One Year Chronological Bible Sampler - Flipbook - Page 5
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JULY 1
LORD.” So the people brought their sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings, and all
whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings, too. 32 The people brought to
the LORD 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 male lambs for burnt offerings. 33 They also
brought 600 cattle and 3,000 sheep and goats as sacred offerings.
34
But there were too few priests to prepare all the burnt offerings. So their relatives the Levites helped them until the work was finished and more priests had
been purified, for the Levites had been more conscientious about purifying
themselves than the priests had been. 35 There was an abundance of burnt offerings, along with the usual liquid offerings, and a great deal of fat from the many
peace offerings.
So the Temple of the LORD was restored to service. 36And Hezekiah and all the
people rejoiced because of what God had done for the people, for everything had
been accomplished so quickly.
Preparations for Passover / 2 Chronicles 30:1-9 / 716 BC
King Hezekiah now sent word to all Israel and Judah, and he wrote letters of
invitation to the people of Ephraim and Manasseh. He asked everyone to come
to the Temple of the LORD at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the LORD,
the God of Israel. 2 The king, his officials, and all the community of Jerusalem
decided to celebrate Passover a month later than usual.* 3 They were unable to
celebrate it at the prescribed time because not enough priests could be purified
by then, and the people had not yet assembled at Jerusalem.
4
This plan for keeping the Passover seemed right to the king and all the people. 5So they sent a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba in the
south to Dan in the north, inviting everyone to come to Jerusalem to celebrate
the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel. The people had not been celebrating
it in great numbers as required in the Law.
6
At the king’s command, runners were sent throughout Israel and Judah.
They carried letters that said:
1
“O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,*
so that he will return to the few of us who have survived the conquest of the
Assyrian kings. 7 Do not be like your ancestors and relatives who abandoned
the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and became an object of derision, as you
yourselves can see. 8Do not be stubborn, as they were, but submit yourselves
to the LORD. Come to his Temple, which he has set apart as holy forever.
Worship the LORD your God so that his fierce anger will turn away from you.
9
“For if you return to the LORD, your relatives and your children will be
treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this
land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him,
he will not continue to turn his face from you.”
Celebration of Passover / 2 Chronicles 30:10-27 / 716 BC
The runners went from town to town throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and
as far as the territory of Zebulun. But most of the people just laughed at the runners and made fun of them. 11However, some people from Asher, Manasseh, and
Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.
10
30:2 Hebrew in the second month. Passover was normally observed in the first month (of the ancient Hebrew lunar
calendar). 30:6 Israel is the name that God gave to Jacob.
