Celebrating The Passover

Israel had not consistently kept the Passover, since Solomon’s day, although Hezekiah had re-instituted it almost a hundred years before.  In his eighteenth year as king, Josiah ordered the celebration of the Passover, in II Chronicles 35:1-6.  “Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.  And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,  And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel, And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.  And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites.  So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.”

II Kings 23:21 tells us he insisted it be done in accordance with the commands given in the book of the Law they had discovered, rather than just following tradition.  “And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.”

Josiah set an example, donating thousands of animals for sacrifices, and his subordinates followed his example, in II Chronicles 35:7-9.  “And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance.  And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen.  Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.”

The law had specified that each family or household was to celebrate the Passover.  If a family was too small to eat an entire lamb, they were to invite their neighbors and eat it together.  Josiah had the entire nation of Judah celebrate the Passover together.  The priests and Levites killed the lambs, and sprinkled the blood for them, dividing them up among the families and roasting the meat as directed in the law, but also offering other sacrifices according to II Chronicles 35:10-14.  “So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's commandment.  And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.  And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.  And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people.  And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.”

The celebration was not limited to just celebrating the Passover, but included the temple musicians and the offering of other sacrifices as well.  They continued right on through the next seven days of the Feast of unleavened bread, according to ii Chronicles 35;15-17.  “And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.  So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah.  And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.”

Hezekiah’s celebration of Passover had been the biggest one since David’s time, and Josiah’s surpassed even that of Hezekiah, according to II Chronicles 35:18-19.  “And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.  In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.”