How does 2 Kings 23:23 connect to Exodus 12 regarding the Passover? Opening snapshot of the two passages • 2 Kings 23:23 – “But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the LORD in Jerusalem.” • Exodus 12:14 – “This day is to be a memorial for you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; as a permanent statute for the generations to come you shall celebrate it.” Original blueprint: what Exodus 12 establishes • The LORD commands each household to sacrifice an unblemished lamb, apply its blood to the doorposts, and eat it in haste (12:3-11). • Judgment passes over every house marked by the blood (12:13). • Israel is delivered from bondage that very night (12:29-42). • God makes the celebration a “permanent statute” (12:14, 24-27). • The timing is fixed: the evening of the 14th day of the first month (12:6, 18). A lost practice recovered: what happens in 2 Kings 23 • Judah had drifted into idolatry and neglected the Law. • The “Book of the Law” is rediscovered in the temple (22:8-13). • King Josiah renews covenant obedience, removes idols, and commands that the Passover be kept exactly as written (23:21-22). • Verse 23 culminates the effort: the nation gathers in Jerusalem for a Passover like none since the days of the judges. Key connections between Exodus 12 and 2 Kings 23:23 • Same divine authority: Josiah’s Passover is grounded in the written command first given in Exodus 12. • Same date: 14th day of the first month (cf. 2 Chronicles 35:1 affirms the timing). • Same focus on the lamb: priests and Levites slaughtered the Passover offerings “to the LORD” (23:21; Exodus 12:5-7). • Same covenant memory: both events commemorate God’s redemption—first from Egypt, later from spiritual drift (23:25). • Nationwide participation: in Exodus every household; in Josiah’s day, “all Judah and Jerusalem” (23:21). • Emphasis on purity: Exodus demands unleavened bread; Josiah removes every trace of idolatry before celebrating (23:4-20). • Fulfillment of “permanent statute”: 2 Kings 23:23 shows the enduring, literal validity of Exodus 12:14. Why the connection matters • Scripture’s authority remains unchanged across centuries; when rediscovered, it still binds God’s people (Psalm 119:89). • The Passover keeps pointing to redemption by substitutionary blood, foreshadowing Christ—“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7; cf. John 1:29). • Josiah’s reform demonstrates that genuine revival roots itself in returning to the written Word and obeying it exactly. Takeaways for today • Keep Scripture central; when the Word is neglected, renewal begins by reopening the Book. • Celebrate redemption: remember and proclaim what the Lord has done, just as Israel did. • Eliminate competing loyalties: Josiah purged idols before observing Passover; we guard our hearts from modern idols (1 John 5:21). • Look to the greater Passover: Exodus 12 and 2 Kings 23 both direct us to Jesus, who accomplishes the ultimate deliverance (Luke 22:15-20). |
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