Commentary - 2 Kings 23:21-23

Bird's-eye view

This brief passage records the high point of Josiah’s reformation, the great Passover celebration. This is not merely a historical footnote about a religious festival; it is the national capstone of a corporate return to God. After the discovery of the Book of the Covenant and the subsequent purging of idolatry from the land, the king commands the people to renew their covenant with Yahweh in the most explicit way possible: by celebrating the foundational redemptive festival of Israel. This Passover was not just a memorial; it was a national reaffirmation of identity. They were remembering who they were, a people redeemed from bondage by the blood of a lamb. The text emphasizes the uniqueness of this event, stating that no Passover like it had been held since the days of the judges. This highlights the depth of the previous apostasy and the thoroughness of Josiah’s biblically-grounded reforms. It was a moment of bright, glorious, and tragically brief fidelity in the waning days of the kingdom of Judah.

The entire event is a textbook example of what true reformation looks like. It begins with the Word of God being rediscovered and read (2 Kings 22:8-11). It proceeds to heartfelt, corporate repentance (2 Kings 23:1-3). It is then expressed through the tearing down of idols and abominations (2 Kings 23:4-20). And it culminates here, not in mere negation of evil, but in the positive and joyful worship of God according to His own instructions. This is covenant renewal in action, a national turning from sin and a turning to God, all orchestrated by a godly king leading his people back to the book.

Outline

Context In 2 Kings

This passage comes at the climax of the account of Josiah, the last godly king of Judah. His story begins in chapter 22 with his ascension to the throne at the tender age of eight. The pivotal moment of his reign occurs in his eighteenth year when, during repairs to the temple, Hilkiah the high priest discovers "the Book of the Law." Upon hearing its words, Josiah is struck with profound conviction, tears his robes, and inquires of the Lord. The prophetess Huldah confirms the coming judgment for Judah's long apostasy but promises that Josiah will be gathered to his grave in peace because of his tender heart and repentance. What follows in chapter 23 is a whirlwind of reform. Josiah gathers the people, reads the book to them, and leads them in renewing the covenant. He then undertakes a comprehensive and violent purge of all forms of idolatry, not just in Judah and Jerusalem, but even in the former territories of the northern kingdom. The Passover celebration in our text is the final, positive act of this reformation, the joyful feast after the house has been cleaned. It stands in stark contrast to the wickedness of his predecessors, Manasseh and Amon, and serves as a final, luminous moment before the nation slides into the darkness of exile under his sons.

Key Issues

According to the Book

One of the most important phrases in this entire narrative is found right here in our text: "as it is written in this book of the covenant." This is the engine driving the whole reformation. Josiah’s actions are not born from a vague spiritual intuition or a desire for moral improvement. They are a direct response to, and governed by, the revealed Word of God. The king doesn’t invent a new way to worship; he rediscovers the old way. He doesn’t poll the people to see what kind of festival they would prefer; he commands what God has already commanded.

This is the non-negotiable principle of all true reformation and revival. God’s people are not called to be innovative in matters of worship; we are called to be faithful. Our worship is not defined by our sincerity or our creativity, but by God's explicit instructions. When the book was opened, the path forward became clear. Cleanse the land, and then come before the Lord with the feast He instituted. This Passover was so remarkable precisely because it was so biblical. After generations of syncretism and man-made religion, a worship service that simply did what the Bible said was a radical and glorious event.

Verse by Verse Commentary

21 Then the king commanded all the people saying, “Celebrate the Passover to Yahweh your God as it is written in this book of the covenant.”

The command comes from the top. King Josiah, as the civil magistrate, understands that his duty before God includes leading the nation in its covenantal obligations. This is not a suggestion or an invitation; it is a royal command. True leadership does not just forbid evil, as Josiah had done in his purge of idolatry; it also promotes and commands righteousness. He directs "all the people," indicating that this is a corporate, national act. And the standard for the celebration is clear and absolute: it must be done as it is written in this book of the covenant. The authority is not Josiah, but the Word of God which Josiah is faithfully implementing. The Passover is to be celebrated "to Yahweh your God," reminding them that this is not for themselves, for their own sense of national pride or spiritual fulfillment. It is an act of worship directed entirely to the God who redeemed them.

22 For such a Passover had not been celebrated from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah.

The narrator inserts this comment to provide a divine evaluation of the event's significance. This was an unprecedented Passover. To say that nothing like it had happened since the days of the judges is a staggering statement. It means this celebration surpassed even those held under David and Solomon, the glory years of the united monarchy. What made it so unique? It was not likely the number of people, as Solomon’s feasts were enormous. The uniqueness must be found in the manner of its celebration. This Passover was singular in its fidelity to the book. After generations of neglect, compromise, and syncretism, this was a Passover celebrated with a purity of intent and a precision of practice that had been lost for centuries. It was a recovery of true, biblical worship. The long, dark history of the kings, both of Israel and Judah, had been a story of drift and decay. Josiah’s Passover was a radical break from that trajectory, a return to the ancient standard.

23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to Yahweh in Jerusalem.

This verse anchors the great event in history. It happened in a specific time and a specific place. The "eighteenth year" of Josiah was the year of reformation, the year the book was found. This shows that there was no delay. Upon hearing God’s Word, the king acted immediately and thoroughly. The Passover celebration was the fitting climax to that year's activities. It was held "in Jerusalem," the place God had chosen to put His name, in accordance with the laws of Deuteronomy. For centuries, the high places had competed with the temple, but Josiah had torn them all down. Now, all the people were gathered in the one, true place of sacrifice and worship. And again, the object of the celebration is emphasized: it was "to Yahweh." This was a God-centered, Word-governed, king-led, national act of covenant renewal.

Application

Josiah’s Passover is a potent reminder for the church today of what lies at the heart of any genuine move of God. We live in an age that prizes novelty, emotion, and relevance. But this story teaches us that the path to revival is the path of rediscovery. It begins when God’s people recover the Word, read it, and tremble before it. It continues when we, as a corporate body, repent of our sins and tear down the idols in our churches and our hearts, the idols of entertainment, pragmatism, and self-help spirituality.

And it must culminate in a return to true worship, worship "as it is written." We are not to be guided by what is popular or what "works," but by what God has commanded. Our worship should be a covenant renewal ceremony, where we are called into God's presence, confess our sins, are consecrated by the Word and sermon, and commune with Him at His Table. Like the Passover, our central act of worship, the Lord's Supper, is a remembrance of a great redemption. It is where we remember that we too were slaves in Egypt, the Egypt of sin, and that a Lamb was slain for us, whose blood turns away the wrath of God. If we want to see a reformation like Josiah’s, we must begin where he did: with a deep reverence for the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, a willingness to repent corporately, and a commitment to worship God in the way He has appointed, not the way we have invented.