2 CHRONICLES LESSON 35
We will begin this lesson in II Chronicles 35:1 "Moreover Josiah
kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the
passover on the fourteenth [day] of the first month."
In the last lesson, we found that Josiah heard the reading of the
law. He would be desirous to keep the Passover, since it was to be
kept for all generations. We see in this first verse, that he was
trying to be careful about it being on the correct day, as well. The
14th day of Nisan was when it was to be kept. Hezekiah had kept the
Passover. He had to have it in the second month, since they were not
ready the first month. The preferred time was the 14th day of the
first month.
II Chronicles 35:2 "And he set the priests in their charges, and
encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,"
They had not been keeping Passover, and the priests were
inexperienced. Josiah encouraged them. It was very important to keep
Passover, and it was almost impossible to do without the cooperation
of the priests.
II Chronicles 35:3 "And said unto the Levites that taught all
Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house
which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; [it shall]
not [be] a burden upon [your] shoulders: serve now the LORD your God,
and his people Israel,"
This is a very unusual statement. The key to this Scripture,
perhaps, is "burden upon your shoulders". There had been so much evil
in the land with several of the kings of Judah, that perhaps, the high
priest and the priests had hidden the ark in their quarters for
safety. They had been responsible for its safety. Now, that Josiah had
re-established worship in the temple, it was time to put the ark in
its rightful place, in the holy of holies. The only other reason for
it not being in the holy of holies, would have been during the
restoration of the temple, it had been moved. Of course, in either
case, the high priest and the priests would have been responsible for
moving it. Anyone else who might have touched it, would have been
killed. They will, now, bring it into its rightful place, not to be
moved again.
II Chronicles 35:4 "And prepare [yourselves] by the houses of
your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David
king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son."
It is very unusual, to me, that the king would have to remind the
Levites of their duties in the temple. Each of them had been specified
for a particular ministry. They must, now, prepare themselves, and be
ready to conduct the services in the temple. David and Solomon had
told in detail what each of them were to do. Now they must do what
they were called to do.
II Chronicles 35:5 "And stand in the holy [place] according to
the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the
people, and [after] the division of the families of the Levites."
There were actually three divisions of the Levitical tribe. The
Gershonites, the Kohathites, and the Merarites.
II Chronicles 35:6 "So kill the passover, and sanctify
yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that [they] may do according to
the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses."
Not only were they to purify themselves for the killing of the
Passover, but they were to instruct the people in the details of the
Passover to be kept.
II Chronicles 35:7 "And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock,
lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were
present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand
bullocks: these [were] of the king's substance."
Those who came were furnished sacrifices for this particular
feast by Josiah. The people had not practiced Passover in so long,
they had forgotten the details of the feast, even if they had ever
been taught. Josiah was very serious about this. The lambs and the
kids were given for the Passover, and the bullocks were for sin and
peace offerings. Josiah gave thousands of animals for this purpose.
II Chronicles 35:8 "And his princes gave willingly unto the
people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and
Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the
passover offerings two thousand and six hundred [small cattle], and
three hundred oxen."
The princes, here, were speaking of the heads of families. Those
who understood Passover, gave willingly of their animals for the
feast. These were animals that had belonged to the high priests.
II Chronicles 35:9 "Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel,
his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the
Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand
[small cattle], and five hundred oxen."
These were heads of the families of the Levites. They furnished
the Passover feast for the Levitical tribe.
II Chronicles 35:10 "So the service was prepared, and the priests
stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to
the king's commandment."
The king had commanded that the Passover be done exactly as
prescribed in the law. Josiah was determined that the Passover feast
would take place exactly as God planned.
II Chronicles 35:11 "And they killed the passover, and the
priests sprinkled [the blood] from their hands, and the Levites flayed
[them]."
There were so many animals, that the Levites had to help with the
flaying of the animals. Only the priests touched the blood. The
sprinkling of the blood must be done by the high priest.
II Chronicles 35:12 "And they removed the burnt offerings, that
they might give according to the divisions of the families of the
people, to offer unto the LORD, as [it is] written in the book of
Moses. And so [did they] with the oxen."
The families participating in the Passover feast must eat the
animal sacrificed for their family. The entire family ate of the
Passover feast.
II Chronicles 35:13 "And they roasted the passover with fire
according to the ordinance: but the [other] holy [offerings] sod they
in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided [them] speedily
among all the people."
This just means that they prepared it, as quickly as they could
to feed all of the people.
II Chronicles 35:14 "And afterward they made ready for
themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron
[were busied] in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night;
therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the
sons of Aaron."
We can see that the priests served the people first, and then
took care of their own. There is a good lesson in this for all
believers. We should serve others first, and then ourselves. It took
all day long for the priests to prepare for all the people even until
night. By necessity, the Levites prepared for themselves and for the
priests.
II Chronicles 35:15 "And the singers the sons of Asaph [were] in
their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and
Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the porters [waited] at every
gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the
Levites prepared for them."
We see that the singers, the keepers of the gates, and all of the
others in service to the LORD stayed at their tasks until all was
finished. The Levites prepared for all of those who served.
II Chronicles 35:16 "So all the service of the LORD was prepared
the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon
the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah."
All of them serving in the capacity the LORD had called them to,
prepared the entire thing in the one day, as prescribed by the law,
and commanded of Josiah.
II Chronicles 35:17 "And the children of Israel that were present
kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread
seven days."
The Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover actually overlap. The
eating of the unleavened bread symbolizes the sinless body of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
II Chronicles 35:18 "And there was no passover like to that kept
in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the
kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests,
and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem."
The Passover had been grossly neglected. The last time the
Passover had truly been kept, was in the time of Samuel. It appears,
that even Hezekiah had not seen to the Passover being kept properly.
It was kept during his time, but not in its fullest extent.
II Chronicles 35:19 "In the eighteenth year of the reign of
Josiah was this passover kept."
The eighteenth year of his reign would have made him 26 years
old. At any rate, this was an important event in Josiah's life.
II Chronicles 35:20 "After all this, when Josiah had prepared
the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Charchemish
by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him."
We do not know how much after the Passover, just that this
happened later. It could have been as much as 13 years later. It
seems, there was a time of peace and good times for Josiah and his
people. This battle seemed to be between Necho of Egypt and
Charchemish. There was a Hittite city by this name on the Euphrates.
Josiah went against Necho.
II Chronicles 35:21 "But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What
have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? [I come] not against thee
this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God
commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from [meddling with] God, who
[is] with me, that he destroy thee not."
This is an unusual statement coming from an Egyptian. We do know,
however, that God used heathen kings to punish Israel and Judah. This,
possibly, would mean to Josiah, that God was with this Egyptian, and
not with him. He would not listen to the Egyptian.
II Chronicles 35:22 "Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face
from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and
hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came
to fight in the valley of Megiddo."
In this particular place, this Egyptian was speaking the Words
God had put into his mouth. Josiah did not realize it, but he was
disobeying the will of God to come against Necho. This valley of
Megiddo has been the sight of many battles. The battle of Armageddon
is believed to happen in this spot.
II Chronicles 35:23 "And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the
king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded."
The archers were not deliberately trying to kill Josiah. He was
disguised, and they did not know this was him. They were just shooting
at someone who was advancing toward them. The archer shot Josiah. He
asked his servant to take him home, because he was severely wounded.
II Chronicles 35:24 "His servants therefore took him out of that
chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they
brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in [one of] the
sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for
Josiah."
Josiah had been a good king, as well as being a man after God's
own heart. He was greatly loved by the people. At his death, there was
much mourning. He died, and was given an honorable burial with his
fathers in Jerusalem.
II Chronicles 35:25 "And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all
the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their
lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and,
behold, they [are] written in the lamentations."
Jeremiah was the prophet in the land at the time of Josaih's
death. Jeremiah loved Josiah, because he did right in the sight of
God.
It is not in the Bible in the book of Lamentations. This is speaking
of an unknown writing somewhere.
II Chronicles 35:26 "Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his
goodness, according to [that which was] written in the law of the
LORD," II Chronicles 35:27 "And his deeds, first and last, behold,
they [are] written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah."
Josiah was a keeper of the law of God. He studied God's law to
show himself approved of God a workman who needeth not to be ashamed.
There is some writing of him in the book of Kings in the Bible. He
was, possibly, recorded in some historical writings, as well.
2 Chronicles 35 Questions
1. Quote 2 Chronicles chapter 35 verse 1.
2. When was the correct day for Passover?
3. Why did Josiah have to encourage the priests?
4. Where does the author believe the ark had been?
5. Why had it been there?
6. Where did Josiah tell them to put it?
7. What was another possible reason why the ark had been moved?
8. The priests were to prepare themselves according to the writing of
__________.
9. What is strange about Josiah telling the priests their duties?
10. What were the three divisions of the Levitical tribe?
11. What are they instructed to do in verse 6?
12. What did Josiah give for the Passover and the offerings?
13. Who are the princes in verse 8?
14. These animals had belonged to the ______ _________.
15. What did the heads of the families of the Levites give?
16. The priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their
courses, according to whose commandments?
17. Who sprinkled the blood?
18. Who ate the animals?
19. Why did the Levites prepare for the priests?
20. Over what period of time did Passover take place?
21. What overlaps with Passover?
22. When was the last time Passover had been done this thoroughly?
23. How many years, approximately after this special Passover, was it
until Necho attacked Charchemish?
24. What did Necho tell Josiah?
25. Did he listen?
26. What happened to Josiah?
27. Where was he buried?
28. He was greatly ________ by the people.
29. Who was a prophet in the land, at the time of Josiah's death?
30. Josiah was a keeper of the ______ of God.
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