CHAPTER 35

(623 B.C.)

THE PASSOVER IS KEPT

¹Moreover Josiah kept a Passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month (the Passover was the foundation of all Israels worship and Gods dealing with His People; it represents Israels deliverance out of Egypt by the slain lamb and the shedding of innocent blood; likewise, the entirety of the Foundation of Christendom is founded on Calvary, of which the Passover is a type [Ex. 12:13]).

²And he set the Priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the House of the LORD,

³And said unto the Levites who 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 (evidently, the Ark of the Covenant had been taken out of the Holy of Holies, quite possibly by Josiahs wicked father, Amon; it was to be placed in the Holy of Holies and intended to be moved no more),

⁴And 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 (in other words, handle everything according to the Word of God).

⁵And stand in the Holy Place (to carry on the work of offering the Incense, keeping the Lamps lit, etc.) 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 (according to the 24 courses).

⁶So 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 (this records the fact that Josiah believed that Moses wrote the Pentateuch, and Verse 12 shows his acquaintanceship with the Book of Exodus especially Chapter 12).

⁷And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the Passover Offerings, for all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the kings substance (these were to be offered up as Sacrifices according to the Word of the Lord, and it seems the animals were given to the people free of charge).

⁸And his princes (wealthy people) 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 (probably sheep), and three hundred oxen.

⁹Conaniah 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.

THE PASSOVER

¹⁰So the service was prepared, and the Priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the kings commandment.

¹¹And they killed the Passover, and the Priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them (pulled the skin from their bodies).

¹²And 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.

¹³And they roasted the Passover with fire according to the Ordinance (Ex. 12:8-9): but the other Holy Offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people (all the people were carefully attended).

¹⁴And 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.

¹⁵And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the Commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the kings Seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them. (This Verse proclaims the fact that as the Sacrifices were offered, they were accompanied by music, singing, and worship. When Calvary is held up as the Foundation of the Faith, it always elicits joy. As well, the porters made certain that the Law of the Lord was adhered to regarding the Sacrifices. All of this shows Josiahs adherence to the Word of God.)

¹⁶So 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.

THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

¹⁷And the Children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days (the Passover was kept on the first day of the seven).

¹⁸And 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 who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (this was also said of Hezekiahs observance of the Passover; the statement is true in both cases, for Hezekiah kept the Passover such as had never been kept up unto his day [30:26], and here Josiah kept one that was greater than Hezekiahs).

¹⁹In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this Passover kept (Josiah was now 26 years old).

JOSIAH IS SLAIN IN BATTLE

²⁰After all this (Josiah was 39 at this time), when Josiah had prepared the Temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Charchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.

²¹But he (Necho) sent ambassadors to him (to Josiah), saying, What have I to do with you, you king of Judah? I come not against you this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear you from meddling with God, Who is with me, that He destroy you not (this is quite a statement coming from a heathen, but yet the Holy Spirit would ultimately say that he was right).

²²Nevertheless 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 (every evidence is that Josiah was wrong in doing this).

²³And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.

²⁴His 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. (It has been argued from then until now as to why Josiah did this. Other than the information given here, the Scriptures are silent.

Every evidence seems to point to the fact that the Lord tried to warn him; however, we can certainly understand Josiah paying no attention at all to a heathen who claimed to hear from God. He didnt and neither would we; therefore, with so little information given, we can only venture an opinion:

Despite Josiahs reforms, Judah, at heart, had little turned to the Lord; consequently, the Lord would take Josiah away, simply because it was time for Judgment to come. Isaiah said, possibly concerning such as this: The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come [Isa. 57:1].)

LAMENT FOR JOSIAH

²⁵And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations (not the Book of Lamentations later written by Jeremiah).

²⁶Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, according to that which was written in the Law of the LORD (this sentence pictures Josiah as a careful, loving student of the Word, to the end that he might become a doer of it),

²⁷And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.