Saturday 13th April
Read 2 Chronicles 35:10-19
“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 sub-divisions 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, cauldrons 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.” (NIVUK)
Name after name linking Josiah with all the great leaders of God’s people. Moses, David, Solomon, Asaph, Samuel… It is a who’s who of godly leaders. Yet the Passover he celebrated was the pinnacle of the monarchy, greater than David and Solomon!
The poignancy of this Passover is palpable. This is a glorious picture of what life should have been like as God’s people – service to each other, honour and worship to God as their true Saviour and King. Sacrificial, servant leadership.
It would not be seen again in Israel for over 600 years when another servant King would preside over another Passover. But that one would indeed be different. There is no record of a lamb at all…
