Day 38 – Celebration

2 Chronicles 35:1 Now Josiah kept a Passover to JEHOVAH in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He set the priests in their duties and encouraged them for the service of the house of JEHOVAH.

 3 Then he said to the Levites who taught Israel, who were holy to JEHOVAH, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. It will no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve JEHOVAH your Elohiym and His people Israel. 4 Prepare yourselves according to your fathers’ houses, according to your divisions, following the written instruction of David king of Israel and the written instruction of Solomon his son. 5 Stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of your brethren the lay people, and according to the division of the father’s house of the Levites. 6 Then slaughter the Passover offerings, consecrate yourselves, and prepare them for your brethren, that they may do according to the word of JEHOVAH by the hand of Moses.”

 7 Then Josiah gave the lay people lambs and young goats from the flock, for Passover offerings for everyone present to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand cattle; these were from the king’s possessions.

 8 His leaders gave willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, rulers of the house of Elohiym, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six hundred from the flock, and three hundred cattle. 9 Also Conaniah, his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave to the Levites for Passover offerings five thousand from the flock and five hundred cattle.

 10 Thus, they prepared the service, and the priests stood in their places, and the Levites in their divisions, according to the king’s command. 11 They slaughtered the Passover offerings; and the priests sprinkled the blood with their hands, while the Levites skinned the animals. 12 Then they removed the burnt offerings that they might give them to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of the lay people, to offer to JEHOVAH, as it is written in the Book of Moses. Thus, they did with the cattle. 13 Also, they roasted the Passover offerings with fire according to the ordinance; but the other holy offerings they boiled in pots, in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them quickly among the lay people. 14 Then afterward they prepared portions for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were busy in offering burnt offerings and fat until night; therefore, the Levites prepared portions for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.

 15 The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their places, according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer. Also, the gatekeepers were at each gate; they did not leave their position, because their brethren, the Levites, prepared portions for them.

 16 Thus they prepared the service of JEHOVAH the same day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of JEHOVAH, according to the command of King Josiah.

 17 The children of Israel kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 18 There had been no Passover kept in Israel like it since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, everyone in Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 They kept this Passover in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah.

God’s names:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Elohiym – Supreme God

Yeshuwa – Jesus

God’s character:

Holy

People give honor to various kinds of people, family members, city officials, and government leaders with special occasions for the service they did for their communities, government, and families. It’s always a great celebration whether the number of invitees is many or few.

King Josiah planned the Passover celebration to JEHOVAH and prepared the priests and Levites in their specific duties as authorized in the Book of the Law of Moses and directed by David and Solomon.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord, He invited you to celebrate His death and resurrection when He instituted what we know today as the Lord’s Supper during the Passover celebration before His death.

Every time you gather with other Christians to celebrate the Lord’s Supper; you need to come with a celebratory heart for what He did in rescuing you from Satan and giving you eternal life. Yeshuwa saved you from eternal damnation and gave you instead, eternal life with Him in heaven. Isn’t that worth celebrating with shouts of joy?

Josiah didn’t only have the priests and Levites sacrificing the lambs for the Passover, he also had the singers and musicians in their places. It was a time of great rejoicing for everything Elohiym did for them.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord, He gave you a reason to celebrate with songs of victory. Satan no longer holds you in bondage to him. Yeshuwa freed you, broke the chains off your life, and gave you a place at the table, the table of celebration, the table of victory.

Shout and give Him praise. Give Him honor and rejoice every moment of every day because you belong to Yeshuwa.

Let’s pray: Father, thank you for the death and resurrection of Your Son. Let me rejoice and give You praise for my salvation every day, not only when I celebrate with other believers. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 25 February 2025 by Valerie Routhieaux