Chronicles 30 points out the changes that were instituted for the temple sacrifice of the Passover. The lambs that were killed at the temple were slain by the Levites, not by “the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel,” as in Exodus 12. The account in II Chronicles is not describing a domestic sacrifice of the Passover lambs by the people, but a temple sacrifice of the Passover lambs by the Levites. Although some of the people of Israel and Judah had sanctified themselves, and were able to kill their own lambs at the temple with the assistance of the Levites, the majority of the lambs were slain by the Levites because of the uncleanness of the people.

The account also records that the blood of the Passover lambs was dashed against the altar. The fact that the priests dashed the blood against the altar is additional evidence that the lambs were not killed “between the two evenings,” or ben ha arbayim. Since Hezekiah had reinstituted the temple sacrifices, the evening burnt offering would have been on the altar. God had commanded that it be offered ben ha arbayim—“between the two evenings.” The priests could not dash the blood of the Passover lambs against the altar while the evening sacrifice was being offered. Because Hezekiah’s Passover was centered at the temple, the killing of the Passover lambs could not be conducted at the beginning of the 14th, during the time called ben ha arbayim—“between the two evenings.”

The account shows that burnt offerings were offered on the altar at the time that the Passover lambs were killed. Verse 15 records that “...the priests and the Levites were ashamed and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.” The sanctification had to be accomplished before the Passover, or these priests and Levites could not have participated in the slaying of the Passover lambs. II Chronicles 29:12-36 gives a detailed account of the cleansing of the temple and of the priests and Levites. The account states that after sanctifying the temple, the priests and Levites offered sin offerings and burnt offerings. The people also brought burnt offerings and thank offerings, as well as peace offerings and drink offerings (verses 31, 35).

The Levites must have slain the Passover lambs at the temple in accordance with the instructions for offering a peace offering or a thank offering, because there are no instructions in the law of Moses for killing the Passover lambs at the temple. The commands of God for peace offerings are found in the book of Leviticus, which tells us:

“And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the LORD is of the flocks, male or female, he shall bring it without blemish. If he is bringing near a sheep for his offering, then he shall bring it near before the LORD. And he [the offerer] shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it [slit the animal’s throat] before the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood all around against the side of the altar” (Lev. 3:6-8).

As the account in II Chronicles 30 shows, this was the manner in which the Passover lambs were killed at the temple. In Verse 16 we read, “And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God....” Since there are no instructions in the law of Moses concerning the killing of Passover lambs at the tabernacle or temple, it is evident that the priests and Levites were in their proper places at the altar for serving according to God’s commands for peace offerings. The details that are given in the account of Hezekiah’s Passover clearly show that the priests and Levites were following the instructions for the offering of a peace offering when they killed the Passover lambs at the temple. As we read in Verse 16, “...the priests sprinkled the blood [against the altar], from the hand of the Levites.” This was the exact manner in which peace offerings were sacrificed, as recorded in Leviticus 3:6-8.

Here is the procedure that was carried out at the temple for the sacrifice of the Passover lambs: The man who brought the lamb to the temple would himself kill the lamb by slitting its throat. The Levites in attendance would catch the blood in a bowl and pass it to the priest, who would sprinkle it against the base of the altar of burnt offerings. This was the usual procedure for the temple sacrifice of the Passover lambs, as verified by historical records of the temple service. However, the account in II Chronicles 30 records that at the first temple observance of the Passover in Hezekiah’s day, the Levites themselves killed many of the Passover lambs. In Verse 17 we read, “For many in the congregation were not sanctified. And the Levites were over the killing the Passover lambs for everyone who was not clean...”

Because many of the people were ceremonially unclean, they were forbidden by God’s laws to eat the Passover. But God graciously overlooked their uncleanness and allowed them to partake of it: “For many of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, but did eat the Passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, ‘May the good LORD pardon everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.’ And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people. And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness...” (verses 18-21).

Let’s analyze the major differences between Hezekiah’s Passover and the first observance of the Passover by the children of Israel, which took place 777 years earlier:

As stated earlier, this Passover in the days of King Hezekiah is the first record in Scripture of a Passover being sacrificed at the temple in Jerusalem. Most certainly, the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were kept by David, and by Solomon before he turned his back on God and did evil. Yet the Scriptures do not record any observance of the Passover at the temple during the reigns of David and Solomon. Neither is there any Scriptural record of a Passover being kept at the tabernacle in Shiloh, before the temple was built. The account of Hezekiah’s Passover is the first record of a centralized Passover observance in all the history of Israel and Judah! Though it was a Passover to God, it was observed in an entirely different manner than God had commanded in the ordinances in Exodus 12.

When we understand the idolatrous history of Israel and Judah, it is evident that Hezekiah instituted the temple-centered Passover because the people could not be trusted to keep the Passover at home. They had strayed far from God and had rejected His commandments and laws, and they were so steeped in Baal and Asherah worship that it was not feasible to allow them to keep a domestic Passover. The only place that they could be trusted to keep the Passover to honor God, and not pollute it with Baal and Asherah worship, was in Jerusalem under the strict supervision of the king, the priests and the Levites. Although this temple-centered Passover did not conform to the Passover commands in Exodus 12, it was necessary for the children of Israel and Judah to keep the Passover in this manner to ensure the worship of the true God and to prevent the Passover from being polluted with pagan practices.

Ezra’s account in II Chronicles 30 shows that God accepted this temple- centered Passover, although it was contrary to the ordinances that He had established, because of the prayers of Hezekiah and the repentance of the people. But God’s acceptance of this Passover does not mean that He intended this type of Passover to replace the domestic Passover. The commands for the domestic observance of the Passover, as recorded in Exodus 12, were still in effect. Consider this: If the ordinances of the Passover were not in effect at that time, there would have been no need for Hezekiah to pray for forgiveness for those who ate the Passover contrary to God’s requirements. God’s acceptance of this Passover did not nullify the commands that He gave to the children of Israel in Egypt. These commands were established by God as lasting ordinances for the observance of the Passover.

The temple-centered observance of the Passover was a result of the degenerate spiritual condition of the people. The people had descended to the depths of idolatry during the reigns of the wicked kings of Israel and Judah, and the land was filled with pagan abominations. It is likely that God would soon have banished these idolatrous people to captivity at the hands of their enemies if righteous King Hezekiah had not begun his reforms. Although the temple-centered Passover that was instituted by Hezekiah was a necessity, it did not change the Passover ordinances of God.

The observance of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Jerusalem during Hezekiah’s reign was without precedent. This was the first time that the Passover had been kept at the temple! It was also the first time in many years that the Feast of Unleavened Bread had been observed in Jerusalem, as the Scriptures record:

“And they ate the appointed things seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers. And the whole congregation took counsel to keep another seven days. And they kept another seven days with gladness....And there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel, there was nothing like this in Jerusalem” (II Chron. 30:22-26).

Hezekiah’s revival of the worship of God at the temple led to a great destruction of pagan images and the elimination of idolatrous worship during his reign: “And when all this was finished [the Passover and the extended observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread], all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, also in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, each to his possession, into their own cities” (II Chron. 31:1).

It may seem surprising that the account of Hezekiah’s life in II Kings 18-20 makes no mention of this epochal Passover. However, it is explained by the fact that the two books of Kings did not have the same author as the books of I and II Chronicles. While Ezra wrote the books of Chronicles, he only edited I and II Kings as he was compiling and canonizing the Old Testament. Because the books of Chronicles were recorded much later than the books of Kings, they give us a different perspective of the history of Israel and Judah. Ezra’s account of Hezekiah’s Passover in II Chronicles 30 is the first record of a temple-centered Passover in all the years of Old Testament history. Later, we will see that Ezra had a great deal to do with institutionalizing the temple observance of the Passover.

In Chapter Thirteen, we will continue to study the Scriptural records of the observance of the Passover, and we will learn more about the change from a domestic Passover to a temple-centered Passover. We will learn why Josiah, who became king of Judah seventy-five years after Hezekiah, commanded a temple observance of the Passover during his reign.

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