May 19

Journey-through-the-Bible-with-us

READING FOR MAY 19, 2026: 2 CHRONICLES 35, MARK 4, PSALM 44:9-16 

2 CHRONICLES 35 This chapter puts a spotlight on the preparations for and the celebration of Josiah’s reinstitution of Passover. Before Jesus, this observance was a required time to look back on God’s mercy in saving the Jews from Egypt: “It is a night to be observed for the Lord, for having brought them out of the land of Egypt; this night is for the Lord, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations” (Exodus 12:42). It also pointed forward to the time when Jesus, as the sacrificial passover lamb of God, would save all people who have faith Him.

This guide is being written on 4/6/2026. Yesterday, Yorktown Methodist Church celebrated Easter with extra music, extra guests, great joy, and a clear Gospel message. As wonderful as it was, in many respects Easter falls into the category of an optional celebration compared with the mandatory observance of Passover before the cross: “One person values one day over another, another values every day the same. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5). Why is that? “A person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Gal. 2:16).

Two other details stand out in Ezra’s retelling of this grand Passover celebration. One is how much respect Josiah paid to the scripture by conforming all details of the event to what was written many of hundreds of years earlier:

  • “Prepare yourselves by your fathers’ households in your divisions, according to the writing of Davidking of Israel and according to the writing of his son Solomon” (vs.4).
  • “Prepare for your countrymen to act in accordance with the word of the Lord by Moses” (vs. 6).
  • “They removed the burnt offerings so that they might give them to the sections of the fathers’ households of the lay people to present to the Lord, as it is written in the Book of Moses" (vs.12).
  • “They roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the ordinance” (vs. 13).
  • “The singers, the sons of Asaph, were also at their positions according to the command of David” (vs.15). 

The other added detail is the extraordinary generosity of the leadership, starting with Josiah:

  • “Josiah contributed to the lay people, to all who were present, flocks of lambs and young goats, all for the Passover offerings, numbering thirty thousand, plus three thousand bulls” (vs.7).
  • The officials of the house of God, gave the priests 2,600 from the flocks and three hundred bulls, for the Passover offerings” (vs.8).
  • “The officers of the Levites contributed five thousand from the flocks and five hundred bulls to the Levites for the Passover offerings” (vs. 9).

A final cautionary word is in order. For some unexplained reason, King Josiah felt the need to get militarily involved against King Neco of Egypt. The whole matter initially did not involve Judah. It was a needless battle. The text even states the following: “Nor did he [Josiah] listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God.” (vs. 22). We need to consider that God can speak to us through the words of unbeliever. He is not limited in how He communicates His will to us.

READING FOR MAY 19, 2026 CONTINUED: MARK 4, PSALM 44:9-16                                              MARK 4  We studied the parable of the sower when we read Mathew 13. There we saw that when the word of God was presented only one out of four categories of listeners responded in saving faith. Might we once have been good soil but now because of the obstacles listed such as Satan, afflictions, worries, persecution, and wealth, become unproductive soil? We read in Revelation 2-3, for example, of the churches that lost their first love and needed to recapture it. Time for a soil inspection. 

Mark’s account also repeats Jesus’s counterintuitive statement found in Matthew that His use of parables is meant to disguise the truth from those who choose to remain on the outside of total commitment. Jesus again uses the metaphor we saw first in Mathew 5 of a light not being hid under a basket but being placed on a lampstand. This is so that our lives as obedient Jesus followers will in turn lead others to become fellow followers. We are not faithful to Jesus just for His sake or just for our sake, but also for those who need to know the Lord. Consider our responsibility and opportunity.

The next two parables also relate to planting seeds, not inappropriate for mid-May, although it is getting a bit late in the planting season. Some of us are also running out of time to plant spiritual seeds, but it’s certainly not too late. A reassuring aspect from parable of the seeds (vs. 26-29) is that we don’t need to understand the entire process to plant seeds. In verses 30-32, we learn that even planting the smallest seed of God’s word can have a super large result. In these two parables, Jesus anticipates our feelings of inadequacy about spreading the word.BUT WE CAN DO IT IN HIS POWER.  In reading the account of Jesus asleep in the boat, the disciples exchanged a paralyzing fear of the storm (vs. 40), which is irrational for the faithful according to Jesus. Instead, fear the One who can calm the storm (vs. 41), which is the beginning of wisdom according to Proverbs 1:7.  FEAR GOD, NOT THE STORMS, AND BE WISE.

PSALM 44:9-16 The previous eight verses give us an overview of God’s heroic dealings with Israel in the past. Although secondary in importance to studying God’s word, knowing something about church history liberates us from the myth that our current culture represents the highest development of God’s people. Here the Psalmist laments Israel’s current state but is aware that it was not necessity normative. It was, by any honest evaluation, terrible. How was Israel viewed? “A laughingstock among the peoples” (vs. 14), as some Christians are today. Theologian Walter Brueggemann suggests we not minimize our discomfort: “Praise has power to transform the pain. But conversely the present pain also keeps the act of praise honest…As praise recontextualizes pain, so pain refocuses praise.” Don’t sugarcoat our prayers to God. He knows our hearts, values the truth, and desires our best interests.