What connections exist between 2 Chronicles 35:16 and the Passover's significance in Exodus? Setting the Scene—Two Passovers, One Story • Exodus 12 reveals the very first Passover, instituted on the night God struck down Egypt’s firstborn and liberated Israel. • Centuries later, 2 Chronicles 35:16 records: “So on that day everything was arranged for the service of the LORD, to celebrate the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to the command of King Josiah.” • The chronicler intentionally links Josiah’s celebration back to the original deliverance, showing God’s redemptive thread running unbroken through time. Shared Core Themes • Deliverance – Exodus 12:13: “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” – Josiah’s Passover recalls that same saving act; the people remember they exist only because the Lord once “passed over” them. • Blood and Substitution – In both scenes the lamb’s blood shields from judgment (Exodus 12:7; 2 Chronicles 35:11). – The altar sacrifices reinforce that innocent life must be given so the guilty may go free, prefiguring the ultimate sacrifice of Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7). • Covenant Faithfulness – Exodus establishes Israel as God’s covenant people (Exodus 12:42). – Josiah renews that covenant by returning to the precise commands “written in the Book of Moses” (2 Chronicles 35:6). • Memorial and Teaching – Exodus 12:26-27: “When your children ask… you are to reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD…’” – Josiah involves “all Judah and Israel who were present” (v. 17), ensuring the next generation learns the story. Priests and Levites—Stewards of Continuity • In Exodus the heads of households slaughter the lambs, but the priesthood is later formalized (Exodus 28-29). • Josiah’s reform fully engages priests and Levites: – They stand “in their divisions” (2 Chronicles 35:15). – They hand the blood to one another for sprinkling (v. 11), highlighting orderly obedience. • Result: a visible chain from Moses and Aaron straight to Josiah’s day, underscoring God’s orderly worship. National Renewal Through Obedience • Exodus’ Passover births a nation; Josiah’s Passover revives a nation that had drifted into idolatry (2 Kings 23:4-14). • The chronicler notes this feast surpassed anything “since the days of Samuel the prophet” (2 Chronicles 35:18). • Obedience to God’s Word restores unity, identity, and blessing—then and now. From Egypt to Josiah—God’s Unbroken Narrative 1. Oppression → deliverance (Exodus 1-12) 2. Apostasy → repentance (2 Chronicles 34) 3. Blood of lambs → protection (both accounts) 4. National birth → national re-commitment 5. Looking forward → looking back, yet also forward to Messiah Foreshadowing the Greater Passover • Exodus points ahead; Josiah looks back and again points ahead. • Isaiah 53 speaks of the Suffering Servant “like a lamb led to the slaughter.” • John 1:29 identifies Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” • Each Passover rehearsal deepens anticipation for the Lamb whose once-for-all sacrifice secures eternal deliverance (Hebrews 9:11-12). Takeaway Connections • God’s acts in history are consistent; He delivers the same way—through a spotless substitute. • Remembering and obeying God’s Word rekindles life and purity in any generation. • Every Passover, from Egypt to Josiah to the cross, showcases one storyline: sinners rescued by the blood provided by a gracious, covenant-keeping God. |
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