FRAMEWORKS:
2 Chronicles 35: Josiah's Passover, and end
[Introductory
Notes: Much of this
chapter is about Josiah's ongoing spiritual restoration activities
[v.1-19]. Sadly, misguidedly, Josiah [perhaps feeling insecure]
gets involved in a battle on his borders with Egypt, where he
is mortally wounded. It was clearly an unnecessary death.]
v.1,2
Josiah establishes the Passover celebration
v.1
Josiah
celebrated the Passover to the Lord
in Jerusalem,
and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of
the first month.
v.2
He
appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the
service of the Lord's
temple.
v.3-6
He instructs the Levites
v.
3
He
said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been
consecrated to the Lord:
‘Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king
of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders.
Now serve the Lord
your God and
his people Israel.
v.4
Prepare
yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the instructions
written by David king of Israel and by his son Solomon.
v.5
‘Stand
in the holy place with a group of Levites for each sub-division
of the families of your fellow Israelites, the lay people.
v.6
Slaughter
the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves and prepare the lambs
for your fellow Israelites, doing what the Lord
commanded
through Moses.'
v.7-9
The contributions for the Passover
v.7
Josiah
provided for all the lay people who were there a total of thirty
thousand lambs and goats for the Passover offerings, and also
three thousand cattle – all from the king's own possessions.
v.8
His
officials also contributed voluntarily to the people and the priests
and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel, the officials in charge
of God's temple, gave the priests two thousand six hundred Passover
offerings and three hundred cattle.
v.9
Also
Konaniah along with Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah,
Jeiel and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, provided five thousand
Passover offerings and five hundred head of cattle for the Levites.
v.10-14
The appropriate sacrifices and offerings made
v.10
The
service was arranged and the priests stood in their places with
the Levites in their divisions as the king had ordered.
v.11
The
Passover lambs were slaughtered, and the priests splashed against
the altar the blood handed to them, while the Levites skinned
the animals.
v.12
They
set aside the burnt offerings to give them to the sub-divisions
of the families of the people to offer to the Lord
, as it is
written in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle.
v.13
They
roasted the Passover animals over the fire as prescribed, and
boiled the holy offerings in pots, cauldrons and pans and served
them quickly to all the people.
v.14
After
this, they made preparations for themselves and for the priests,
because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were sacrificing
the burnt offerings and the fat portions until nightfall. So the
Levites made preparations for themselves and for the Aaronic priests.
v.15-17
The musicians lead the celebrations
v.15
The
musicians, the descendants of Asaph, were in the places prescribed
by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun the king's seer. The gatekeepers
at each gate did not need to leave their posts, because their
fellow Levites made the preparations for them.
v.16
So
at that time the entire service of the Lord
was carried
out for the celebration of the Passover and the offering of burnt
offerings on the altar of the Lord,
as King Josiah had ordered.
v.17
The
Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time
and observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.
v.18,19
The fame of this Passover
v.18
The
Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days
of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever
celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah, with the priests, the
Levites and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people
of Jerusalem.
v.19
This
Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign.
v.20-24
The folly & death of Josiah
v.20
After
all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Necho king
of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and
Josiah marched out to meet him in battle.
v.21
But
Necho sent messengers to him saying, ‘What quarrel is there, king
of Judah, between you and me? It is not you I am attacking at
this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told
me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will
destroy you.'
v.22
Josiah,
however, would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to
engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Necho had said
at God's command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo.
v.23
Archers
shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, ‘Take me away; I am
badly wounded.'
v.24
So
they took him out of his chariot, put him in his other chariot
and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in
the tombs of his ancestors, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned
for him.
v.25-27
Finale for Josiah
v.25
Jeremiah
composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the male and
female singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became
a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments.
v.26
The
other events of Josiah's reign and his acts of devotion in accordance
with what is written in the Law of the Lord
–
v.27
all
the events, from beginning to end, are written in the book of
the kings of Israel and Judah.
Continue
to Ch.36