Looking at verses 22 and 23 makes me wonder what was so special about that Passover. Was it the meal? Was it the king that reigned during it? Or maybe it was a celebration of deliverance again.
From reading these passages, I gather that Josiah, king of Judah, accomplished some spring cleaning that had not been done in a long time. He went to the extreme and destroyed everything that was pagan, including the bones of priests that burned incense to idols, and removed all the ashes from the land. Judah was delivered from their evil ways. And that led to great rejoicing. How awesome is that?
Those who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior have the same deliverance. The sinful nature is still there; the temptations are still there; but there is a victory that has been won by Christ dying on the cross for the sins of the world and rising again, conquering death. How awesome is that?
Lord of all the earth, You are worthy of my worship. You do not need me to give You worth; You already had it. All I do is acknowledge it. I acknowledge what You've done in my life and I praise You for it. Father, thank You for all the blessings I have received from You. I also thank You for the times that aren't so great; You are still the victor in my life. God, I ask that You bring Jess and I to the point of reading Your Word daily. We both so desperately need the Scriptures to be a part of our lives. With that we shall know You more, live our lives in accordance to Your will, and share what Your Son did for us with others. Ultimately, we shall worship You all the more because of Your proven worth through all ages. Father, it's in Jesus' name I pray. amen.