2 Chronicles 35:1–19 (October 29, 2025)

Josiah Keeps the Passover

35 Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem. And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord. 3 And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. 4 Prepare yourselves according to your fathers' houses by your divisions, as prescribed in the writing of David king of Israel and the document of Solomon his son. 5 And stand in the Holy Place according to the groupings of the fathers' houses of your brothers the lay people, and according to the division of the Levites by fathers' household. 6 And slaughter the Passover lamb, and consecrate yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of the Lord by Moses.”

7 Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, as Passover offerings for all who were present, lambs and young goats from the flock to the number of 30,000, and 3,000 bulls; these were from the king's possessions. 8 And his officials contributed willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the chief officers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 bulls. 9 Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 bulls.

10 When the service had been prepared for, the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their divisions according to the king's command. 11 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests threw the blood that they received from them while the Levites flayed the sacrifices. 12 And they set aside the burnt offerings that they might distribute them according to the groupings of the fathers' houses of the lay people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the Book of Moses. And so they did with the bulls. 13 And they roasted the Passover lamb with fire according to the rule; and they boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the lay people. 14 And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat parts until night; so the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to depart from their service, for their brothers the Levites prepared for them.

16 So all the service of the Lord was prepared that day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, according to the command of King Josiah. 17 And the people of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. 18 No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.

The Passover of Josiah: Worship Restored in the Beauty of Holiness

Summary

2 Chronicles 35 records the final and most glorious act of Josiah’s reign, which was the celebration of the Passover in Jerusalem. The Bible records,

This feast was not an empty ritual but a revival of covenantal worship “as it is written in the Book of Moses” (v. 12). Josiah arranged the priests in their duties, encouraged the Levites to fulfill their sacred calling, and restored the temple service “according to the word of the Lord through Moses” (v. 6).

What makes this Passover extraordinary is the unity and scale of participation. The passage records that Josiah personally gave 30,000 lambs and young goats and 3,000 bulls from his own possessions (v. 7). The leaders and Levites followed with generous offerings as well (vv. 8–9). So, every group of servant-leadership, represented as priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and followed by the whole nation, took their place in reverent worship.

The chronicler concludes with stunning praise:

This was the summit of Josiah’s reformation. A heartfelt, penitent, and earnest worship offered in unity, generosity, and joyful obedience to God’s Word.

Who is God

God is holy. He is also the King who delights in worship that flows from the changed hearts by the Word. The Passover was never merely about ritual observance but about remembering the King who became the Passover lamb. By restoring the Passover, Josiah was not introducing some religious duties but restoring the covenant identity in the Blood of the Lamb.

God’s holiness demands order and reverence. His heart rejoices in His people’s joy. This passage shows that He is not honored by the external religious performances but by the hearts awakened to His saving mercy. God is seeking the broken-hearted and the contrite-hearted people, even now.

God is not weary of reviving what sin has ruined. Every time the Word is rediscovered and worship is renewed according to His will, God delights in His people once again. Oh, how we should all be longing for that!

What is our Guilt

Our guilt is that we often lose the wonder of worship. As a result, we confuse devotion with duty. Like Judah before Josiah’s reform, we may attend worship services, sing songs, and even give offerings, yet our hearts are far from the Redeemer. We may even reduce faith to moral reform without true communion with God.

Our guilt is that we forget that worship must be grounded in the Word of God. The chronicler repeatedly says that Josiah’s actions were done “as it is written.” When we detach worship from the Word, we drift toward a human-centered experience rather than a Christ-centered, heavenly one.

How does Grace Shine

Grace shines through Josiah’s Passover, which foreshadows the greater Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. The lambs slaughtered in Jerusalem were great, but still only a temporary sign pointing to the true Lamb who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

In Christ, God Himself provides the offering. Just as Josiah personally supplied the lambs so that all might partake, Jesus gave Himself so that all who believe might share in the feast of redemption.

This grace also shines in the unity and joy of the people. True revival always leads to shared joy, not private ecstasy. The Passover of Josiah therefore anticipates the final feast of the Lamb, when the redeemed from every nation will worship the Lamb of God (Rev. 19:6–9).

The chronicler’s account ends before Josiah’s tragic death in battle, but his Passover remains a testimony to the grace that restores worship and prepares hearts for the coming of the true and ultimate King.

Prayer

Father,

Thank You for the grace that calls us back to true worship. Like Judah in Josiah’s day, we confess how easily our hearts wander and how quickly we lose the awe of Your holiness. Restore in us the joy of salvation, and make our gatherings a place where Your Word directs every song, every prayer, and every act of love.

Teach us to give generously as Josiah did, not out of compulsion but from gratitude for the Lamb who was slain for us. May our worship be both reverent and joyful, holy and heartfelt, reflecting Your beauty and faithfulness.

Renew us as You renewed Your people through Josiah, and prepare us for the eternal feast in Your kingdom.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb, we pray. Amen.