What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 35:1? Then Josiah kept the Passover • Passover was ordained in Exodus 12:1-14 as a memorial of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt—an observance meant to be perpetual (Exodus 12:17). • By Josiah’s day, the nation had drifted; earlier kings neglected or corrupted worship (2 Kings 21:1-9). Josiah’s revival included restoring the temple (2 Chronicles 34:8-13) and recovering the Book of the Law (2 Chronicles 34:14-19). • Keeping the Passover demonstrates Josiah’s wholehearted response to God’s Word (2 Chronicles 34:31-33). Obedience wasn’t partial or symbolic; it was full-scale, returning Israel to covenant faithfulness just as Moses commanded (Deuteronomy 16:1-8). to the LORD • Passover was not a cultural festival but an act of worship “to the LORD.” Its purpose was to honor Him as Redeemer (Exodus 12:27). • Josiah directs the nation’s focus upward, away from idols (2 Chronicles 34:3-7). True renewal always centers on the Lord Himself, not on mere ritual (1 Samuel 15:22; Isaiah 1:11-17). in Jerusalem • God chose Jerusalem as the place for His name to dwell (Deuteronomy 12:5-7; 2 Chronicles 6:6). Centralizing worship safeguarded purity and unity. • Earlier, Hezekiah invited all Israel to a Passover in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:1-5). Josiah’s celebration follows that pattern, reinforcing that worship is on God’s terms, not human convenience (John 4:24). and the Passover lamb was slaughtered • The lamb was a substitutionary sacrifice, its blood protecting Israelites from judgment in Egypt (Exodus 12:13). Each Passover re-enacted God’s saving act. • Slaughtering the lamb underscored sin’s penalty—death—and foreshadowed the ultimate Lamb of God who takes away sin (John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7). • Josiah ensured priestly order and Levite assistance so the ritual conformed precisely to the Law (2 Chronicles 35:2-6), showing that worship must match God’s revealed pattern (Leviticus 10:1-3). on the fourteenth day of the first month • This date was explicitly commanded (Exodus 12:6; Leviticus 23:5). Earlier reforms held Passover in the second month because priests were unprepared (2 Chronicles 30:2-3). By Josiah’s time, preparation was complete, allowing celebration at the exact appointed time. • Obedience includes timing. Delayed or altered worship, though sometimes necessary, is not the ideal. Josiah’s punctual observance signals restored alignment with God’s calendar (Numbers 9:1-5). summary Josiah’s Passover in 2 Chronicles 35:1 showcases wholehearted obedience to God’s revealed Word. The king restores the covenant festival exactly as commanded—honoring the LORD, centralizing worship in Jerusalem, offering the prescribed sacrifice, and keeping the precise date. His actions highlight that true reform is measured by conformity to Scripture, pointing forward to Christ, the ultimate Passover Lamb whose blood secures eternal deliverance. |
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