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2BC BIBLE STUDY NOTES

Wednesday in the Word

Second Baptist Church

June 7, 2023

2nd Chronicles 35

  1. We are coming to the last two chapters of the book of 2nd Chronicles. In less than 25 years from this point in time, the nation will be no more. Judgment has already come to the northern kingdom and now it is coming to the southern kingdom just as it was predicted thousands of years before during the time of Moses. Last week we discuss the wonderful reign of King Josiah. Unlike his predecessors, he was a great king who desired to bring the people in right relationship with God. Josiah purged the city and the nation of all the idols and false altars. He purified the temple and commanded the priest and Levites to repair the temple to restart the regular worship and sacrifices to God. During the renovations, they found a copy of the law. The Law was the first five books of our bible. Most likely the words from Deuteronomy were read which contains blessings and curses for the Israelites. When king Josiah heard what would happen when the nations were disobedient to God, he immediately fell to his feet in despair. Josiah knew that the nation would come under judgment. To confirm his suspicions, he sent word to the woman of God, the Prophetess Huldah. Huldah confirmed to the king that he was right about the coming judgment, but the Lord heard his cry and would spare the King from the judgment. After hearing what the woman of God said, the King gathered all the people before the Temple and he renewed the covenant with God. He had everyone pledge to God the covenant with God. As long as he lived the people served the Lord.

  2. Verses 1-6. According to the Law that was read, Passover was to be celebrated in the first month. The king assembled the priest and Levites and commanded them to get thing ready for the Passover. The previous Passover of note was in the days of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 30:1-3). That Passover had to be celebrated in the second month (a concession), but Josiah was able to keep this great Passover at the appointed and ordained time in the first month (Numbers 9:1-5). Josiah understood that it would take an enormous amount of planning and work to properly conduct this Passover. One of the main features of the Passover was the sacrifice of a lamb for each household (Exodus 12:43-49). This meant a substantial amount of work for the priests. Under Josiah’s direction, Hilkiah the priest recently had found the copy of the Law of Moses in the temple. Now we learn that under the wicked administrations of the previous kings, Manasseh and Amon, the Holy ark of the covenant had been removed from the temple. This was the highest of desecrations. Now, King Josiah directed that it be returned to its rightful place.

  3. Verses 7-9. Josiah gave the lay people lambs and young goats from the flock. This was staggering generosity on the part of King Josiah. He provided thirty thousand lambs or goats for the Passover sacrifice, as well as three thousand cattle. It shows how passionate King Josiah was to have a proper Passover celebration, that he was willing to bear the expense. The total number of offerings is more than double that at Hezekiah’s Passover (2 Chronicles 30:24). The king’s generosity encouraged the other leaders to do the same. This Passover celebration was by far the largest that had ever occurred since the time of David.

  4. Verses 10-14. “The service was arranged” is a rare but significant phrase occurring additionally in the Old Testament only at 2 Chronicles 8:16; 29:35, meaning that everything had been done as God required. The King followed the law to the letter. What we believe is that the priest sacrificed the lambs and presented them for the families as opposed to the heads of each family doing it and presenting the blood to be sprinkled by the priest. It appears the priest did everything. This was a tremendous undertaking. They roasted the Passover offerings with fire according to the ordinance: This was the second aspect of the Passover celebration — a festive meal enjoyed by the entire nation, household by household. Then afterward they prepared portions for themselves and for the priests: This was the correct order. First the people were served, and then the priests and the Levite leaders.

  5. Verses 15-19. The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their places and led the community in worship. There was nothing in the Law of Moses directing singing or a communal worship service at the celebration of Passover. Josiah therefore went beyond commandment to make this an especially meaningful and memorable occasion. The Levites who served as gatekeepers were at each gate; they did not have to leave their position. Food was brought to them to make sure they didn’t leave their post and that all things were done in decency and order. Every guard stayed ready and on duty, and the Levites prepared portions for the grateful gatekeepers. Because of the remarkable planning, organization, and hard work of the king, the priests, and the Levites, this massive amount of sacrifice and festive meals were all prepared the same day. They did this not out of some strange compulsion, but in trying to be obedient to the command of Moses for the day on which to observe Passover (Numbers 9:1-5).

  6. Verses 20-27. While the nation of Israel was crumbling under the judgment of God, other nations were rising in power. There was a geopolitical struggle between the declining Assyrian Empire and the emerging Babylonian Empire. The Assyrians made an alliance with the Egyptians to protect against the growing power of the Babylonians. All of this was God’s providence. God was going to punish the Assyrians with the Babylonians just as he used the Assyrians to punish the Israelites. There wasn’t anything Israel could do about this. But King Josiah felt it necessary to involve himself in this affair. The king of Egypt, Necho, warned Josiah that he should avoid conflict with them because he was on a mission from God. Necho warned Josiah that God told him to hurry, and that God was with him and not Josiah in this effort. This is a great moment to point out that the true God wasn’t only served by the Israelites. By this time, believers in Yahweh were all over. King David and others had made connections with rulers in North Africa years before. Many western (European) scholars would try to have you believe that this King doesn’t really know God. That fits with the narrative that Africa was somehow void of God-fearing worshippers. But even in the time of Abraham, God had spoken to people in Egypt. (Genesis 20:3). Necho is on a mission from God and Josiah errs in trying to wage war with him. Josiah goes into battle with a disguise but is shot with an arrow anyway and subsequently succumbs to his injuries. A quick and tragic end to his life. And to this day all the singing men and the singing women speak of Josiah in their lamentation songs. A book of songs by the Prophet Jeremiah is mentioned, but we don’t have this book any longer.

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