Josiah and the Passover.
2 Chronicles 35
A little history about Josiah. Josiah, the last good king of Judah, was one of the most righteous king who ever lived. In fact, he is arguably the cleanest and most helpful king in Judah’s history. God spared him from seeing the exile that would occur to his immediate generation.
What make a person truly great in God’s eyes? Is it turning to Him when you get into trouble? Is it helping people when they ask? The answer might surprise you, as it surprised me! It is our attitude not our age. Josiah is 8 when he becomes King. At the age of 16 he seeks God with all his heart, at the age of 21 he brings revival to the land. It was his attitude not his age.
Yet what happens when there are no more mountains to climb, no more Giants to battle or no more goals to achieve?
The greatest chess player of all time is arguably Gary Kasparov. He was the world’s youngest-ever champion at the age of 22 and was the undisputed king the last two decades. The enigmatic and charismatic Russian Jew was known for holding his own against IBM supercomputers that could process up to 3 million chess moves per second.
Kasparov, however, shocked the world in 2005 when he announced his retirement at the young age of 41. He said part of the reasons he was retiring because he saw no real goals left to accomplish in his professional chess career.
Bushinsky, one of the IBM supercomputer programmers who met with Kasparov a month, said, Kasparov’s resignation “was in the cards.” He explained, “Like Michael Jordan, he achieved all his goals.”
Josiah, at age 21 worked to the goal of reviving a Nation. In chapter 35 he brings back the celebration of the Passover. In a few weeks I will go further into detail with the fulfillment of the Passover, but for now I wish to point out the necessity of the Passover in light of the revival.
Josiah was the last king to make a covenant with God, a practice long lost on previous kings other than the first good king, Asa (2 Chron 15:12). David (1 Kings 14:8) and Hezekiah (2 Chron 31:21) may have loved God with all their heart, BUT
Josiah made a commitment to follow the Lord and obey Him with all his heart and soul (v 31) – his everything to God.
The Chronicler’s third major topic concerning the reign of Josiah (cf. the introductory discussion to the opening of ch. 34) describes how the king celebrated a great Passover (35:1-19). Its observance served to provide a public confirmation to his reform as a whole; it resulted, indeed, from Judah’s obedience to that same rediscovered divine Law, "as it is written in the Book of the Covenant" (2 Kings 23:21). "The first month," to which the celebration is dated, is thus March/April within Josiah’s climactic eighteenth year (2 Chronicles 35:18), namely 622 B.C.; contrast the way in which Hezekiah had had to postpone the keeping of his Passover to the second month (cf. on 30:2).
The celebration of the Passover was a sign to the Nation that revival was at hand. First they had to remember what God had done. Every celebration of the Passover was a remembrance ceremony.
1. Reminded them of the bitter bondage of slavery in Egypt
2. Reminded them of the Divine Power that brought them out
3. The Cup of the Covenant reminded them that God was still wanting them to be His People.
4. The Lamb would not only be food for their bellies but for their soul. The blood of that Lamb would be on the doorposts and the Lord would Passover their house that night. Death would not take them, but the Lamb would save them.
With the reinstitution of the Passover celebration, now there had to be teaching.
The Levites had the sacred duty of teaching the people about the Law. We, who know what the Bible says have that same sacred duty. We must tell them what God says. We must inspire people to read the sacred pages of God’s Word. Why?
1. In the End times there will be false Christ’s and false prophets
2. There will be teachings that sound biblical yet deny sound Biblical doctrine.
a. Oprah Winfrey is advocating a Miracle Series. Here are some of the items taught.
b. Here are some quotes from the "Jesus" of A Course in Miracles:
* "There is no sin. . . "
* A "slain Christ has no meaning."
* "The journey to the cross should be the last ’useless journey."
* "Do not make the pathetic error of ’clinging to the old rugged cross.’"
* "The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol... It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray."
* "God is in everything I see."
* "The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself."
* "The oneness of the Creator and the creation is your wholeness, your sanity and your limitless power."
* "The Atonement is the final lesson he [man] need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of salvation."
Now we should see the necessity of Bible Study and teaching especially in the lives of New Christians.
The must now return to what is God’s. They put the Ark back into the Temple. It is unclear as to where it was before this. Some believe that in the dark days of Manasseh and Amon, the Ark was hidden in a place to protect it from these evil kings. Sounds like something out of Indiana Jones. Wherever it was and for whatever reason it was moved, it is now back in the place where it belongs.
The Ark represents power, it represents Mercy and it represents Forgiveness. These items must be in the Church. The power is in the Gospel, it is the power to change lives, it is the power to bring salvation to the lost. It is necessary to know what it says to protect us from false doctrines.
Mercy: seeing things through our eyes and paying the price for us. On the Mercy Seat the blood of the Lamb was sprinkled for atonement for the sins of the people. Mercy should be an element found in the church today. Extending it will grow the church. If people cannot find it in the Church where are they going to find it?
Forgiveness: like Mercy, it is the ultimate sacrifice. We who are called His Children cannot forgive, we cannot be forgiven. If the world cannot find it in the Church where are they going to find it? These items must be brought back to the Church and evident for all to see.
It started with the Passover, continued through those who had been entrusted with the Word, teaching that Word to all, and brining back to the Temple, the Church, the sacred items of Power, Mercy and Forgiveness.
As we read through the rest of this chapter we see each one doing the job they were called to. Eph 4 tells us the same. Each one doing what they can with the talents they have to build up the body of Christ.
No one is expected to do what they are not equipped to do. Each one, according to the talents that God gave them, use them for His service. That brings Glory to God, revival to our area, and the Gospel to all.
