2nd Chronicles 35 THE REST OF THE STORY There are some unforgettable events in life that seem to be indelibly imprinted on the history of nations as well as on the memories of the citizens of the country. Such an event took place in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign as king of Judah when they celebrated the great Passover in a way that surpassed the Passover under the reign of Hezekiah and Solomon. Five hundred years before when Samuel was judge in Israel, the Passover was held in this special way, and had not been held in such a way until Josiah's day. It happened the same year the temple was repaired and the book of the law was found. Josiah didn't wait to call on the nation to keep the Passover. The account of the Passover written by the scribe was to promote what was right in the spiritual service of the temple, the offerings and the feast days.
It may have been that the ark had been carried about as some form of a charm or talisman to bring about success to national ventures. It was a testimony to the fact that God was dwelling with His people, and so Josiah made sure the ark was brought by the priests to the place it belonged. This is the last mention of the ark and it was back in the place it should be. Because of the significance of the Passover and the fact that it had not been observed properly for some time Josiah made sure the Levites were doing what they were designated to do in the temple, the gates and their other responsibilities. They were anxious to do what was right and fulfill their duties. It seemed like the priests needed a little push and motivation by the king before they got moving to do their work. The Levite gatekeepers opened the gates to the temple each morning and guarded the entrances. They cleaned and prepared the sacrifices as well as taking care of the finances that were donated. "I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked."
The Passover feast was to remind the Jewish people of their deliverance from three hundred years of bondage in Egypt by the miraculous power of God. It was followed by seven days of the feast of Unleavened Bread like the bread the Israelites had when they left Egypt. It is important that God's things be done God's way. There should never be minimizing in any way the value of what Christ has done for us, nor any demeaning of the cross-work that has obtained eternal redemption for us. "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." To leave the Lord's Supper unattended on a weekly basis, and to attend that remembrance only at our convenience is a form of an insult toward the One who paid for our salvation with His life. We remember the birthday of old presidents and the queen of England. How much more should we respond to our Lord who said, "This do in remembrance of Me."
The king, the leaders and the people gave joyfully to the Lord for the Passover, for the other offerings, and for the feast of Unleavened Bread. The preparations were extensive so that "the service was prepared." There was nothing haphazard about this feast of remembrance. All was done as it should be by the right people in the right place at the right time. The Holy Spirit in our gatherings is the One Person who knows exactly what should be done and said when the Lord's people gather in remembrance of "Christ our
Passover." He directs the priesthood of believers so that appropriate words, thoughts, hymns, silent and audible prayers are coordinated by Him to bring glory to God. The Divine Guide knows what should be done at any given moment and moves God's people to offer what they have brought in coordination with that which others have brought.
The just judgment of God was about to fall on Judah, so it was significant that this Great Passover was held shortly before the captivity of Judah came. The Passover in Hezekiah's day came shortly after the northern tribes were taken by the Assyrians as a reminder of what was lost by God's people because of their sin. For thirteen years after the great Passover all seemed well on the surface with the people of God. But nothing is said about those years. That probably was because the spiritual recovery of the people was only external. There had been no repentance on the part of the people like there had been with Josiah.
When Necho of Egypt wanted to join forces with the Assyrians against the rising power of Babylon, he wanted his armed forces to pass through Judah on their way to Carchemish. Josiah stepped out of character and tried to take matters into his own hands in spite of a warning from the Egyptian leader. It is possible for those are in the world and of the world to be used by God for His sovereign purposes. Assumptions and opinions, and even prejudice can make us ignore the fact that God can use whoever He wants to fulfill His purpose and even bring glory to Him.
Josiah had done so much that was right, and obeyed the Lord and the words of "the book," but he acted on his own in this case when he went out against the Egyptians and sought to stop them from passing through to join the Assyrians. It is possible for us to meddle in things that are none of our business, and it is possible to make an issue of a matter when the consequences are minimal. We need God's guidance in everything we do. Sometimes things arise between other people and we are asked what we think about one or the other. We must watch what we say and preferably say nothing when it is none of our concern. We cannot change the ways and sins of the world, but we are to present both sides with the claims of Christ on their soul We have a certain amount of influence on individuals and should call them to repent of their sins and come to Christ personally. To be overly concerned with the politics and business of the world, and the world's pleasure is a detriment to the Lord's people. The kingdom of God is our first responsibility. It is to that kingdom we owe our concern and interest, and we are to promote its culture.
Our obligation to the nation is to "render into Caesar the things that are Caesar's." We are to recognize that "the powers that be are ordained of God." We are to "submit ourselves to every ordinance" and "pray for kings and those that are in authority."
Josiah failed in his strong point. It is not uncommon for us to be tested on our strongest characteristic, because that may also be our weakest point. Guile is not a good characteristic in any person, especially in a child of God. Whenever a message from God is given, we should pay heed to it no matter from whom it comes. A warning from and unbeliever to a believer to stay out of matters not pertaining to us and our life is good common sense. It is possible for a believer to limit God in their thinking to only do what we think is right. Our evaluation of a situation or solution to a problem may be much different than what God intends. It is foolish to ignore warnings as if they are no account because of who gives them.
A strong personal opinion can be a person's undoing. The end of Judah was inevitable because of the idolatry of the people and the sins of their forbearers, but Josiah likely accelerated that day of reckoning by his willful act of self-confidence. In spite of that, he was respected and lamented for his goodness even after he was killed by an arrow. Like the writer of the Chronicles, it is important for us to not focus our minds on that which is foolish and self-willed, but on that which will benefit those who learn from reading the history of those who lived in the past.