Zechariah
Zechariah, a leader who generously contributed to Josiah's Passover celebration (2Ch.35.8).
Biography
Zechariah is named among the leaders who gave generously toward Josiah's great Passover celebration in 2 Chronicles 35:8. Alongside Hilkiah the high priest and Zechariah and Jehiel, who served as administrators of the house of God, this Zechariah contributed 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 cattle from his own resources for the priests. This remarkable Passover, described as unparalleled since the days of Samuel (2 Chr. 35:18), required enormous logistical preparation and voluntary generosity from Israel's leadership. Zechariah's substantial personal contribution helped make the celebration possible on the grand scale that characterized Josiah's sweeping covenant renewal. His giving exemplified the spirit of wholehearted devotion that marked this high point of Judah's religious life.
Significance
Zechariah's generous contribution to Josiah's Passover illustrates the biblical principle that leadership in worship requires personal sacrifice and not merely administrative oversight. His example, alongside that of other temple administrators, set a pattern for the Levites and people who followed suit (2 Chr. 35:9), creating a cascade of generosity that enabled the historic celebration. The Passover itself was a memorial of God's great act of deliverance, and Zechariah's willingness to give sacrificially demonstrated that Israel's leaders understood their resources as held in trust for God's purposes. Such leaders embody the Pauline principle that "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7), a truth as applicable in Josiah's day as in any age.
Verse Appearances (1)
2Chr
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]