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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Saturday, 27 December 2025:
2 Chronicles 35:1 — Josiah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem; and they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month.
Josiah’s faithfulness culminates not in military achievement or political reform, but in worship. The Passover anchors Israel’s identity in redemption, reminding the nation that they exist because God saved them. Josiah understands that obedience is not merely structural or moral; it is expression of praise. True reform always leads back to worship, because worship re-centers the people on who God is and what He has done. This Passover is not innovation but recovery, a return to the defining story of deliverance.
2 Chronicles 35:2 — He appointed the priests to their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD.
Faithful leadership strengthens others for service. Josiah does not centralize righteousness in himself; he equips the priests to carry out their God-given roles. Encouragement here is not flattery but exhortation to faithfulness. Leaders who fear the Lord create environments where others are emboldened to serve God with confidence and clarity.
“The first thing is to get every man into his proper place; the next thing is for every man to have a good spirit in his present place, so as to occupy it worthily.” (Spurgeon) Grumbling servants are not fit for the Lord.
2 Chronicles 35:3 — 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.”
Josiah restores order and purpose. The ark’s placement signifies stability and covenant continuity. The Levites are reminded that their calling is not burdensome ritual but service to God and to His people. When worship is rightly ordered, service becomes joy rather than strain.
Israel’s reformation came via a rediscovery of the law, which created a brief awakening to the bankruptcy of a corrupt nation. As a young man, King Josiah began the process of reformation with a spiritual purge, a cleansing of pagan elements from the religious life of the nation.
A few years later, Hilkiah found the book of the law of the Lord given by Moses. A scribe brought the book to King Josiah and read it to him. The result was dramatic: “Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes” (2 Kings 22:11).
2 Chronicles 35:4-6 — Prepare yourselves according to your fathers’ houses… according to the writing of David king of Israel and according to the document of Solomon his son….
Josiah roots reform in Scripture and history. He aligns present obedience with God’s revealed will through Moses, David, and Solomon. True renewal is never disconnected from God’s Word. Preparation matters because worship reflects reverence. God is not honored by improvisation that ignores His commands.
2 Chronicles 35:7 — 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.
“This was staggering generosity on the part of King Josiah. He provided thirty thousand lambs or goats for the Passover sacrifice, as well as three thousand cattle. It shows how passionate King Josiah was to have a proper Passover celebration, that he was willing to bear the expense.” David Guzik
“The total number of offerings is more than double that at Hezekiah’s Passover (2 Chronicles 30:24), a further indication of the greater generosity and significance of this occasion.” (Selman)
The king gives generously so that no one is excluded from worship. Leadership removes barriers to obedience. Josiah’s generosity mirrors God’s grace: provision so the people can fully participate in redemption remembrance. Worship is communal, and godly leaders invest personally in the spiritual health of the people.
2 Chronicles 35:8-9 — And his officials contributed willingly… for the Passover offerings.
Faithful leadership multiplies faithfulness. When the king leads in obedience, others follow freely. Willing generosity flows from a shared vision of honoring the Lord. Spiritual renewal spreads when leaders model surrender rather than demand compliance.
2 Chronicles 35:10 — When the service had been prepared, the priests stood in their places, and the Levites in their divisions, according to the king’s command.
“The service [had been prepared] is a rare but significant phrase occurring additionally in the Old Testament only at 2 Chronicles 8:16; 29:35, meaning that everything had been done as God required.” (Selman)
Order supports worship. Structure here is not rigid control but faithful alignment. God is honored when His people serve with clarity, unity, and purpose. Disorder distracts from worship; obedience directs attention back to God.
2 Chronicles 35:11-14 — They slaughtered the Passover lamb… and the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests….
This is shared obedience. Everyone fulfills their role so the whole community can worship rightly. The repetition underscores diligence and care. Worship requires effort, coordination, and sacrifice, but it yields joy rooted in obedience.
2 Chronicles 35:15 — The singers… and the gatekeepers… did not need to depart from their service.
Continuous worship is sustained by faithfulness in small assignments. Those who guard, sing, and serve quietly are as essential as those seen publicly. God values consistency and faithfulness over visibility.
2 Chronicles 35:16-19 — So all the service of the LORD was prepared that day… No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet….
This Passover is exceptional because it combines right worship, right leadership, right preparation, and right heart posture. Josiah’s reign reaches its spiritual peak here. Obedience does not guarantee longevity, but it does bring glory to God. Faithfulness is measured by alignment, not outcome.
“Reformation of faith and worship entails not only putting away what is false but also promoting what is true. The Protestant Reformers, for instance, did not merely do away with corrupted worship practices and doctrines; they also taught the people the true biblical faith and restructured worship to bring it into line with God’s Word. In this, they were following the model of kings such as Josiah, who led Judah in reformation near the end of the seventh century BC.
We have already seen how Josiah tore down the places of false worship in Judah and put to death the pagan priests in the territory he controlled (2 Kings 23:1-20). He also “put away the mediums and the necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem” (v. 24). Today’s passage describes how Josiah not only took things away in reforming the covenant community but also “added” elements, restoring biblical practices that had fallen into neglect. A key part of Josiah’s reform involved a massive celebration of the Passover (2 Chronicles 35:1-19; see 2 Kings 23:21-23).
Commentators note that, compared to the Passover celebrated during the reign of Hezekiah, about twice as many animals were sacrificed and consumed during the feast held by Josiah (2 Chronicles 30:23-27; 35:7-9). Only at the dedication of the temple during Solomon’s reign were more animals offered up to the Lord (7:5). Thus, it is not merely hyperbole for the Chronicler – the author of 1-2 Chronicles – to state that no Passover like it had been held among the people of God since the days of Samuel (35:18). These facts were particularly noteworthy for the original audience of 2 Chronicles. That audience, consisting of the exiles who had returned from Babylon and were facing great hardship in rebuilding the promised land, needed encouragement to eagerly and lavishly celebrate the appointed feast of Passover, which marked the redemption of Israel from Egypt in the days of Moses. As they struggled to restore life in the promised land to normalcy, they needed to know that God wanted them to celebrate His work with great joy even when circumstances were not conducive to it.
There is a lesson here for us. Though we will walk through trials, we should eagerly and lavishly celebrate the great redemption we enjoy in Christ.
We should not discount the real trials that we face or pretend that things on this side of glory are better than they really are. That does not mean, however, that we should practice an austere religion devoid of all joy. God wants us to celebrate His great acts of salvation and to do so with great measure. When we have opportunity to celebrate God’s salvation, let us do so joyfully.” (Ligonier Ministries)
2 Chronicles 35:20 — After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish….
The narrative turns sharply. Faithful worship does not exempt God’s servants from future trials. Victory in worship must be followed by discernment in action. This transition warns that even godly leaders remain vulnerable outside dependence on God.
2 Chronicles 35:21 — But he sent envoys to him, saying… God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God who is with me….
Here is the tension: a message that sounds theological but is not from God for Josiah. Discernment requires more than religious language. Josiah fails to seek the Lord before acting. Past faithfulness does not replace present dependence.
2 Chronicles 35:22 — Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself to fight with him….
This is tragic irony. The king who once submitted fully to God’s Word now relies on strategy rather than prayer. Courage without discernment becomes presumption. Disobedience here is subtle, not rebellious, but still costly.
2 Chronicles 35:23-24 — And the archers shot King Josiah… and he died….
Josiah’s death is sudden and grievous. A faithful life ends in a moment of misjudgment. Scripture does not hide this tension. Even good leaders can falter. The lesson is not despair but humility: finish every step dependent on the Lord.
2 Chronicles 35:25 — Jeremiah lamented for Josiah….
The nation mourns deeply. Josiah’s faithfulness left a genuine imprint. His loss is felt because righteousness had been real. A godly life, even with a flawed ending, still shapes generations.
2 Chronicles 35:26-27 — Now the rest of the acts of Josiah… are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
Josiah’s legacy is obedience. Scripture records both his faithfulness and his failure, reminding us that God’s standard is truth, not image. Josiah points forward to a greater King, one who would obey perfectly, discern fully, and lay down His life willingly.
Jesus fulfills what Josiah foreshadows. Josiah restored Passover; Jesus became the Passover Lamb. Josiah led people to remember redemption; Jesus accomplished redemption. Josiah died because of imperfect discernment; Jesus died in perfect obedience. Trust in kings fails. Trust in Christ saves.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) — 27 December 2025: Anchor every decision in dependence on God. Do not let past obedience replace present seeking. Return continually to worship, Scripture, and prayer, and let faithfulness govern both preparation and action.
Pray: “Father, thank You for the example of Josiah’s faithfulness and the warning of his final misstep. Teach me to seek You continually, not selectively. Guard me from presumption, strengthen me in obedience, and root my life in worship that flows from Your Word. Fix my trust fully on Jesus, the true Passover Lamb, and lead me to walk humbly with You to the very end. Amen.”
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