Presents
Pamphlet #4341
Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
Presents
Pamphlet #4341
Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
My
Hi-lite: 2 Kings 23:1 ķAnd
the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of
Jerusalem.
2 And the king went up
into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants
of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people,
both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book
of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.
3 And the king stood by
a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD,
and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with
all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant
that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
4 ķAnd the king commanded
Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers
of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels
that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven:
and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried
the ashes of them unto Bethel.
5 And he put down the
idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense
in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about
Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to
the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
6 And he brought out the
grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron,
and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and
cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.
7 And he brake down the
houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the
women wove hangings for the grove.
8 And he brought all the
priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the
priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba, and brake down the
high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua
the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand at the gate of
the city.
9 Nevertheless the priests
of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but
they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren.
10 And he defiled Topheth,
which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make
his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.
11 And he took away the
horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in
of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain,
which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
12 And the altars that
were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah
had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the
house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence,
and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.
13 And the high places
that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of
corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth
the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the
Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did
the king defile.
14 And he brake in pieces
the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones
of men.
15 Moreover the altar
that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he
brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder,
and burned the grove.
16 And as Josiah turned
himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent,
and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar,
and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God
proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
17 Then he said, What
title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre
of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that
thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.
18 And he said, Let him
alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the
bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.
19 And all the houses
also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings
of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah took away, and
did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel.
20 And he slew all the
priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned
men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.
21
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the
LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
22 Surely there was not
holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel,
nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;
23 But in the eighteenth
year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem.
24 Moreover the workers
with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols,
and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem,
did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were
written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.
25 ķAnd like unto
him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his
heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all
the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
26 Notwithstanding the
LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger
was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh
had provoked him withal.
27 And the LORD said,
I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and
will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of
which I said, My name shall be there.
28 Now the rest of the
acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of
the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
29 In his days Pharaohnechoh
king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates:
and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had
seen him.
30 And his servants carried
him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried
him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the
son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead.
Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
1 Cor. 5:7
Purge out therefore
the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.For
even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Jesus Christ was crucified on the day of the Passover as that perfect unblemished Lamb of God, the one and only sacrifice for one and all time. It was on that momentous day that His body was broken, and it is by His stripes we are healed (Isa. 53:5), and His blood was shed on the cross for the remission of our sins (Mat. 26:28).
Matthew 26:26 ķAnd as they were
eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to
the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks,
and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins
On the night before His crucifixion He instituted the sacraments of the bread, which represents His broken body, and the wine which represents His shed blood, so whenever we partake of communion we do so in remembrance of Him and of the awesome price He paid on that cross because of His love for us.
It should also be pointed out that communion is solely
between you and the Lord and there is no man on this earth who has the
right to judge whether or not you are worthy or whether you can or cannot
take communion. You see, there is not one of us who is worthy of His grace
and of that supreme sacrifice He made for us. Just know that if you are
sincere and willing then He is willing.
This Psalm is written about David's Son and David's Lord (Mat. 22:41-45) documenting that He was indeed the Messiah, the "Man Christ Jesus", the one who paid the price on the cross. And as He hung there on that cross it is written in the New Testament that He cried out...Psalm 22:1 A Psalm of David.
There are many who teach and believe that the Father momentarily turned His back on His son because they read these words without understanding. But the Father did not turn His back on His son, for it was the Plan of God from before the foundation of this world that Messiah would come down from above and dwell in a tabernacle of flesh and suffer death to pay the price so that all who seek Him and believe on Him can have everlasting life. It would be by the will of God and His love for us sinners that He would be left there all alone to die on that cross, though He had the power at any time to call forth an entire host of angels had He so desired. You see, Jesus Christ was God, the Living Word, the Light of the World, by whom and for whom all things exist in both heaven and earth. If He willingly laid down His life then who could come to His rescue?Matthew 27:46Psalm 22:1
... Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?And so it was that Jesus Christ quoted the words of Psalmist written a thousand years before He was crucified on the cross:
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
The word "roaring" means a lamentation or sad song and this 22nd Psalm is that lamentation of the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ as He hung on that cross. It is the Crucifixion Psalm.
[2] O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
In Heb. chapter 11 we have the great cloud of witnesses and the testimony of our fathers documenting their faith and trust and their deliverance by the One who now hangs on the cross and who is left all alone to die.[3] But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.[4] Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
To be confounded is to be "confused" and if you trust in Him and in His Word then you will never be confused, for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace of mind (1 Cor. 14:33).[5] They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
The word for "worm" used here is "towla" which is a crimson, scarlet colored worm. We shall soon read of the brutal bloody scourging that lacerated the flesh of our Lord. And yes, He was despised by His enemies and even the people chose the murderous "Bar-abbas", which means "son of the father (with a little "f")", over Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father.[6] But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
They mouth off to Him calling Him names and mocking Him saying:[7] All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying,
How could any man have so precisely predicted this event right down to the very words the chief priests would say a thousand years later.[8] He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
Do not kid yourself, they still would not have believed Him.Matthew 27:41
Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,[42] He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
Psalm 22:9
But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
And so it is that He watches over His servants, those who love Him, even from the wombs of their mothers (see Jeremiah 1:5).[10] I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
The Father was not far from Him even as His mother Mary was not far from Him nor did she forsake Him. Even so, Jesus told John to take his mother home for as it is written here in the Psalms, He did this wonderous work all alone, without help.[11] Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
His enemies which compassed Him about were as strong as the mighty bulls of Bashan. Their remnant remain strong to this very day.[12] Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
His enemies, the kenites, were as a strong ravening, vicious lion who attacks the sheep. That nation of lions continue to do so this very day.[13] They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
David the shepherd, a type of the Messiah, slew both the lion and the bear who attacked his sheep, and then he went and dealt the deadly blow to the head of the giant beast, Goliath. How prophetic indeed.Joel 1:6
For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.[7] He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.
1 Samuel 17:36
Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
His heart melted like wax and all of His bones were out of joint, yet not one bone was broken.Psalm 22:14
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
He came to this earth, sent by the Father, for the express purpose of dying in the flesh. He would later say "I thirst", but not because He was physically thirsty but so that the scriptures of Psalms 69 which declare Him the Redeemer, might be fulfilled. You see, He not only quoted and taught from the 22nd Psalm on the cross He quoted and taught from the 69th Psalm. Here is verse 21 of that Psalm:[15] My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
We will read again and say more about this verse at the end of Ps. 22.Here is the fulfillment of that verse as recorded by John:Psalm 69:21
They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.Redeeming His people was His final act:John 19:29
Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.[30] When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
"Dogs" is a derogatory term used for the carnivorous, flesh devouring murderers who surrounded Jesus and closed in on Him. And by piercing His feet they actually fulfilled the scripture of Gen. 3:15 regarding Satan's seed, the sons of Cain: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." And so it is that Satan, that old Dragon even from the first earth age, did bruise His heel. But the Dragon shall soon lose his head!Psalms 22:16
For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Jesus' flesh was scourged to the point He could see His bones. Consider the following:[17] I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
When you take communion and partake of the bread sacrament, remember the brutal stripes of that horrific scourging which He took for each one of us!"The Romans used a scourge of cords or thongs, made more painful by various expedients which cruelty suggested. Pieces of lead or brass, or small, sharp-pointed bones, were attached to the lashes... Criminals condemned to crucifixion were ordinarily scourged before being executed. ... The victim was stripped to the waist, and bound in a stooping position, with the hands behind the back, to post or pillar. The suffering under the lashing was intense. The body was frightfully lacerated. The Christian martyrs at Smyrna about A.D. 1555 were so torn with the scourges that their veins were laid bare, and the inner muscles and sinews, and even the bowels, were exposed (Eusebius, Hist. iv. 15). ("J.D. Davis Dictionary of the Bibl", Fourth Edition, Baker book House, pg. 688.)
Again, this was prophesied a thousand years before it happened and it occurred exactly as it was written. Just think of that thief on the cross as he heard Christ teach Ps. 22:18 while he witnessed the following:[18] They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
You see, the thief on the cross did not accept Jesus Christ because he was afraid of dying. He SAW the detailed events of Ps. 22 unfold before his very eyes exactly as they were written and he KNEW He was in presence of the Messiah, the Son of God.John 19:23
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
[24] They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.Psalms 22:19
But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
"From the power of the dog" means from the paw or clutches of the enemy![20] Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
Verses 20 and 21 should read [20] Deliver my soul from the sword, my only soul (darling) from the paw of the dog. [21] Save me from the lion's mouth, from the horns of the wild ox. For thou hast heard... (next verse):[21] Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
You will find that these same words written by David and spoken by Jesus while hanging on the cross, were also quoted by the apostle Paul in Hebrews 2 where he teaches about the grace of God and reason why Jesus Christ died.[22] I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
His grace is His love for His children.Hebrews 2:9
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
This should eliminate any questions concerning Christ's divinity.[10] For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
[11] For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
He lowered Himself, lower than the angels, by coming down from above (on high) and being born of water, of flesh, through the womb of the virgin Mary who was from the seedline of Abraham. And He is not ashamed to call those "seed" who serve Him in this final generation, His brothers.[12] Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
Never think that He doesn't know how you feel when you are in anguish or being tempted. He knows because He's been there Himself!Hebrews 2:16
For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham.[17] Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
[18] For in that He himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.
To "fear" Him means to "revere" Him.Psalms 22:23
Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
He always hears your prayers.[24] For He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath He hid his face from Him; but when He cried unto Him, He heard.
In other words, He will fulfill all the promises He has made to those who love (fear as in revere) Him.[25] My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
You shall have immeasurable blessings as a co-inheritor of all things with Jesus Christ. The best part is you shall have eternal life too![26] The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
Jesus Christ will return as the King of kings and the Lord of lords and shall rule all nations with a rod of iron, which means by enforcing His righteous laws and commands.[27] All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
And His saints shall rule with Him a thousand years (Rev. 20:4).[28] For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.
Romans 14:11 "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."[29] All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
The "seed" that shall serve Him that Christ is referring (recounting) to is the one that "shall come" (see next verse). In other words, it is the final generation He spoke to the disciples about in Mat. 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, His "brothers and sisters" of the church of Philadelphia that shall serve Him and proclaim the gospel of the kingdom before His second advent.[30] A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
"That he hath done this" in Hebrew is the equivalent to "It is finished", the last words of Jesus Christ as He hung on that cross as recorded in John 19:30. Does it not make sense to you since it is documented that Jesus Christ spoke the first and the last verses of Psalm 22 that He spoke all the words of this Psalm as they came to pass?[31] They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
Notice that Jesus Christ did NOT die first and then lower His head. This is very important because NO MAN could take His life from Him. He willingly... and unselfishly... and lovingly... "bowed His head"... and LAID DOWN His life for you and me. That was the greatest act of love there ever was or ever could be. How could we not pour out our hearts and love Him for what He has done?John 19:30
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
If you would like to take communion at this time then get the ingredients, bread and wine, or that which you have available such as grape juice or even water and a cracker.
THE BREAD
If you have need of healing whether it is physical, spiritual, or both, now is the time to take it to Him. Isaiah 53:5 reads "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."THE WINEThen on the night that Jesus was betrayed He took the bread and blessed and brake it, and gave them to His disciples.
(Partake of the bread and talk to Him, which is to commune with Him.)1 Cor. 11:23
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:[24] And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
If you have need of repentance in your life, now is also the time to open up and be honest with Him and ask for His forgiveness. Matthew 26:28 "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."____(Partake of the wine and turn to your Father, who loves you very much, much more than you can ever know.)1 Cor. 11:25
After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.[26] For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
Copyright 2001 The King's Chapel,
Hershey, PA 17033
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