2 CHRONICLES 35

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

King Josiah's Passover Celebration and Untimely Death

(Transcript not available - coming soon)


BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. Believers can make major corrections when they obey the Word.

  2. Believers can make major mistakes when they don't consult the Lord.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Don't wait until the building is done!

QUESTIONS

  1. What prompted Josiah to call for a celebration of the Passover?

  2. In verse 3 we see that the Ark of the Covenant was brought back into the Temple where it belonged. Where had it been?

  3. How long had it been since the Passover had been properly celebrated?

  4. Describe the circumstances of Josiah's early death.

  5. What happened to the kingdom of Judah after Josiah's death?

ANSWERS

  1. Josiah came to the throne when he was only 8 years old and began a major reform of the nation as a teenager. Josiah began the major project of repairing the House of the Lord, which had fallen into disrepair. A copy of the Law was found hidden in the Temple. As a result of hearing the Word of the Lord read and interpreted, Josiah intensified his reform and called for a celebration of the Passover in obedience to the Word of God.

  2. The most likely possibility is that the Ark had been removed from the Temple by the priests sometime during the resign of King Manasseh or Amon because of the terrible and idolatrous desecration of the House of the Lord.

  3. Since the days of Samuel, more than 400 years (verse 18).

  4. When Josiah was 39 years old, he tried to intervene and stop the Egyptians from going to confront the army of the rising Babylonian empire. As a result of Josiah's intervention and meddling in these foreign affairs instead of looking to the Lord, he lost his life.

  5. Josiah was the last good king of Judah. The nation would go downhill spiritually and morally until less than 25 years later the Temple would be destroyed and the nation would go into captivity as prisoners in Babylon.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. When Josiah understood the standard of the Word of God, he set about making several corrections in the workings of the nation. Think of a time when you became aware that your life was not in line with God's standards. How did you set about correcting this?

  2. Even mature believers can make major mistakes when they don't consult the Lord. What important life decision are you facing right now? Have you consulted the Lord?

CHALLENGE

  1. Josiah did not wait until the repairs of the Temple were complete before he called for the national celebration of the Passover. He knew that both were important and in line with the Word of God. Don't wait until the building is done before you serve, give to, or worship the Lord.

KEY VERSES

  • "There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept." 2 Chronicles 35:18

  • "Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God." 2 Chronicles 35:22

2 Chronicles, Old Testament, TalksRon Reid2 Chronicles 35