2Ch 35:3 | KingComments | STEP | The last two chapters show a high point and a low point and a ray of hope at the end. The climax is the celebration of the Passover by King Josiah. The low point is what Jehoiakin and Zedekiah, the sons of Josiah, do. A pious father and wicked sons. Yet 2 Chronicles ends with a beginning of an ascending line. In the last verses new hope rises through the faithfulness of God. is a summary of what is described in . The celebrating of the Passover follows from what Josiah read in the found book of the law and the covenant he made with the LORD to act according to all the words of the book of the law. Josiah celebrates the Passover on the day appointed by the LORD ( ). Our obedience works in the same way. Paul has also been told by the Lord how the Lord’s Supper is to be celebrated ( ). We celebrate it according to His directions on the first day of the week ( ). Just as with Hezekiah, we also here find the weakness of the priests. They must be encouraged to do their service ( ). We also see this in professing Christianity, where many believers are not aware of their priesthood and therefore do not do priestly service. We would do well to encourage those believers to take up their priestly duties in the house of God. The Father seeks them ( ). The house has been cleansed. Now the objects that belong there can be given their own place again. Josiah tells the Levites to put the ark back in its place ( ). It seems that the ark is no longer in its place because of former unfaithfulness. The Levites are said to teach “all Israel”. What the Levites do corresponds to the teaching of teachers in the church. The goal of their teaching must be to give the Lord Jesus the place that is His due. A service in the church is only possible if the Lord Jesus can take His rightful place, a place of rest and authority in the midst of His own. Josiah also says to the Levites that they must serve the LORD their God and His people Israel. God must occupy the first place in their – and also in our – service. It is not man and his needs that are central, but the Lord and His interests. God’s people must be served in line with this and directly related to it. After pointing out to the Levites their connection to the ark and their service, Josiah tells them to prepare themselves ( ). This preparation means that they must prepare themselves for their service. In doing so, they should not rely on their own insights or initiatives. Their responsibilities are described by David and Solomon. If they act accordingly, they will be working to God's glory and preserved from acting on their own, which would cause new disorder. Everything must be carried out exactly according to Scripture. Every time the chronicler points this out. In he refers to Solomon, in to the writing of David, in to Samuel, and in to the word of the LORD by the mouth of Moses. The latter is an example of inspiration. At the same time, the word of Moses is perfectly the word of God. That word is the standard for Josiah. When the Levites have prepared themselves, they must stand in the holy place to perform their task for the benefit of the lay people, literally “the sons of the people” ( ). It is true that to the Levites is spoken about the lay people as “your brethren”. The Levites, together with the lay people, are members of God’s people. To us it means that we take our place in the church in submission to the Word, so that we can meet the Lord Jesus there. We are all there together as brothers and sisters. As to us there is no distinction as instituted by God in Israel, a distinction between priests and Levites and the lay or common people. The New Testament believer is a priest, a Levite, and an ordinary member of the people at the same time. However, we can apply these distinctions to different aspects of our being a Christian, such as worshiping God, serving the believers, and being a Christian in daily life. The Levites are commissioned to slaughter the Passover animals and sanctify themselves ( ). When we are dealing with the Passover, which for us is the Lord Jesus ( ), we must realize that we are dealing with holy things. Josiah instructs the Levites to prepare the Passover animals also for their brethren and to do so as it is written down in God’s Word by Moses. To us it means teaching our fellow believers by means of the Word of God what it means to deal with Christ as our Passover.

‏ 2 Chronicles 35:3

Introduction

The last two chapters show a high point and a low point and a ray of hope at the end. The climax is the celebration of the Passover by King Josiah. The low point is what Jehoiakin and Zedekiah, the sons of Josiah, do. A pious father and wicked sons. Yet 2 Chronicles ends with a beginning of an ascending line. In the last verses new hope rises through the faithfulness of God.

Preparation for Celebrating the Passover

2Chr 35:1 is a summary of what is described in 2Chr 35:2-19. The celebrating of the Passover follows from what Josiah read in the found book of the law and the covenant he made with the LORD to act according to all the words of the book of the law. Josiah celebrates the Passover on the day appointed by the LORD (Lev 23:5). Our obedience works in the same way. Paul has also been told by the Lord how the Lord’s Supper is to be celebrated (1Cor 11:23). We celebrate it according to His directions on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).

Just as with Hezekiah, we also here find the weakness of the priests. They must be encouraged to do their service (2Chr 35:2). We also see this in professing Christianity, where many believers are not aware of their priesthood and therefore do not do priestly service. We would do well to encourage those believers to take up their priestly duties in the house of God. The Father seeks them (Jn 4:23).

The house has been cleansed. Now the objects that belong there can be given their own place again. Josiah tells the Levites to put the ark back in its place (2Chr 35:3). It seems that the ark is no longer in its place because of former unfaithfulness. The Levites are said to teach “all Israel”. What the Levites do corresponds to the teaching of teachers in the church. The goal of their teaching must be to give the Lord Jesus the place that is His due. A service in the church is only possible if the Lord Jesus can take His rightful place, a place of rest and authority in the midst of His own.

Josiah also says to the Levites that they must serve the LORD their God and His people Israel. God must occupy the first place in their – and also in our – service. It is not man and his needs that are central, but the Lord and His interests. God’s people must be served in line with this and directly related to it.

After pointing out to the Levites their connection to the ark and their service, Josiah tells them to prepare themselves (2Chr 35:4). This preparation means that they must prepare themselves for their service. In doing so, they should not rely on their own insights or initiatives. Their responsibilities are described by David and Solomon. If they act accordingly, they will be working to God's glory and preserved from acting on their own, which would cause new disorder.

Everything must be carried out exactly according to Scripture. Every time the chronicler points this out. In 2Chr 35:3 ; 4 he refers to Solomon, in 2Chr 35:4 ; 15 to the writing of David, in 2Chr 35:18 to Samuel, and in 2Chr 35:6 ; 12 to the word of the LORD by the mouth of Moses. The latter is an example of inspiration. At the same time, the word of Moses is perfectly the word of God. That word is the standard for Josiah.

When the Levites have prepared themselves, they must stand in the holy place to perform their task for the benefit of the lay people, literally “the sons of the people” (2Chr 35:5). It is true that to the Levites is spoken about the lay people as “your brethren”. The Levites, together with the lay people, are members of God’s people.

To us it means that we take our place in the church in submission to the Word, so that we can meet the Lord Jesus there. We are all there together as brothers and sisters. As to us there is no distinction as instituted by God in Israel, a distinction between priests and Levites and the lay or common people. The New Testament believer is a priest, a Levite, and an ordinary member of the people at the same time. However, we can apply these distinctions to different aspects of our being a Christian, such as worshiping God, serving the believers, and being a Christian in daily life.

The Levites are commissioned to slaughter the Passover animals and sanctify themselves (2Chr 35:6). When we are dealing with the Passover, which for us is the Lord Jesus (1Cor 5:7b), we must realize that we are dealing with holy things. Josiah instructs the Levites to prepare the Passover animals also for their brethren and to do so as it is written down in God’s Word by Moses. To us it means teaching our fellow believers by means of the Word of God what it means to deal with Christ as our Passover.