2 Chronicles 35
2 Chronicles 35 records the event of King Josiah of Judah keeping the Passover with great splendor, as well as his final battle and death. The author of Chronicles describes, in particular, the climax of Josiah’s faithful reign and religious reforms, and in the concluding section delivers an unexpected tragedy—his death. The structure of this chapter is divided into two main parts: preparing for and celebrating the Passover festival (verses 1–19), and Josiah’s death and mourning (verses 20–27).
1verseJosiah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem. They killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
2verseHe set the priests in their offices and encouraged them in the service of the LORD’s house.
3verseHe said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the LORD, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built. It will no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel.
4versePrepare yourselves after your fathers’ houses by your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.
5verseStand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of your brothers the children of the people, and let there be for each a portion of a fathers’ house of the Levites.
6verseKill the Passover lamb, sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the LORD’s word by Moses.”
7verseJosiah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs and young goats, all of them for the Passover offerings, to all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bulls. These were of the king’s substance.
8verseHis princes gave a free will offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the rulers of God’s house, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six hundred small livestock, and three hundred head of cattle.
9verseConaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings five thousand small livestock and five hundred head of cattle.
10verseSo the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites by their divisions, according to the king’s commandment.
11verseThey killed the Passover lambs, and the priests sprinkled the blood which they received from their hands, and the Levites skinned them.
12verseThey removed the burnt offerings, that they might give them according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of the children of the people, to offer to the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle.
13verseThey roasted the Passover with fire according to the ordinance. They boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the children of the people.
14verseAfterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron were busy with offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night. Therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron.
15verseThe singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at every gate. They didn’t need to depart from their service, because their brothers the Levites prepared for them.
16verseSo all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the LORD’s altar, according to the commandment of King Josiah.
17verseThe children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.
18verseThere was no Passover like that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet, nor did any of the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept—with the priests, the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
19verseThis Passover was kept in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah.
20verseAfter all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates, and Josiah went out against him.
21verseBut he sent ambassadors to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, you king of Judah? I come not against you today, but against the house with which I have war. God has commanded me to make haste. Beware that it is God who is with me, that he not destroy you.”
22verseNevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and didn’t listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.
23verseThe archers shot at King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, because I am seriously wounded!”
24verseSo his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
25verseJeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance in Israel. Behold, they are written in the lamentations.
26verseNow the rest of the acts of Josiah and his good deeds, according to that which is written in the LORD’s law,
27verseand his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
Restoration and Preparation for the Passover (Verses 1–9)
King Josiah reorganized the priests and Levites to keep the Passover according to the law of Moses, and he provided Passover offerings to the people. By taking the lead in preparing, he worked so that the whole nation could keep the Passover in a purified manner. The dedication and preparation of the leaders, as well as the participation of all the people, is emphasized.
The Celebration of the Passover (Verses 10–19)
The Levites conduct the offerings according to the law of Moses, and the people keep the Passover in full accordance with the prescribed order. At this time, the Passover is recorded as being observed with unprecedented scale and devotion “since the days of the prophet Samuel” (verse 18). Everyone from Judah and the residents of Jerusalem, as well as those who came from the northern kingdom of Israel, participates together.
Josiah Goes to War (Verses 20–24)
After the Passover, Josiah faces battle against Pharaoh Neco of Egypt. Although Neco urges him to avoid the war, Josiah does not heed this warning and goes out to the battlefield, where he is killed. Through this event, the author shows that Josiah’s death came unexpectedly and swiftly.
Mourning for Josiah’s Death and Its Aftereffects (Verses 25–27)
All of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem, as well as the prophet Jeremiah, mourn Josiah’s death greatly. It becomes clear how much impact his faithful rule had on the people and how great the loss was. Chronicles concludes this chapter by summarizing Josiah’s deeds and his death.
Points to Reflect On
- You can see how faithful worship and the restoration of the community affect every generation.
- You can also reflect on the fact that even a leader who was faithful may still have human limitations.
- It helps you think again about the importance of a life that discerningly and humbly follows God’s will, and obeys.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- In my life, where do worship and obedience take priority? I can examine and reflect on this.
- Rather than being bound by what a leader says or by my circumstances, I can check whether I have the attitude to move forward humbly in the face of God’s will.
- I can also consider how I might serve so that the grace of restoration—like the Passover—may come to the community to which I belong.
