2 Chronicles 35:7-15: a reflection

7Josiah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs and young goats, all of them for the Passover offerings, to all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bulls. These were of the king’s substance. 8His princes gave a free will offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the rulers of God’s house, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six hundred small livestock, and three hundred head of cattle. 9Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings five thousand small livestock and five hundred head of cattle. 10So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites by their divisions, according to the king’s commandment. 11They killed the Passover lambs, and the priests sprinkled the blood which they received from their hands, and the Levites skinned them. 12They removed the burnt offerings, that they might give them according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of the children of the people, to offer to the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle. 13They roasted the Passover with fire according to the ordinance. They boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the children of the people. 14Afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron were busy with offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night. Therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron. 15The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at every gate. They didn’t need to depart from their service, because their brothers the Levites prepared for them.

In the great Passover Josiah kept, the account notes how the Levites, after serving others, prepared for themselves and for the priests, who were too busy offering sacrifices to prepare for themselves. The Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the account says, because the priests the sons of Aaron were busy with offering the burnt offerings until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests. Because the priests were fully occupied with their own service, unable to stop and prepare for themselves, the Levites stepped in and prepared for them as well, so that the priests could keep serving without interruption. Each supported the other, so that the whole work of worship went forward. This shows the value of mutual support in service, so that the whole work can go forward. Support one another in service, so the whole work goes forward. The Levites prepared for the busy priests so they could keep serving. Mutual support enables the whole work to be done. Help one another, so that all can fulfill their roles.

Notice the mutual support at work in this scene. The priests were fully occupied, offering the sacrifices, so busy with their own service that they could not stop to prepare for themselves. And so the Levites, who had their own duties, stepped in and prepared not only for themselves but also for the priests, providing for them so that they could keep serving without having to break off. This is a beautiful picture of mutual support in the work of God. Each had their own role and service; but when one group was too occupied to attend to something, the others helped, so that the whole work could go forward and everyone could fulfill their part. This reflects a good pattern for serving God together, and for working together in any shared task. We each have our own roles and responsibilities; but we do well to support one another, to help where another is occupied or in need, to fill in the gaps, so that the whole work goes forward and each can fulfill their part. Rather than each attending only to their own role and letting others struggle, mutual support, helping one another as the Levites helped the priests, enables the whole work to be done well. We do well to support one another in service, helping where we can so that all can fulfill their roles and the work goes forward. Support one another in service, helping where another is occupied or in need. Mutual help enables the whole work to go forward. Do not attend only to your own role while others struggle. Help one another, so each can fulfill their part.

That is worth taking to heart, for mutual support in service, helping one another, enables the whole work to go forward, as the Levites prepared for the busy priests so they could keep serving. We can attend only to our own role, letting others struggle when they are occupied or in need; but the Levites helped the priests, preparing for them so the work could continue. Mutual support enables the whole work. Do not attend only to your own role; support one another in service, helping where another is occupied or in need, so that all can fulfill their part. Support one another in service, helping where another is occupied or in need, so that the whole work goes forward and each can fulfill their part, as in the great Passover Josiah kept, the Levites, after serving others, prepared for themselves and for the priests who were too busy offering sacrifices until night to prepare for themselves; for because the priests were fully occupied with their own service, unable to stop and prepare for themselves, the Levites stepped in and prepared for them as well, so that the priests could keep serving without interruption, each supporting the other so that the whole work of worship went forward, which is a beautiful picture of mutual support in the work of God, since each had their own role, but when one group was too occupied to attend to something the others helped so that the whole work could go forward and everyone could fulfill their part, reflecting a good pattern for serving God together and for working together in any shared task, since we each have our own roles and responsibilities but do well to support one another, helping where another is occupied or in need and filling in the gaps so that the whole work goes forward and each can fulfill their part, rather than each attending only to their own role and letting others struggle, so that mutual support, helping one another as the Levites helped the priests, enables the whole work to be done well.

Lord, in the great Passover Josiah kept, the account notes how the Levites, after serving others, prepared for themselves and for the priests, who were too busy offering sacrifices to prepare for themselves. The Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the account says, because the priests the sons of Aaron were busy with offering the burnt offerings until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests. Because the priests were fully occupied with their own service, unable to stop and prepare for themselves, the Levites stepped in and prepared for them as well, so that the priests could keep serving without interruption. Each supported the other, so that the whole work of worship went forward. Show me the mutual support at work in this scene. The priests were so busy with their own service that they could not stop to prepare for themselves. And so the Levites, who had their own duties, stepped in and prepared not only for themselves but also for the priests, so that they could keep serving without having to break off. This is a beautiful picture of mutual support in your work. Each had their own role; but when one group was too occupied to attend to something, the others helped, so that the whole work could go forward and everyone could fulfill their part. This reflects a good pattern for serving you together, and for working together in any shared task. I have my own roles and responsibilities; but I do well to support others, to help where another is occupied or in need, to fill in the gaps, so that the whole work goes forward and each can fulfill their part. Take that to my heart, for mutual support in service enables the whole work to go forward. Keep me from attending only to my own role while others struggle; help me support others in service, Lord, helping where another is occupied or in need, so that all can fulfill their part and the work goes forward, as the Levites helped the busy priests.