The Passover celebration commanded by King Josiah was uniquely special for three reasons: 1) It started when the lost book of God's law was rediscovered, humbling the king. 2) The king humbled himself before God. 3) They did the difficult work of removing idols from the land, confirming the words of God's law. As a result, the Passover was more widely celebrated than ever before, with the people united in their commitment to God.

1. Reason to CelebrateReason to Celebrate
Great Oaks Summer 2012Great Oaks Summer 2012

2. 2 Kings 23:21-232 Kings 23:21-23
[21] Then the king commanded[21] Then the king commanded
all the people saying,all the people saying,
““CelebrateCelebrate the Passover to thethe Passover to the
LORD your God as it is writtenLORD your God as it is written
in this book of the covenant.”in this book of the covenant.”

3. 2 Kings 23:21-232 Kings 23:21-23
[22] Surely such a Passover had not[22] Surely such a Passover had not
beenbeen celebratedcelebrated from the days offrom the days of
the judges who judged Israel, northe judges who judged Israel, nor
in all the days of the kings of Israelin all the days of the kings of Israel
and of the kings of Judah. [23] Butand of the kings of Judah. [23] But
in the eighteenth year of Kingin the eighteenth year of King
JosiahJosiah, this, this PassoverPassover was observedwas observed
to the LORD in Jerusalem.to the LORD in Jerusalem.

4. Why Was It So Special?Why Was It So Special?

5. 1) It started with1) It started with
re-discoveringre-discovering
thethe wordword of God.of God.
Why Was It So Special?Why Was It So Special?

6. 2 Kings 22:8-112 Kings 22:8-11
[8] Then Hilkiah the high priest[8] Then Hilkiah the high priest
said to Shaphan the scribe,said to Shaphan the scribe,
““I have found the book of theI have found the book of the
law in the house of the LORDlaw in the house of the LORD.”.”
And Hilkiah gave the bookAnd Hilkiah gave the book
to Shaphan who read it.to Shaphan who read it.

7. 2 Kings 22:8-112 Kings 22:8-11
[9] Shaphan the scribe came to the[9] Shaphan the scribe came to the
king and brought back word to theking and brought back word to the
king and said, “Your servants haveking and said, “Your servants have
emptied out the money that wasemptied out the money that was
found in the house, and havefound in the house, and have
delivered it into the hand of thedelivered it into the hand of the
workmen who have the oversightworkmen who have the oversight
of the house of the LORD.”of the house of the LORD.”

8. 2 Kings 22:8-112 Kings 22:8-11
[10] Moreover, Shaphan the[10] Moreover, Shaphan the
scribe told the king saying,scribe told the king saying,
“Hilkiah the priest has given“Hilkiah the priest has given
me a book.” And Shaphan readme a book.” And Shaphan read
it in the presence of the king.it in the presence of the king.

9. 2 Kings 22:8-112 Kings 22:8-11
[11] When the king heard[11] When the king heard
the words of the book of thethe words of the book of the
law, he tore his clothes.law, he tore his clothes.

10. 2) A2) A leaderleader
humbledhumbled
himselfhimself
before God.before God.
Why Was It So Special?Why Was It So Special?

11. 2 Kings 22:18-202 Kings 22:18-20
[18] “But to the king of Judah[18] “But to the king of Judah
who sent you to inquire of thewho sent you to inquire of the
LORD thus shall you say to him,LORD thus shall you say to him,
‘Thus says the LORD God of‘Thus says the LORD God of
Israel, “Regarding the wordsIsrael, “Regarding the words
which you have heard,which you have heard,

12. 2 Kings 22:18-202 Kings 22:18-20
[19][19] because your heart wasbecause your heart was
tender and you humbled yourselftender and you humbled yourself
before the LORDbefore the LORD when you heardwhen you heard
what I spoke against this place andwhat I spoke against this place and
against its inhabitants that theyagainst its inhabitants that they
should become a desolation and ashould become a desolation and a
curse, and you have torn your clothescurse, and you have torn your clothes
and wept before Me, I truly haveand wept before Me, I truly have
heard you,” declares the LORD.heard you,” declares the LORD.

13. 2 Kings 22:18-202 Kings 22:18-20
[20] “Therefore, behold, I will[20] “Therefore, behold, I will
gather you to your fathers,gather you to your fathers,
and you will be gathered to yourand you will be gathered to your
grave in peace, and your eyes willgrave in peace, and your eyes will
not see all the evil which I willnot see all the evil which I will
bring on this place.”’” So theybring on this place.”’” So they
brought back word to the king.brought back word to the king.

14. 2 Kings 23:1-32 Kings 23:1-3
[1] Then the king sent, and they[1] Then the king sent, and they
gathered to him all the elders ofgathered to him all the elders of
Judah and of Jerusalem.Judah and of Jerusalem.

15. 2 Kings 23:1-32 Kings 23:1-3
[2] The king went up to the house of[2] The king went up to the house of
the LORD and all the men of Judahthe LORD and all the men of Judah
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalemand all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
with him, and the priests and thewith him, and the priests and the
prophets and all the people, bothprophets and all the people, both
small and great; and he read in theirsmall and great; and he read in their
hearing all the words of the book ofhearing all the words of the book of
the covenant which was found in thethe covenant which was found in the
house of the LORD.house of the LORD.

16. 2 Kings 23:1-32 Kings 23:1-3
[3] The king stood by the pillar[3] The king stood by the pillar
and made a covenant before theand made a covenant before the
LORD, to walk after the LORD, and toLORD, to walk after the LORD, and to
keep His commandments and Hiskeep His commandments and His
testimonies and His statutes with alltestimonies and His statutes with all
his heart and all his soul, to carry outhis heart and all his soul, to carry out
the words of this covenant that werethe words of this covenant that were
written in this book. And all thewritten in this book. And all the
people entered into the covenant.people entered into the covenant.

17. 2 Kings 23:252 Kings 23:25
[25] Before him there was no[25] Before him there was no
king like him who turned to theking like him who turned to the
LORD with all his heart and withLORD with all his heart and with
all his soul and with all his might,all his soul and with all his might,
according to all the law ofaccording to all the law of
Moses; nor did any like himMoses; nor did any like him
arise after him.arise after him.

18. Judges 5:1-2Judges 5:1-2
[1] Then Deborah and Barak[1] Then Deborah and Barak
the son of Abinoam sang onthe son of Abinoam sang on
that day, saying,that day, saying,
[2] “That the leaders led in Israel,[2] “That the leaders led in Israel,
That the people volunteered,That the people volunteered,
Bless the LORD!Bless the LORD!

19. 3) They did the difficult3) They did the difficult
work ofwork of removingremoving idolsidols..
Why Was It So Special?Why Was It So Special?

20. 2 Kings 23:242 Kings 23:24
[24] Moreover, Josiah removed[24] Moreover, Josiah removed
the mediums and the spiritists andthe mediums and the spiritists and
the teraphim and the idols and allthe teraphim and the idols and all
the abominations that were seen inthe abominations that were seen in
the land of Judah and in Jerusalem,the land of Judah and in Jerusalem,
that he might confirm the wordsthat he might confirm the words
of the law which were written inof the law which were written in
the book that Hilkiah the priestthe book that Hilkiah the priest
found in the house of the LORD.found in the house of the LORD.

21. 2 Kings 23:152 Kings 23:15
[15] Furthermore, the altar[15] Furthermore, the altar
that was at Bethel and the highthat was at Bethel and the high
place whichplace which JeroboamJeroboam the son ofthe son of
Nebat, who made Israel sin,Nebat, who made Israel sin,
had made, even that altar andhad made, even that altar and
the high place he broke down.the high place he broke down.
Then he demolished its stones,Then he demolished its stones,
ground them to dust, andground them to dust, and
burned the Asherah.burned the Asherah.

22. 2 Kings 23:132 Kings 23:13
[13] The high places which were[13] The high places which were
before Jerusalem, which were on thebefore Jerusalem, which were on the
right of the mount of destructionright of the mount of destruction
whichwhich SolomonSolomon the king of Israel hadthe king of Israel had
built for Ashtoreth the abomination ofbuilt for Ashtoreth the abomination of
the Sidonians, and for Chemosh thethe Sidonians, and for Chemosh the
abomination of Moab, and for Milcomabomination of Moab, and for Milcom
the abomination of the sons ofthe abomination of the sons of
Ammon, the king defiled.Ammon, the king defiled.

23. 2 Kings 23:21-232 Kings 23:21-23
[21] Then the king commanded[21] Then the king commanded
all the people saying,all the people saying,
“Celebrate the Passover to the“Celebrate the Passover to the
LORD your God as it is writtenLORD your God as it is written
in this book of the covenant.”in this book of the covenant.”

24. 2 Kings 23:21-232 Kings 23:21-23
[22] Surely such a Passover had not[22] Surely such a Passover had not
been celebrated from the days ofbeen celebrated from the days of
the judges who judged Israel, northe judges who judged Israel, nor
in all the days of the kings of Israelin all the days of the kings of Israel
and of the kings of Judah. [23] Butand of the kings of Judah. [23] But
in the eighteenth year of Kingin the eighteenth year of King
Josiah, this Passover was observedJosiah, this Passover was observed
to the LORD in Jerusalem.to the LORD in Jerusalem.

25.  There is a shared senseThere is a shared sense
ofof celebrationcelebration amongamong
those who havethose who have changedchanged
theirtheir liveslives for God.for God.