How does Josiah's Passover connect with the Passover in Exodus 12? Setting the Scene in 2 Chronicles 35:18 “No such Passover had ever been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet; none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did, together with the priests, the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, along with the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 35:18) Passover Roots in Exodus 12 • Exodus 12 records the very first Passover on the eve of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. • God’s instructions were precise: – “On the tenth day of this month each man must take a lamb for his family.” (v. 3) – “Keep it until the fourteenth day.” (v. 6) – “They are to eat the meat that night, roasted over the fire… with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.” (v. 8) – The blood on the doorframes caused the LORD to “pass over” and spare the firstborn. (v. 13) Shared Core Elements Despite the centuries between them, Josiah’s Passover mirrors Exodus 12 in key ways: • Same calendar date—fourteenth day of the first month (2 Chronicles 35:1; Exodus 12:6). • Central figure of the lamb—“they slaughtered the Passover lambs” (2 Chronicles 35:11). • Removal of leaven—implicit in 2 Chronicles 35 through strict adherence to the Law, explicit in Exodus 12:15. • Community-wide participation—whole nation involved in both settings. Expanded yet Faithful Observance under Josiah What changed? • Location shifted from private homes (Exodus 12) to the temple in Jerusalem, fulfilling Deuteronomy 16:2: “You must sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God at the place He will choose.” • Priestly mediation increased. Fathers applied blood in Egypt; priests and Levites now conducted sacrifices and handled blood (2 Chronicles 35:10–11). • Scale exploded. Josiah provided: – 30,000 lambs and kids – 3,000 cattle (v. 7) Hezekiah’s earlier revival (2 Chronicles 30) was large, yet Josiah eclipsed it. • Cleanness emphasized. Priests “consecrated themselves and stood in their posts” (v. 14), reflecting Numbers 9:6–13. Theological Threads That Tie the Two Feasts Together • Redemption remembered—both feasts commemorate deliverance: Egypt then, covenant renewal under Josiah now. • Covenant loyalty—obedience to God’s detailed commands reveals love for the Redeemer (John 14:15). • Anticipation of a greater Passover—“Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The blood on doorposts foreshadows Christ’s blood; the temple sacrifices prefigure the cross. • Revival through the Word—Josiah’s Passover followed the rediscovery of the Book of the Law (2 Chronicles 34:14–19), proving that genuine revival springs from Scripture, just as the inaugural Passover sprang from God’s spoken word to Moses. Practical Takeaways for Today • God honors meticulous obedience; details matter because they reveal His character. • Corporate worship should flow from personal devotion—household obedience in Exodus, national obedience in Chronicles. • Scripture is timeless; what God commanded in Exodus still shaped a nation centuries later and continues to instruct believers now. |
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