Read 2 Chronicles 35
Josiah Keeps the Passover
35 Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem. And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord. 3 And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. 4 Prepare yourselves according to your fathers’ houses by your divisions, as prescribed in the writing of David king of Israel and the document of Solomon his son. 5 And stand in the Holy Place according to the groupings of the fathers’ houses of your brothers the lay people, and according to the division of the Levites by fathers’ household. 6 And slaughter the Passover lamb, and consecrate yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of the Lord by Moses.”
7 Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, as Passover offerings for all who were present, lambs and young goats from the flock to the number of 30,000, and 3,000 bulls; these were from the king’s possessions. 8 And his officials contributed willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the chief officers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 bulls.9 Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 bulls.
10 When the service had been prepared for, the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their divisions according to the king’s command. 11 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests threw the blood that they received from them while the Levites flayed the sacrifices. 12 And they set aside the burnt offerings that they might distribute them according to the groupings of the fathers’ houses of the lay people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the Book of Moses. And so they did with the bulls. 13 And they roasted the Passover lamb with fire according to the rule; and they boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the lay people. 14 And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat parts until night; so the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to depart from their service, for their brothers the Levites prepared for them.
16 So all the service of the Lord was prepared that day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, according to the command of King Josiah. 17 And the people of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days.18 No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.
Josiah Killed in Battle
20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. 21 But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” 22 Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. 23 And the archers shot King Josiah. And the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.”24 So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.25 Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his good deeds according to what is written in the Law of the Lord, 27 and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
Go Deeper
This chapter, the next to last in 2 Chronicles, is one of mixed emotions. We read of the celebratory Passover dinner, which was well attended by people from both the north and south. Every detail in the Law was accounted for and God was honored through their celebration. The reign of Josiah was still going strong! He was righting the wrongs of so many of his predecessors and he was one of the most faithful kings in all of Judah’s history. But then, a sudden downturn.
A battle broke out and Josiah decided to insert himself into it, even though Neco (the king of Egypt) warned him against participating on God’s behalf (v. 21). For whatever reason, Josiah trusted his own instincts and impulses instead of trusting the message God has sent him through Neco. Josiah even went so far as to disguise himself so he could participate in the battle. As a result, Josiah was taken down in the battle by an archer. All of a sudden, the reign of this faithful king was over in a fateful moment.
The end of the passage ends in mourning. All of Judah and Jerusalem were grieving the loss of the king, as well as the prophet Jeremiah (v. 24-25). The Chronicler makes a point of mentioning just how grieved everyone was. This is a testament to Josiah’s faithfulness as their ruler. By seeking the heart of God during his reign as king, God’s blessing was on Josiah’s reign. As a result, the people prospered. It was clear that the Lord rewarded Josiah’s righteousness and faithfulness, which is consistent with God’s character (1 Samuel 26:23).
Reading this passage, it is hard to not feel a tinge of sorrow for the way Josiah’s reign ended. As we have read through 2 Chronicles, we have read of so many wicked and unrighteous kings. Josiah was one of the good guys! This passage serves as a reminder to always test our motives alongside God’s Word. While Josiah had Neco bring him a message on God’s behalf, we have the benefit of having the Holy Spirit inside of us and God’s Word to test our motives. If our hearts aren’t aligned with God’s heart, we will ultimately pursue our own desires and fall short, just as Josiah did.
Questions
- What stuck out to you as you first read through this chapter? Why?
- Why was the Passover so significant to King Josiah? What was the importance of it being so perfect?
- The end of Josiah’s reign was ultimately a result of his poor choices. What can you proactively do to ensure that you will finish well?
A Quote
Pastor and author Tim Keller, who passed away in 2023, is a great example of finishing well. Here are the last words he said as he went to be with Jesus:
“I’m thankful for all the people who’ve prayed for me over the years. I’m thankful for my family that loves me. I’m thankful for the time God has given me, but I’m ready to see Jesus. I can’t wait to see Jesus. Send me home.”
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4 thoughts on “2 Chronicles 35”
As we read narratives of multiple kings, Josiah is in a class of his own. Scripture records that he:
•did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight
•did not turn aside from doing right
•purified the land of Judah from shrines, poles & idols
•repaired the temple of the Lord
•owned the sin of his people exposed in God’s law
•celebrated the Passover like no other king
And yet there is a dreaded “but” in his story. King Josiah mistakenly ignored a message from God delivered through a pagan king, and that cost him his life. It seems Josiah may have acted impulsively and failed to consult God in this matter. As in all of scripture, this one points to our desperate need of a Savior. Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” There is none righteous but One, the holy, sinless, son of God who takes away our sins.
The highs and lows of life are in this chapter. This was a remarkable feast that happened EXACTLY as it was supposed to due to some really good planning skills. Josiah gave an abundance of his abundance in order for everyone to have what they needed. This was good in the sense that it was so well orchestrated and bad in that each family did not have the responsibility to be prepared and it was taken care of for them. Is this where entitlement started? I am sure not but it is a thought.
Then the low happened when Josiah decided that a pagan man couldn’t possibly speak to him about God. BUT GOD could use a billboard if He wanted. Josiah should have prayed about what was said to him, it happens all the time, right? Our should-a, would-a, could-a’s, if only we had dot dot dot. If we pray and seek God in some or all situations then our job is to listen even when it is from the mouth of an unbeliever or a billboard, we need to take it to the Lord and search it out by prayer and God’s word, first for sure. God is God and His ways are not our ways.
God thank You for ears to hear You in whatever ways You speak to me. God let my radar of You be turned on and the volume turned to the correct hearing abilities for You ways to be my way. My battle belongs to You God. Thank You for the armour to wear, the weapons to fight and the knowledge to be obedient to Your words and will in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!
Thank you for adding Tim Keller’s final words to the study. That is a wonderful testament to God’s faithfulness in the life of one of his servants, who could say with Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing,” (2 Tim. 4:7-8). May we similarly look unto Jesus day by day until we go to be with him forever.
“Don’t let prejudice or false assumptions blind you to God’s message. Daniel 4:1-3
What a powerful lesson here today. Thank you, God, that Your Word is as alive now as it was then. Hallelujah!