2 Chronicles 30:13-27 (October 22, 2025)

2 Chronicles 30:13 And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great assembly. 14 They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away and threw into the brook Kidron. 15 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, so that they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the Lord. 16 They took their accustomed posts according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests threw the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves. Therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to consecrate it to the Lord. 18 For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon everyone 19 who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness.”[a] 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 21 And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with all their might[b] to the Lord. 22 And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the Lord. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

23 Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with gladness. 24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And the priests consecrated themselves in great numbers. 25 The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who lived in Judah, rejoiced. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven.

Joy Restored: When the Heart Returns to True Worship

SUMMARY

After years of idolatry and national division, “a very great assembly gathered at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread” (v. 13). This gathering was more than a ceremony. It was a miracle of mercy. Hezekiah had sent letters “throughout all Israel and Judah” inviting even the survivors of the northern kingdom to return to the Lord and come to Jerusalem for the Passover (vv. 1–6). Many mocked, but some humbled themselves and came (vv. 10–11).

The first act of renewal was repentance:

Yet not all were ceremonially clean, and Hezekiah prayed.

God heard and healed His people (v. 20).

The celebration overflowed with joy. For seven days, the Levites and priests praised the Lord with all their might, and the people rejoiced so greatly that they extended the feast another seven days (vv. 21–23). The chronicler concludes,

This was not merely a revival of ritual but a rebirth of relationship. This was a second chance for a divided, broken people to return to the God who never gave up on them.

WHO IS GOD?

God reveals Himself as the gracious Redeemer who delights in giving second chances. Through Hezekiah’s invitation, He extends mercy even to the northern tribes who had forsaken the covenant and were under Assyrian judgment. His heart echoes through the king’s letter: “Return to the Lord… that He may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped” (v. 6).

This same compassion defines God throughout Scripture. He is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Exodus 34:6). He does not treat His people according to their failures but according to His covenant mercy (Psalm 103:10–12). Even when we are faithless, He remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13).

Hezekiah’s prayer, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God” (v. 18), captures the essence of His character. The Lord’s goodness overrules human inadequacy. The God of Jerusalem is not merely the God of ritual precision but the God of repentance, who hears prayer, heals the broken, and rejoices to restore joy.

WHAT IS OUR GUILT?

Our guilt lies in how easily we turn worship into a habit while our hearts drift from holiness. Like the northern tribes, we often choose convenience over covenant—seeking spiritual satisfaction apart from God’s appointed way. The altars of the north had replaced the true temple. In our day, our “altars” are often self-reliance, financial freedom, reputation, or accomplishments. These are all good things, but they are never to replace our true worship.

The Chronicler records how the people came to the feast “without having cleansed themselves” (v. 18). This vivid image illustrates our tendency to approach God outwardly while remaining inwardly unrepentant. The prophets condemned this false piety: “This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8).

But guilt is not only a failure of ritual. It is forgetfulness of grace. God had given Israel a covenant of mercy, yet they turned it into a lifeless system. We, too, forget that worship is not a performance to impress God but a response to His redeeming love. The first step toward revival, then, is to cast down our modern idols into the Kidron. What comes to our minds? What do we need to tear away that keeps us from wholehearted devotion?

HOW DOES GRACE SHINE?

Grace shines as God’s invitation to the undeserving—a divine second chance offered to those who thought it was too late. The northern kingdom had fallen, its cities destroyed and people exiled. Yet God’s mercy reached even to the remnant: “Return to the Lord… that He may turn again to you” (v. 6). Some mocked (v. 10), but grace found those whose hearts were tender (v. 11).

This grace not only pardoned but healed.

Here, healing is more than physical—it is covenantal restoration, a renewal of communion with God. These points forward to Christ, our true Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), who intercedes for the unclean and makes them whole. Like Hezekiah, He prays for His people:

Grace also unites what sin divides. People from both Judah and the north gathered as one before the altar in Jerusalem. In Christ, God fulfills this vision:

Grace bridges hostility and builds communion.

Finally, grace restores joy. Their feast lasted fourteen days because joy overflowed from forgiveness (vv. 23, 26). True joy is not found in perfection but in pardon—in knowing that God has welcomed us home for a second time. As Peter wrote,

"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,” (1 Peter 1:8).

The gospel is God’s great second chance, not because we deserve another opportunity, but because Christ has secured it with His blood. Every communion table, every gathering of believers, is a quiet echo of that ancient Passover: once lost, now found; once divided, now one.

APPLICATION

God’s grace always gives more than one chance. When He restores our hearts, joy follows repentance. We, like Hezekiah, must be willing to pray for those who come unprepared, intercede for one another, and welcome back those who’ve drifted. Revival begins when the church invites the wounded and the wayward to come home, to the Lord who still pardons, heals, and unites.

Let us cleanse the altars of self-promotion, seek the Lord with renewed hearts, and rejoice in the God who delights to restore.

PRAYER

Father, thank you for being the God of second chances. We were like the scattered tribes—divided, unclean, and unworthy—yet you called us back through your Son. Cleanse our hearts from every idol and renew our joy in your presence. Unite your church as one family around the Lamb who was slain. May our worship overflow with gratitude for grace that always restores.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Additional Notes:

Event Approx. Year BC Key Reference

Fall of Samaria / Northern Kingdom 722 2 Kings 17:1–6

Hezekiah begins reign (co-regency with Ahaz) 729 2 Kings 18:1

Sole reign begins (death of Ahaz) 715 2 Kings 18:1–2

Great Passover in Jerusalem 715 2 Chron 30