2 Chronicles 30:1
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 unto the LORD God of Israel. 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 unto the LORD God of Israel.
Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh in particular, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to keep the Passover unto the Lord God of Israel. The invitation sought to revive the ancient custom of gathering together at Jerusalem for the Passover, a national festival that had not been kept in the prescribed way for a long time and had become difficult to hold after the kingdom divided. The decision followed the good beginning made in purifying the temple and was part of the reforms in the temple service, growing into a broader movement in which Israel as well as Judah took part, driven by zeal to make the restored services a real blessing to the people.
Faithful observance of the statutes given through Moses, especially those in the book of the covenant in Deuteronomy, marked Hezekiah's prosperous reign. The Passover connected with this invitation was an occasion for renewing worship, when provision was made for teaching priests to read the book of the law publicly each day so the people could receive its instruction. The invitation offered the northern kingdom an opportunity to turn from idolatry before its destruction, urging the people to return to God with the promise that He would show mercy to the remnant and would not turn away from those who returned to Him. The chapter beginning with this invitation serves as a call for God's people in the present to give themselves wholly to the Lord, a call to which people of all ages responded.