Celebration

Read 2 Kings 22:1–25:30

21. King Josiah then issued this order to all the people: “You must celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as required in this Book of the Covenant.”
22. There had not been a Passover celebration like that since the time when the judges ruled in Israel, nor throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah.
23. This Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem in the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign.
24. Josiah also got rid of the mediums and psychics, the household gods, the idols, and every other kind of detestable practice, both in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judah. He did this in obedience to the laws written in the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had found in the Lord’s Temple.
25. Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength. 2 Kings 23:21-25

The lights go out and everybody sings the familiar song as the cake enters the room. Then the partygoers gather around the center of attention. “Make a wish!” somebody says, and during a brief pause the birthday girl stares at the candles and thinks, then takes a deep breath and blows. Soon the room is a paradise of cake and ice cream.

This reading concludes the focus on Judah’s kings. It’s like a sandwich, with Judah’s celebration right in the middle. From facing up to their sins at the beginning to getting hauled off into captivity, it’s quite exciting at both ends.

In this passage, you will also learn that grief isn’t all bad—sometimes it’s the best thing that can happen to you; how to start over; and the painful consequences of poor choices.

When Josiah rediscovered the meaning and significance of the Passover celebration in the Book of the Covenant, he ordered everyone to observe the ceremonies exactly as they were prescribed (2 Kings 23:21-23). The Passover was to have been celebrated yearly in remembrance of the nation’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt (see Exodus 12), but it had not been celebrated “since the time when the judges ruled in Israel, nor throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah” (2 Kings 23:22).

One common misconception holds that God is against celebrations and parties, and that he wants to take all the fun out of life. In reality, God wants to give us life in its fullness (see John 10:10), and those who love him have the most to celebrate—especially when we remember all that he has done for us.

Make Christian holidays special. And look for other ways to celebrate God’s goodness and blessings with your family and loved ones.