A FUNDAMENTAL CALL TO ACTION

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Josiah celebrated the Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the Lord’s temple. He said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been consecrated to the Lord:

“Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the instructions written by David king of Israel and by his son Solomon.”

“Stand in the holy place with a group of Levites for each subdivision of the families of your fellow Israelites, the lay people. Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves and prepare the lambs for your fellow Israelites, doing what the Lord commanded through Moses.”

Josiah provided for all the lay people who were there a total of thirty thousand lambs and goats for the Passover offerings, and also three thousand cattle—all from the king’s own possessions. His officials also contributed voluntarily to the people and the priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel, the officials in charge of God’s temple, gave the priests twenty-six hundred Passover offerings and three hundred cattle. Also Konaniah along with Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, provided five thousand Passover offerings and five hundred head of cattle for the Levites.

The service was arranged and the priests stood in their places with the Levites in their divisions as the king had ordered. The Passover lambs were slaughtered, and the priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them, while the Levites skinned the animals. They set aside the burnt offerings to give them to the subdivisions 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. They roasted the Passover animals over the fire as prescribed, and boiled the holy offerings in pots, caldrons and pans and served them quickly to all the people. 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.

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.

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. The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 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. This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.

2 Chronicles 35:1-19

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Different structured liturgical worship services I have attended contain an item titled “A Call To Worship.” As we look at the opening verses of 2 Chronicles, Chapter 35, we find Josiah calling his people to worship. You’ll recall that the sacrament of Passover had not been celebrated since the time of Solomon before King Hezekiah reinstituted it during his reign. As Josiah continues to reform, he now continues what Hezekiah reestablished.

Scripture tells us that the Passover lamb was sacrificed on the 14th day of the first month according to the tradition established when the Lord commanded Moses while the Israelites were in Egyptian captivity (Exodus 12). The process was detailed well in this passage as follows:

Josiah celebrated the Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the Lord’s temple. He said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been consecrated to the Lord:

“Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the instructions written by David king of Israel and by his son Solomon.”

“Stand in the holy place with a group of Levites for each subdivision of the families of your fellow Israelites, the lay people. Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves and prepare the lambs for your fellow Israelites, doing what the Lord commanded through Moses.”

Josiah provided for all the lay people who were there a total of thirty thousand lambs and goats for the Passover offerings, and also three thousand cattle—all from the king’s own possessions. His officials also contributed voluntarily to the people and the priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel, the officials in charge of God’s temple, gave the priests twenty-six hundred Passover offerings and three hundred cattle. Also Konaniah along with Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, provided five thousand Passover offerings and five hundred head of cattle for the Levites.

The service was arranged and the priests stood in their places with the Levites in their divisions as the king had ordered. The Passover lambs were slaughtered, and the priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them, while the Levites skinned the animals. They set aside the burnt offerings to give them to the subdivisions 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. They roasted the Passover animals over the fire as prescribed, and boiled the holy offerings in pots, caldrons and pans and served them quickly to all the people. 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.

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.

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. The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 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. This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.

Josiah and the Judean Israelites had just recently found the Book of the Law (also referred to as the Book of Moses) and they wasted little time following its guidance in carrying out the Passover celebration. The sacrifices were offered appropriately and the people then carried on with the Festival of Unleavened Bread for the prescribed seven days as the Israelites answered the call to worship fervently and happily.

But Josiah didn’t just call his people to worship. He expected so much more than that from them. For look at his words again as he spoke to the Levites whom the scriptures tell us instructed all of Israel:

“Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the instructions written by David king of Israel and by his son Solomon.”

His words ring out from the Lord, not just for the Levites and the Judean Israelites, but for us as well today.

“Serve the Lord your God and His people.”

Josiah’s exhortation is a fundamental call for action for all followers of the Lord. For at the heart of the Lord is service to those He loves so very much. This is totally evident in the life of His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ, the One through which Christians today form their identity. To be Christian is to be Christ-like and to be Christ-like is to be a selfless, loving servant, one who places the welfare of others well beyond their own. It’s what led Jesus to the cross of Calvary to suffer a criminal’s death, paying the penalty for the sins of all mankind. He willingly paid the price so we wouldn’t have to and as if that wasn’t enough, He died and rose again on the third day, ascending to the right hand of God so we too might follow Him in resurrection one day. The only thing we need to do to get there is to place our belief and trust in Jesus as our Savior. That’s it.

Too easy right.

But be ready for something to happen well beyond securing your place in eternity when you choose to allow Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of your life. For when you accept Him into your heart, He will change and transform you from the inside out, making you into the new creation that the Apostle Paul speaks about in his second letter to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 5:17) and Paul certainly knew a little but about being transformed and changed by Christ.

Part of the transformation all believers in Christ experience is the yearning and willingness to place themselves second so others can be first, ready and eager to sacrifice and do what it takes to make a difference in the life of another, even if it means having to die for them.

Josiah said, “Serve the Lord your God and His people” and no one did that more perfectly than Jesus. He answered the fundamental call to action and showed us how to do likewise. He then offered us His own call. Consider His words:

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Friends, following the Lord faithfully involves proactiveness not passivity. We are called to basic actions that we’re required to take. They are not optional for Jesus never opted not to care for, teach, heal, instruct, and save those who He came in contact with. He was never too busy for those who were in need and as we seek Him and follow His will and way, He will lead us to a life that models His own.

I can say from experience that there is no greater life we can life than this, a life that selflessly sacrifices and seeks to serve others with an unconditional love that transcends understanding, the kind of love that only comes from Jesus Christ living and abiding in our hearts and minds. My prayer for you is that you will have the same experience in your life.

Amen

In Christ,

Mark

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