What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 35:11? They slaughtered the Passover lambs “They slaughtered the Passover lambs” (2 Chronicles 35:11) opens a vivid window into Josiah’s great Passover celebration. The statement is straightforward and historical—real animals, real priests, real worshipers. Three truths surface: • Obedience to God’s command. Passover was instituted in Exodus 12:21–27 as a perpetual ordinance; Josiah’s generation was taking that command literally, just as Deuteronomy 16:1-2 required. • Remembrance of redemption. Each lamb recalled the night the Lord “passed over” Israel’s homes in Egypt (Exodus 12:13), sparing them through the blood of a substitute. • Anticipation of the ultimate Lamb. By following the original pattern so precisely, the worshipers unknowingly pointed forward to the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), and to the truth that “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Priests splattered the blood handed to them “While the priests splattered the blood handed to them” (2 Chronicles 35:11) highlights the priests’ unique role. • Blood and atonement. Leviticus 17:11 explains that “the life of the flesh is in the blood … it is the blood that makes atonement.” The priests, acting as mediators, applied the blood to the altar (cf. 2 Chronicles 29:22), symbolizing substitutionary atonement. • Proper order. Only Aaron’s descendants could handle the sacrificial blood (Numbers 18:7). Josiah’s revival honored that design, restoring reverence to worship. • Foreshadowing the cross. Hebrews 9:22 reminds us, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” The priests’ sprinkling action prefigured the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, whose blood “cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Levites skinned the animals “And the Levites skinned the animals” (2 Chronicles 35:11) shows the supportive ministry of the wider Levitical tribe. • Shared service. Numbering far more than the priests, Levites provided essential labor when offerings were numerous (2 Chronicles 29:34). Their skinning ensured the meat could be roasted quickly for the communal meal (Exodus 12:8-10). • God-given assignment. Numbers 8:19 states that Levites were given “to do the work of the tent of meeting” so that Israel would not bear the guilt of approaching the sanctuary incorrectly. • Lesson in teamwork. The priests could not have managed thousands of lambs alone (note the lavish contributions in 2 Chronicles 35:7-9). Worship flourished because every servant embraced his God-appointed place. summary 2 Chronicles 35:11 records more than ritual detail; it pictures a nation returning to wholehearted, ordered, obedient worship. Slaughtering the lambs recalls God’s past deliverance, sprinkling the blood underscores atonement through substitution, and skinning the animals displays humble, coordinated service. Together these actions foreshadow the perfect Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, whose shed blood secures eternal redemption for all who trust Him. |
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