Over seasonal holidays families and friends all over the world gather to remember the precious relationships they have with each other. Some will bring thoughtful gifts to bring joy to those we love and cherish. Joy comes from our giving because it delights our hearts to see others happy and grateful for gifts given to them. Meals are served and laughter is heard. Sacrifices of time and expense are made to travel from one place to another because of ongoing relationships built to last with these people we love. We are committed to them all because of our relationship with them. Memories are made while relationships are grown stronger because of our love for each one. Whatever the cost, most are willing pay just to be near our loved ones to celebrate and remember. While some might be disagreeable, the love remains. Love never fails.
Guess what! God loves to see His created come together to celebrate and remember our relationship with Him—the most important relationship of all!
2 Chronicles 35
Josiah Celebrates the Passover
Josiah celebrated the Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the Lord’s temple. 3 He said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been consecrated to the Lord: “Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. 4 Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the instructions written by David king of Israel and by his son Solomon.
5 “Stand in the holy place with a group of Levites for each subdivision of the families of your fellow Israelites, the lay people. 6 Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves and prepare the lambs for your fellow Israelites, doing what the Lord commanded through Moses.”
7 Josiah provided for all the lay people who were there a total of thirty thousand lambs and goats for the Passover offerings, and also three thousand cattle—all from the king’s own possessions.
8 His officials also contributed voluntarily to the people and the priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel, the officials in charge of God’s temple, gave the priests twenty-six hundred Passover offerings and three hundred cattle. 9 Also Konaniah along with Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, provided five thousand Passover offerings and five hundred head of cattle for the Levites.
10 The service was arranged and the priests stood in their places with the Levites in their divisions as the king had ordered. 11 The Passover lambs were slaughtered, and the priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them, while the Levites skinned the animals. 12 They set aside the burnt offerings to give them to the subdivisions of the families of the people to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle. 13 They roasted the Passover animals over the fire as prescribed, and boiled the holy offerings in pots, caldrons and pans and served them quickly to all the people. 14 After this, they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fat portions until nightfall. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the Aaronic priests.
15 The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, were in the places prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun the king’s seer. The gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their posts, because their fellow Levites made the preparations for them.
16 So at that time the entire service of the Lord was carried out for the celebration of the Passover and the offering of burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, as King Josiah had ordered. 17 The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 18 The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah, with the priests, the Levites and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people of Jerusalem. 19 This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.
The Death of Josiah
20 After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Necho king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle. 21 But Necho sent messengers to him, saying, “What quarrel is there, king of Judah, between you and me? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.”
22 Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Necho had said at God’s command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo.
23 Archers shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, “Take me away; I am badly wounded.” 24 So they took him out of his chariot, put him in his other chariot and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him.
25 Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the male and female singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments.
26 The other events of Josiah’s reign and his acts of devotion in accordance with what is written in the Law of the Lord— 27 all the events, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
It was in Josiah’s reign that the Law of God given to Moses was recovered from the ruins of Temple and read aloud. This important book of instruction with specific directions from God to His people solidified His relationship with them as it taught the people how to relate to Him and to each other. This treasure was from God and was made known once again to His people! The Word of God led Josiah and all who were within listening distance to renew their relationship with God in obedience to His Law.
The Passover was a designated celebration with very specific instructions. To “remember the Passover” was not just a Jewish date on the calendar; it was a time of sacrifice, commitment, with holy reverence and respect for God who rescued the entire nation of Israel who centuries earlier were held captive and bonded as slaves by the Pharoah of Egypt. However, Passover, an event to celebrate the relationship God’s people had with Him had been neglected and forgotten. It is the young King Josiah who will reinstate their relationship with God that the Passover signifies for all the people of his kingdom. Upon discovering the Mosaic Law which gave instructions for celebrating the Passover; he ordered that the Passover be celebrated on the plains of Megiddo, for the sole purpose to lead God’s people in recommitting their lives to God.
For Josiah, God was his God. David’s faith was Josiah’s faith. He had found the God of David and made Him his own. Josiah acquired his own relationship with God by the model David had given as a man who “ran after the heart of God.” Passover now had new meaning for Josiah. It was a celebration not only of rescue but relationship!
LET’S RECAP: Of all the celebrations on the Jewish calendar; the feast of Passover was especially significant. For one thing, Passover reminded the Israelite people of their national origin at the exodus when the Lord delivered them from Egyptian bondage. This was a glorious manifestation of God’s grace and power. He took them to Himself as His own people and entered into a covenant relationship with them at Mount Sinai. They were God’s chosen people, God’s covenant people, a people to bring glory to His name.
The Last Supper, as we call it today, was a Passover celebration served by Jesus to His Disciples on the eve of His arrest by religious leaders who no longer had a relationship with God. Jesus knew what He must face; but because of God’s love in Him, He carried on with the mission be the Passover Lamb of God. His act of sacrifice ushered in a new covenant relationship offered freely to all believers, Jews and non Jews alike!
Jesus was sent to earth to seek and to save the lost who had little to no relationship with God. Jesus also came in power from God to miraculously heal “so that others would see the glory of God” at work. With authority from God because Jesus was God in the flesh; He forgave those seeking God by faith. Because he was born Son of Man by a virgin and raised by a man of faith; he was tempted by evil but did not sin. As Son of God, this made him the “lamb without blemish,” the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Jesus grew from toddler to adult with the guidance of faithful parents and by God, His Father in heaven. He moved about the neighborhood of humanity to demonstrate the love of God to the world for this kind of love had all been forgotten. For three years, he mentored followers with the Way back to God with Truth, developing relationships with the promise of eternal life for all who believed! These disciples and followers of Jesus would then be given authority to carry on His redemptive work in His Name upon His departure from this world back to heaven from where He originated. And we carry on the same work today in His Name for His glory so others will know! (Matthew 28:20)
After three years of building relationships, our Passover Lamb of God would be the final rescue from the bondage of sin. Jesus’ willing obedience to lay His life done for us provided the Way to a new relationship with God. It was this once and for all sacrifice on the cross that paid the price of our sins in full—just as the prophets foretold centuries earlier. With our sins gone, nothing stands between God and us as believers in relationship with Him! Our new relationship with God begins as soon as we say YES, I believe! The gift of God’s Son, Jesus is freely given so that we may believe and love Him back in an intimate growing relationship with the God of all! More Good News, our growing, maturing relationship with God affects all other relationships we have! Less judgement; more love happens!
“Do this in remembrance of Me,” says Jesus to all believing followers. (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24) Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice for the salvation of all the world who believe and restored our relationship with God! The Last Supper, Jesus’ final meal on earth with his disciples was a Passover Seder, linking the Old Testament celebration of God to the New Testament celebration of a new holy, personal relationship with God.
God/Jesus/Holy Spirt was/is/and always will be God in Three Persons—Holy Trinity of relationship.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
Lord,
Thank you for these awesome thoughts and powerful teaching from your Holy Spirit through Your Word to us. Our relationship with you is the most revered and precious lifegiving relationship we will ever have. We must protect it at all costs! So, cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls, and continually restore the joy of your salvation work within us. I love you, Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul. Help me to spread this Good News of relationship that is forever to everyone!
In Jesus Name, Amen and again, I say Yes!
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 