How does Josiah's observance connect with Exodus 12's original Passover instructions? Setting the Scene: Josiah’s Passover (2 Chronicles 35:19) • “In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, this Passover was observed.” • After rediscovering the Book of the Law (34:14-19), Josiah realigns Judah with God’s covenant, and the Passover becomes the capstone of that renewal. Echoes of Exodus 12 in Josiah’s Celebration Josiah’s feast consciously mirrors the very first Passover. Notice the parallels: • Same feast, same God, same covenant purpose—remembering deliverance by the blood of the lamb. • The king follows “the word of the LORD through Moses” (35:6), anchoring everything to the original instructions. Alignments in Date and Timing • Exodus 12:6 – “Keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month.” • 2 Chronicles 35:1 – “They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month.” Exactly the day God set, preserved centuries later. Sacrificial Details and Blood Application • Exodus 12:5 – “Your lamb shall be without blemish.” Josiah supplies 30,000 lambs and kids (35:7), ensuring plenty of spotless animals. • Exodus 12:7 vs. 2 Chronicles 35:11: the blood is now sprinkled by priests on the altar rather than on doorposts. The shift reflects Deuteronomy 16:5-7’s central-sanctuary command, yet still proclaims salvation by shed blood. • Exodus 12:8-9 – meat roasted with fire. 2 Chronicles 35:13 – “They roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the regulation.” Exact compliance. Removal of Leaven and Purity • Exodus 12:15 – “Remove the leaven from your houses.” • Though 2 Chronicles 35 doesn’t detail the leaven, Deuteronomy 16:3-4 ties it to Passover at the sanctuary. Josiah’s emphasis on priestly consecration (35:6) and celebration of Unleavened Bread (35:17) shows the cleansing element was observed. Leadership Under the Word • Exodus 12:25-27 – fathers explain the meaning to their children. • Josiah, as covenant head, gathers “all Judah and Israel” (35:18) and personally directs the priests and Levites (35:2-6). The same principle of godly leadership guiding families in worship is on display. Community Participation and Readiness • Exodus 12:11 – “Belt fastened… staff in hand.” Readiness to follow God. • 2 Chronicles 35:4 – Levites “stand in the holy place according to the divisions.” The whole nation is mobilized, prepared, and united in obedience. Continuity of Covenant Faithfulness • Exodus 12:14 – “This day will be a memorial to you for the generations to come.” • 2 Chronicles 35:18 – “No such Passover had been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet.” Josiah’s generation grabs hold of an ancient command and keeps it alive. Looking Forward to the Greater Passover • Exodus 12 sets the pattern. • Josiah preserves the pattern. • Christ fulfills the pattern: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) • Jesus celebrates Passover with His disciples (Luke 22:15-20) and reveals its ultimate meaning in His own blood, completing the line that runs from Exodus 12 through 2 Chronicles 35 all the way to Calvary. Josiah’s observance is thus a faithful reenactment of Exodus 12, proving that God’s instructions stand unchanged and trustworthy, while pointing ahead to the perfect, once-for-all Passover in Christ. |
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