Chag Ha Pesach

Theobservance of Pesach (Passover) will be held on April 5-13 this year that is approximately the same time Christians refer to Easter. Rather than making the usual “Easter presentation”, I would like shall take a slightly different approach. The first thing to consider is the closing verse of the text: it is The Lord’s Passover.

All of our belief structures must be based on God’s viewpoint and not our own. Everything we are and have stems from the love and mercy of God and we are recipients of His grace.

The meaning of Chag Ha Pesach

The word Chag simply means Feast and often speaks of food

In other words it is God’s Feast or celebration meal of The Passover. At Passover much emphasis is made on food—the Passover meal, but it is a very special meal that requires much prior preparation and it is very personal Often times, church practices can become impersonal when communicants follow prescribed traditions and rituals. They may remember the events of Calvary, focus on Jesus’ death and tend to remain at that place, but the tomb is empty, He is risen and will return one day soon. Rather than looking back at the cruelty of the cross and a suffering Saviour, perhaps we would do better by looking forward to another supper—the Marriage Supper where Jesus will be the focal point as our Heavenly bridegroom.

At the conclusion of a Jewish passover meal or Seder, many people say L’Shana Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim, meaning next year in Jerusalem. They look forward to something.

And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon in the land of Mitsrayim, saying, “This month is the beginning of months for you, it is the first month of the year for you.

“Speak to all the congregation of Yisra’ěl, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this month each one of them is to take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.

‘And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next to his house take it according to the number of the beings, according to each man’s need you make your count for the lamb.

‘Let the lamb be a perfect one, a year old male. Take it from the sheep or from the goats.

‘And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then all the assembly of the congregation of Yisra’ěl shall kill it between the evenings.

‘And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.

‘And they shall eat the flesh on that night, roasted in fire—with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

‘Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire, its head with its legs and its inward parts.

‘And do not leave of it until morning, and what remains of it until morning you are to burn with fire.

‘And this is how you eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand And you shall eat it in haste.

It is the Passover of יהוה Exodus 12:1-11

The truth of this being a personal experience is found in Exodus 12, where in verse three, God said that each and every household had to select a lamb from the sheep or the goats—for that household. This was to be pre-planned and did not happen on that night. It was to be chosen on the tenth day of that month and kept separate for four days, during which time it was cared for and closely inspected to ensure that there were no flaws. If one particular household could not meet such requirements the neighbour next door was to be involved. It not only provided a form of fellowship, it gave opportunity for corporate worship and it provided real healthy food for everyone involved. This may be regarded as one way that the early church functioned, being what we may regard as “home church” today. We might be in the days whereby the Lord is preparing us for change, or a return to the simple fundamentals and basic foundations from which we seem to have drifted.

The Exodus was imminent, meaning that God’s covenant people were about to leave a lifestyle to which they had become accustomed for generations and enter into something totally new. If we really are living in the last days, something totally different to what we have grown accustomed is about to happen. We have to prepare ourselves for it, just as the Israelites had to prepare for it.

Food is also mentioned in connection with the tithe. We tend to regard the tithe as money, given into the offering at church, but that is not the full picture. In Deuteronomy 14:22-29, God’s people were instructed to bring food to the place that He designated at the time and to eat it before Him as an act of worship and thanksgiving. The word tithe is maʿaser that refers to one tenth and the word used for meat is tereph that is literal meat such as prey or venison. It is not the “meat of the word”, but literal food.

The only time money was mentioned was if they had to travel a long distance with the tithe, they could sell it, obtain money, travel to God’s appointed place and purchase food there to be eaten there as an act of worship. Such food provided for the needs of widows, orphans, strangers who aligned themselves with Israel and the Levites who had no inheritance as everyone else did.

The often misused portion in Malachi referred to the priests who had broken His edicts. They were cheating God, not the people. God instructed them how to prepare and consume the Passover. Anything remaining afterwards had to be destroyed. It had served its purpose for that event and God did not want them to turn it into an object of worship in itself. This is nothing unusual, as we are all exposed to the same temptations.

We are not to turn something that God used once or did before into an object of unwarranted attention, or worse—into an idol. The brass serpent God commanded Moses to make in the wilderness is a prime example. It was a tool that God used once, but never used again when they continued their journey, but the people took it with them and worshiped the thing. This can be seen in 2 Kings 18:1-4. It is something that can and does happen today. Whole denominations are made on this principle when God once did a certain thing and moved on, but the people remained there.

God also told the people that they had to keep their sandals on their feet, with their staffs in their hands and they had to eat it in haste. The latter did not mean to gulp it down, but to not procrastinate, because as God wanted them to realize, anything could happen at any moment and even though they were expecting it to happen, He did not want them to be caught by surprize. The significance to us today seems obvious.

If we compare their Exodus with our own Exodus, we must be ready, waiting, prepared and anticipating the Lord’s’ return. Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins is an excellent example, one of many, to illustrate that fact. An in-depth analysis of the marriage customs suggests very strongly that all ten women knew the time of the groom’s arrival, but were sleeping. Only one person saw his arrival and that was the watchman. God is raising up watchmen today who are keeping their eyes on the Lord and of the signs he is giving us. They are not allowing themselves to become distracted by other issues, even if some appear “accurate” There is a difference between that accuracy and truth! The children of Issachar who I often mention, not only knew the signs of the times—they knew what God’s people should do.

The people started to make their preparations four days ahead of the actual Passover and at evening on the fourteenth day of the first month, this lamb is to be slaughtered and its blood applied to the doorposts and lintels of each home. Only then, did they eat the Passover. Once again, there is a meaning to us, if we compare communion with the Passover. When Paul was addressing some issues in the church at Corinth, he said:

Boasting over your tolerance of sin is inappropriate. Don’t you understand that even a small compromise with sin permeates the entire fellowship, just as a little leaven permeates a batch of dough? So remove every trace of your “leaven” of compromise with sin so that you might become new and pure again. For indeed, you are clean because Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So now we can celebrate our continual feast, not with the old “leaven,” the yeast of wickedness or bitterness, but we will feast on the freshly baked bread of innocence and holiness 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

If Jesus is our Passover Lamb, the blood must be applied to each and every individual, just as it had to be applied to each and every home. Part of the Jewish preparation today in preparation for Passover is searching for and removing all leaven for the house. The preparation of the heart is what is important. Paul told us to examine ourselves beforehand so that we do not eat and drink unworthily and this too needs to be more carefully evaluated than it often is. It is not just talking about dealing with any “sin” in our lives in a legalistic and condemnatory manner as is often the case, but can have a reference to the application process. Partaking of communion is not a sacrament or ritual, but a testimonial. It is a love feast. The Greek word is καταγγέλλω that describes the sense of making a proclamation.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.1 Corinthians 11:25-29

We are reminding the enemy of his demise. We are telling each other that we are saved and we are letting God see that we have applied the blood of Jesus. God said that He would be looking for the blood and when He saw it, the death angel would Pass Over the house.

If the blood was not applied—they died.

If anyone did not enter into the house, they died—anyone.

Anyone can attend a church but not have applied the blood! Under that condition, I doubt if they qualify to take communion. It has nothing to do with birthright, church membership, whether one has been “confirmed” or not according to man made tradition—it’s all about the blood. The life is in the blood.

Jacob & Joseph

Before we continue, we should retrace our steps a little to look at what happened to bring the Israelites to that position as there could be some principles involved that affect us today in The Church.

Joseph had a dream and aroused the ire of his brothers who sold him into slavery, but they were unaware that this fitted in precisely with God’s plan. He had to go to Egypt! When the famine struck, Jacob and his children went to Egypt to be close to Joseph, who was now second in command to Pharaoh.

If we look closely at world events today, shortages of all kinds of products and the collapse of financial institutions is happening with increasing momentum. COVID came and almost shut down society with enforced restrictions and the “jab” that God told us personally not to take under any circumstances as He did to many others and the world is only now supposedly starting to reopen—but...

Was that a “trial run” to see how it would work? Is the world being slowly positioned and dumbed down for something else yet to come? It is conjecture of course, but such things can lead to end time events so it behooves us to be alert and watching.

God revealed what was going to happen to Joseph and to his credit, Pharaoh listened to him. We are of the opinon that God is preparing a modern day breed of Josephs—prophetic ministries who do not go around “giving words” that tickle itching ears, but genuine and anointed prophets declaring truth. The outcome depends on the listening. If they are received, many people may be saved. If they are ignored, the fate of many people hangs in the balance. The obvious question to ask therefore is whether people in the church are listening or not!

Jacob listened and went to Egypt to join Joseph and he was spared. If he chose to ignore Joseph and remained behind, he would have perished. Jacob and his children settled in Goshen and prospered wonderfully and their numbers grew and grew. As long as Jacob’s son’s were alive, the Children of Israel were accorded honor and respect, but after the passing of Joseph, everything changed.

In time, Joseph and all of his brothers died, ending that entire generation. But their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land. Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. Exodus 1:6-8

Our modern society seems to be forgetting the “old fashioned” truths and principles of God. I’m not being negative about this, but making an observation that can be verified independently in many ways. We appear to be coming into a season reminscent of “the days of Noah” whereby the entertainment, food, sexual deviance and other issues are becoming the norm. On one hand, churches are in decline, but God is doing something in the world that is remarkable and I am not referring to “revival” as this is unprecedented. “Revival” as some people seem to want is not coming as they want to go back to things that once happened but continue life as per normal. God is positioning us as He did with Joseph and his brethren for something that has never happened before and it ultimately led to the Exodus, just as it shall happen with us.

The Egyptians’ way of dealing with their “Jewish Problem” was to enslave the Jews. If we equate Egypt with the world system and sin, the “Christian problem” may be similar. They do not want us. To be more correct, they do not want religion. This is the kind of thing that shall be seen in end time events after we have gone and the tribulation comes. There is debate about such matters, but we are the restraining force on the earth, holding that back. We can see this in places like 2 Thessalonians chapter two, especially verses 6 to 12.

God raised up a deliverer, who we know to be Moses and just before he led God’s people out, the plagues struck Egypt.

1. The waters turned to blood

2. Swarms of frogs overran the land

3. Lice infested all men and beasts

4. Hordes of wild animals invaded the cities

5. A pestilence killed the domestic animals

6. Painful boils afflicted the Egyptians

7. Fire and ice combined to descend from the skies as a devastating hail

8. A swarm of locusts devoured all the crops and greenery

9. A thick, palpable darkness enveloped the land

The Israelites were then instructed to bring the Passover offering to God and the tenth plague arrived. All the firstborn of Egypt were killed at the stroke of midnight of the 15th of the month of Nissan—4 days after the people chose the lamb.

God said to Moshe and Aharon in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you. Exodus 12:1-2

This first month of the Hebrew calendar is now known as Nisan (נִיסָן), the name adopted during the Babylonian exile, but in the bible, it is called “the month of Aviv.” The meaning is intriguing. The Hebrew word for spring, Aviv is the biblical Hebrew name for barley when it is fully ripe and green, first mentioned in Exodus 9:31. Israeli barley fields at this month look like a sea of green. Nisan is beloved by the People of Israel because it is the month in which the Exodus from Egypt took place, because God stated that on that day they would be free people.

This begs the question: Why did God choose this month of Aviv/Nisan as the month of redemption? Not only did God redeem the Jewish people from Egypt in this month, but, according to Jewish tradition, the final redemption will also take place in Nisan, why? Aviv/Nisan is the first month of spring, when the natural world comes back to life. This is evident when we see the beauty of the buds and leaves sprouting everywhere. Farmers in biblical times would see spring’s arrival from the fat, green barley ears in their fields and just as God renews and reenergizes the physical world during this month, He does the same for the spiritual dimension of life as well. For the People of Israel, there has been no greater spiritual refresher than the Exodus from Egypt.

The world had never before, nor has it since, seen such an event. Imagine witnessing ten supernatural plagues destroying the mightiest kingdom in the world! Imagine millions of former slaves, all from one family, leaving their captives with unbelievable wealth—in the broad daylight of a new day after a night of terror to everyone else!

The Jewish people were finally free to worship the One God, to receive God’s word on Mount Sinai and to return to God’s land of Israel. This was the birth of a nation that would turn a world sunk in idolatry into a world of God-consciousness and Divine morality. It was springtime in God’s world, but the job had only begun. The People of Israel are miraculously back in their land, but there is still tremendous spiritual darkness in the world. Just like in Egypt, our world will become so cold and dark that many will give up hope for redemption and it will be another spiritual winter. In the end, God will fulfill his promises. Once again Nisan, the start of the spring, will bring the spiritual renewal and rebirth of the Jewish people in the form of the final redemption.

Jesus

We now come to Jesus. The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching. The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.

Luke 22:1-2

It is often said that the Jews crucified Jesus, but that is not necessarily true. The Romans did that. The leading priests and teachers of religious law were the ones who wanted Him dead, not the people. Most of them loved the Lord, but as happens today, political pressures, bribery, coercion and brute force still exist and most people succumb and we can understand that. “Comply or else” is the message and this is already starting to happen. “Take the jab or else” happened often. Enforced closures, curfews and travel restrictions happened. Here in Australia, people we know could not cross the road from their home to go to a supermarket to buy groceries—or seek medical attention because they had to cross the border from one state to another—one hundred yards away. As if that virus respected invisible borders! When we analyse the behaviour patterns of those who imposed their laws on others, it is absolute foolishness.

Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.” Luke 22:7-8

And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. Mark 14:12-15

According to God’s timetable and specific instructions, that lamb had to have been chosen four days beforehand as we have previously seen. Jesus knew that and He also knew that a man whose name is not mentioned would be doing something a man should not have been doing, but it was part of His plan. Someone chose that lamb in advance, fed and watered it and inspected it closely to make sure it had no defects. That upper room had been prepared in advance and this makes me wonder if the lamb had been slaughtered and dressed, ready for roasting, waiting for the disciples’s arrival. This means that the blood may have been placed on that house. We could say that the disciples’ task was to prepare the Seder and we shall investigate that later.

More instances of Passover

One thing that is not always obvious is that there is more than one mention of Passover in the bible.

We have the first Passover leading up to the beginninng of the Exodus, but there was a second Passover event that followed—a second Passover.

A year after the Exodus, God instructed the people of Israel to bring the Passover offering on the afternoon of the fourteenth of Nissan, and to eat it that evening, roasted over the fire, together with matzah and bitter herbs, as they had done the previous year just before they left Egypt.

Adonai spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert in the first month of the second year after they had left the land of Egypt; he said, “Let the people of Isra’el observe Pesach at its designated time

On the fourteenth day of this month, at dusk, you are to observe it—at its designated time

You are to observe it according to all its regulations and rules.” Moshe told the people of Isra’el to observe Pesach.

So they observed Pesach at dusk on the fourteenth day of the month in the Sinai Desert; the people of Isra’el acted in accordance with all that Adonai had ordered Moshe. Numbers 9:1-5

I emphasised certain parts to illustrate that God is very precise and specific about where, how and when we are to perform certain functions. There is a set time to observe and certain things are to be considered commands. Although Jesus fulfilled the types, shadows and prophecy, they are still valid, having never been annulled. There was a problem however. Some of the people had become ceremonally impure and the account says that they had handled the dead and whilst they wanted to observe Passover, they knew that they could not do so and fully comply with God’s instructions. They approached Moses and asked him for a solution and he asked God what they could do. God answered:

Adonai said to Moshe,“Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘If any of you now or in future generations is unclean because of a corpse, or if he is on a trip abroad, nevertheless he is to observe Pesach. But he will observe it in the second month on the fourteenth day at dusk. They are to eat it with matzah and maror, they are to leave none of it until morning, and they are not to break any of its bones—they are to observe it according to all the regulations of Pesach. But the person who is clean and not on a trip who fails to observe Pesach will be cut off from his people; because he did not bring the offering for Adonai at its designated time, that person will bear the consequences of his sin. If a foreigner is staying with you and wants to observe Pesach for Adonai, he is to do it according to the regulations and rules of Pesach—you are to have the same law for the foreigner as for the citizen of the land.’ ” Numbers 9:9-14

This reminds me of Paul’s comments mentioned earlier about qualifying to take communion.

At this point, it would be timely to mention the Tabernacle. The remainder of Numbers 9 reveals in great detail how God’s people had to follow the cloud. When God moved, they had to move and when God stopped, they had to stop. They could be in a certain location for one overnight stay only. They could remain there for several days and become complacent and not want to move, but if they remained there, they would be left behind. Watchmen were appointed to keep eye on God’s movement and sound a special shofar blast that was not used on any other occasion.

The significance to The Church is evident. We have reached the day when we cannot remain where we are, because the cloud is moving and the change many of us do not like is already here.

It is not that God has changed His mind, but that conditions have changed—and we have changed, so we must seek Him for His way of doing things just as they had to then. That was the significance of the Second Passover (Pesach Sheni), but there is more....

The Israelites traveled in the desert for forty years, observing the things that God had commanded and were now on the verge of entering the Promised Land. Moses passed away on the 7th of Adar, five weeks before Passover. Change was about to happen. A new era was commencing. In Joshua Chapter 5, immediately prior entering the Promised Land, God commanded Joshua to circumcise all males—because it was something that they had not been doing. Circumcision represents death to the old life and ceasing old habits. It was a covenant that God entered into with Abraham and was not to be forgotten. If we are in a covenant with God and if we are about to enter into a new era in The Church, a severance to the old life has to be made and old habits must fall away. Traditions of man have to be abolished and the traditions that God has prescribed must be picked up again. This is a principle we cannot ignore and when Joshua complied, God said:

Adonai said to Y’hoshua, “Today I have rolled off from you the stigma of Egypt.” This is why the place has been called Gilgal [rolling] ever since. Joshua 5:9-10

The people then celebrated with another Passover, but a change occurred. While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan. Joshua 5:10-12

God has sustained them for forty years, because the need existed at that time—but on the very day that they crossed the Jordan and ate the produce of the land, He stopped making that provision—the very day! Anyone who went out looking for it, because of habit and routine found that God had stopped doing what He had been doing for a complete generation. This is lesson that The Church must learn. We cannot keep doing the same things with which we have become comfortable and complacent and now rendering ourselves all but impotent. Israel’s history affirms that statement. The people had drifted. Human nature has not changed and I am convinced that the church has drifted, but watchmen are seeing something and sounding the alarm....

To illustrate look with me at 2 Chronicles 30, when King Hezekiah, the righteous king reintroduced the people of Israel to the ways of life that God had given them, but forgotten and sent out messengers enjoining everyone to celebrate Passover—a Revival Passover with him—but some of the people refused.

Approximately 100 years later, a similar event happened in the days of King Josiah, when in the eighteenth year of his rule, he announced his plan to have the Temple renovated. In the course of the repairs, the High Priest Hilkiah found a scroll that Moses had written. The passage that was read before the king contained the warnings of heavy punishment for the Jewish people if they failed to follow in God’s ways. The king was determined that these words and the warning of the prophets should spread through the length and breadth of the land. After the Temple was rededicated and the people returned en-masse to God, they celebrated Passover in grand scale, that not been seen since the days of Samuel the prophet. See 2 Chronicles 35:18.

Solomon’s Temple was eventually destroyed and the people were exiled. Decades later, Ezra and Nehemia led a group of Jews who returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple.

We read in Ezra 6 how the they purified themselves and celebrated Passover “with joy, for the Lord made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work of the House of God, the God of Israel.”

Passover celebrations continued in the Second Temple until it was destroyed by the Romans more than 400 years later.

The “revival Passover” and subsequent “revival Passovers” are merely a return to the original concept and design, which is why I am not praying for “revival” as do many Christians. I am looking forwards to something better, yet retains the patterns that God has already revealed to us.

What I have tried to show you is that Passover was not a “once-only” event, but something that is supposed to be celebrated every year. Following the destruction of the Second Temple and its altar in Jerusalem, they have been unable to celebrate Passover without the sacrifice of a Passover lamb, but Jewish people gather every year to celebrate the other elements of this special evening. For Jews today, the pinnacle is celebrating Passover in Jerusalem which is why they often say at the conclusion of the evening, L’Shana Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim and I shall say that again at the conclusion of this study.

It would be remiss of me not to mention that Pesach is but one of the Jewish Moeds (appointed times) that God established. Three times a year shall all your males appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord emptyhanded: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you. Deuteronomy 16:16-17. See also Leviticus 23 and Exodus 23:14-19.

They include Yom HaBikkurim (Firstfruits), Shavuot (Weeks), YomTeruah/Rosh HaShanah, (Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Chag HaSukot (Tabernacles) and Jesus attended them all. Each one has prophetic significance and have bearing on Chritian beliefs. Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur declare the reality of Jesus’ return to this earth. Tabernacles is one that is yet to be fulfilled.

Whilst the format or the actual order of service may have changed somewhat from the original, the Telling, or the purpose remains the same, passed down from generation to generation. This is not unique to Passover of course. This continues right throughout scripture and history. Deuteronomy 6:7 gives wise instruction to: teach them [all the statutes and commandments] diligently to your sons and to talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Jewish People have taught their children by the Torah and this has helped to preserve them as a People, despite the ravages of time and adverse human intervention. Through the Plagues of Europe, most Jewish People did not contract these terrible diseases, simply by living in accord to the biblical commandments. Such commandments were given for practical purposes like the preparation, storage and consumption of food before the days of refrigeration or personal hygiene before reticulated water supplies, sanitation or sewage services as well as religious purposes. God is a very practical God! Through approximately two millennia of suffering persecutions, pogroms, and the Holocaust, with no country to call their own, the Word of God bound them together and to God, giving hope, promise and purpose from generation to generation. Christians should thus understand that there is also an intangible spiritual benefit to learning and doing the Word and the Will of the Lord as the Jews do. These feasts were revealed by God for His own particular reasons, and through them all believers can be blessed, Jews and Gentiles alike. We would do well to constantly remember that Jesus was a Jew and is still a Jew!

So don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or RoshChodesh or Shabbat. These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah. Colossians 2:16–17.

We look on this passage as a means of avoiding legalism, but there is more to it than that. These festivals are not the ultimate goals of faith, for we reach our fulfillment in God through Jesus, by faith. Forgiveness and acceptance comes only by the cross. These feasts and celebrations however do hold tremendous lessons for God’s children. They are legitimate types, shadows or models of God’s truth. This truth had yet to come in the flesh, so until that great day arrived, they were given as a model by which people could pattern their lives—something to look towards. Shabbat (Sabbath) for example, has much to teach about our weekly lives, providing rest and relaxation and pervades every area of life right through to agriculture when the land was to remain fallow, giving the soil time to replenish itself, but it may also speak about our rest in God through Jesus Christ.

Moeds

The Feasts of the Lord were given to Israel and to grafted-in believers to help us understand more about God and his plan for the world. Whilst it is true that Jesus fulfilled the Law, it is equally as true that the Law has not really been abolished. He brought greater depth of meaning to the Law. For example, Exodus 20:14 says that we are not to commit adultery, but Jesus took it one degree higher than merely committing the physical act by saying in Matthew chapter five that looking and thinking inappropriately is the same as committing the act. Exodus 20:13 tells us not to kill or commit murder, but Jesus said that hatred was just as good as killing someone.

The Royal Law of Love under which we are to operate is a much higher level than merely adhering to the letter of the Old Commandment. The Law, or the Old Testament was put into place to point us to the way that Jesus ushered in.

When speaking about the Law, Paul said: Now before the faith came, we were perpetually guarded under the Law, kept in custody in preparation for the faith that was destined to be revealed (unveiled, disclosed), So that the Law served [to us Jews] as our trainer [our guardian, our guide to Christ, to lead us] until Christ [came], that we might be justified (declared righteous, put in right standing with God) by and through faith. But now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a trainer (the guardian of our childhood). For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ. There is [now no distinction] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham’s Seed], then you are Abraham’s offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:23-29.

... the kingdom of God is not a matter of rules about food and drink, but is in the realm of the Holy Spirit, filled with righteousness, peace, and joy. Serving the Anointed One by walking in these kingdom realities pleases God and earns the respect of others. Romans 14:17-18

Recap

The feast of Passover was the Beginning of Months for Israel. God changed their calendar forever. It became the first month of the sacred year and is the foundation for their experience with God. Calvary is the foundation for our experience with God. At the new birth, our lives are forever changed and a new life begins. We become new creations when all past sin is forgiven and eradicated as we apply the blood of Jesus to our lives by faith. Passover was a faith venture! If this was to be the beginning of months for them, it signified that God had more in store for them. The subsequent feasts reveal this and our salvation experience is also the start of a totally new life with much in store for us as we walk with God in newness of life. Salvation is not the end of it all—it is the beginning of a new covenant relationship.

The Lamb Was Hidden For Four Days. God commanded that the lamb that was chosen had to be taken on the tenth day and set aside until the fourteenth day. Jesus entered Jerusalem on the tenth day and died on the fourteenth day, or four days later. Dispensationally, we believe that it happened two thousand years ago, or, on the fourth day since creation. If one day equates to a thousand years, then our Passover Lamb died in the time slot God gave Moses as the anti-type fulfilment of that first Passover. John 1:29, 36; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Revelation 5:6.

The Lamb Was Of The First Year.

This signifies that it was the Firstborn. Firstborn males were set aside and given to God. See Exodus 13:11-13. Jesus was the firstborn of Mary. See Matthew 1:21-25. He was the firstborn of God’s new creation. See Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15-18.

The Lamb Had To Be A Male.

On occasions, a female was permitted to be used for certain other sacrifices, but the Paschal Lamb had to be a male. Romans 5:12-18 says that Adam (the first male) sinned, so a male had to die for sin. Romans 5:19-21 shows that The Second Adam brought restoration by His death.

The Lamb Had To Be Without Blemish

Before the sacrifice was made, the lamb was inspected thoroughly to ensure that there were no imperfections. God required it to be perfect and we see in 1 Peter 1:18-21 that Jesus met these stringent requirements. The Mount of Transfiguration was one place where he was pronounced fit. He spoke with Moses representing the Law, with Elijah representing the Prophets and Peter spoke on behalf of man saying it was good. God then gave His approval saying that Jesus was the accepted one who pleased Him. We could also say that others like Annas, Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas, the thief beside Him and even the Roman Centurion inspected Jesus and declared his worthiness. This make it legal in the courts of Heaven!

The Lamb Had To Be

Killed In The Evening.

Jesus was crucified between the hours of 9AM and 3PM. The lamb had to be killed In the evening (Between The Two Evenings) Exodus 12:6. The Jewish observances of Sabbath and their measurement of time (the 3rd Hour, 6th Hour, 9th Hour or 12th Hour etc) meant that even in the time of His death, Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of Passover. The Aramaic word for lamb is Talya, which can mean either Lamb or Servant. Isaiah 53 describes Jesus as a Lamb led to the slaughter. He is referred to as The Lamb 34 times in the New Testament. Jesus is our sacrificial Passover Lamb and was crucified at the same time the other lambs were slaughtered.

Do Not Break A Bone:

In exodus 12:46, God’s instructions were very specific in that not one bone of the lamb was to be broken. See also Numbers 9:12. The Gospels tell us that the Romans broke the legs of the two thieves to hasten their death, but when they came to Jesus, found that He had already died. See John 19:33. Psalm 34:20 says:

Though the misfortunes of the righteous be many, the Lord will save him from them all, Keeping all his bones intact, not one of them being broken.

No Foreigner Is To Eat The Passover:

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover. No foreigner may share in eating it. But everyone’s servant who is bought for money, after you have circumcised him, may eat it. A foreigner and a hired worker must not eat it. It must be eaten in one house; you must not bring any of the meat outside the house, and you must not break a bone of it. The whole community of Israel must observe it. “When a foreigner lives with you and wants to observe the Passover to the LORD, all his males must be circumcised, and then he may approach and observe it, and he will be like one who is born in the land — but no uncircumcised person may eat of it. The same law will apply to the person who is native-born and to the foreigner who lives among you.” Exodus 12:43-49.

When I first saw this, it puzzled me somewhat until I realized that God is a Covenant making and a covenant keeping God. His commandment applied to those who both believed the report—and acted upon it. The provision was for the household that had applied the blood—and for anyone who actually entered into it. This is like our salvation experience. We hear the report by the preaching of the Gospel but then we must make a decision to act upon it. Romans 10:9-10 is a classic example. Although the provision is there, or the promise is made, it does not automatically happen without our choice process. In other words, we must actually enter into covenant for the covenant to apply.

Church attendance and membership, fellowship, worship, bible studies, prayer, charitable deeds and such like, although admirable and desirable do not mean a thing unless we are in such a blood covenant. See Ephesians 2:8-10.

A Better Covenant:

Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”

But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. Hebrews 8:1-13.

Seder

I would like to share the details of how a typical Passover Meal or Seder is held. The modern Seder has an order of service called the Passover Haggadah, which with slight variants is followed by Jews around the world. The following is a summary of the evening’s events. Depending on local circumstances, those present traditionally recline on cushions on the left side at the table for part, if not all of the meal, but from personal experience, dining is at western style tables, with a head table at which the person leading the service is seated. In ancient times only free people had the luxury of reclining while eating, so the act of reclining represents the fact that we are free people. I am of the belief that the Last Supper was in this format, with the seating arranged in a U-shape where Jesus reclined in the centre position, most likely with John on one side and Judas on the other side of Him. This deserves detailed analysis that is better reserved for another time.

A traditional Passover Seder begins with everyone seated at a beautifully set table, often set with a special set of Passover dishes and cookware, only used once a year for that special occasion. Individual families often develops their own traditions, but certain items are found at nearly every Seder. On most occasions, one will find:

• A Haggadah: One for each guest

• A Seder Plate: This is often a specially designed plate containing the elements that assist in telling the Passover story, or a large plate or platter.

It contains:

Z’roah: A cooked and cleaned lamb shank bone

Maror: Bitter herbs such as horseradish from a jar for dipping

Charoset: A sweet apple mixture

Karpas: One good sized sprig of parsley for each person

Beytzah A hard-boiled or roasted egg (this is a reminder of when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD

• A small bowl of salt water for dipping (symbolising tears)

• Matzah: The Bread of Affliction

• The Afikomen The Leader will have three matzot wrapped in a Tosh, which is a special napkin dividing the three and coins ready to ransom a piece of the middle matzah that will be broken and hidden and found by one of the children. This piece is known as the Afikomen and has surprising symbolism.

• A set of candlesticks

• Wine (or grape juice)

• A large bowl and a pitcher of water with a hand towel

• A pillow for leaning (preferably or all present, but one at least for the leader

• A special goblet that is known as The Cup of Elijah

A major part of the Seder is called the Maggid, which is the retelling of the Passover story from Exodus and the recital of The Four Questions from the youngest son. For me at least, the dramatic story unfolds throughout the evening, often producing tears and rejoicing combined as I think of the blood of a lamb applied to the doorpost of the Hebrew slaves that saved them and as a believer think of Revelation 12:11 that says:

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony

I give testimony here to God’s enduring faithfulness from that first Passover lamb in Egypt to Yeshua—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

A typical evening commences with:

• Kadeish The blessings and the first cup of wine. The father of the house usually says the Kiddush

• Ur’chatz The washing of the hands.

In traditional Jewish homes, it is common to ritually wash the hands before a meal.

No blessing is usually recited at this point in the Seder

The blessing is usually recited over the washing of the hands before eating bread at any other time

• Karpas An appetizer.

Each person dips a vegetable into salt water, vinegar or charoset, depending on personal choice

• Yachatz This is the breaking of the middle matzah.

Three matzot are stacked on the seder table.

At this stage, the middle matzah of the three is broken in half. The larger piece is hidden, to be used later as the afikoman, which is the dessert after the meal. The smaller piece is returned to its place between the other two matzot

• Magid The telling of the story of Passover, and the change from slavery to freedom is told

• Ha Lachma Anya This is the invitation to the Seder.

The matzot are uncovered, and referred to as the bread of affliction with an invitation to all who are hungry or needy to join in the Seder

• Mah Nishtanah The Four Questions

Ma nishtana ha lyla ha zeh mikkol hallaylot?

Why is this night different from all other nights?

Shebb’khol hallelot anu okh’lin ḥamets umatsa, vehallayla hazze kullo matsa?

Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either leavened bread or matza, but on this night we eat only matza?

Shebb’khol hallelot anu okh’lin sh’ar y’rakot, vehallayla hazze maror?

Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but on this night we eat bitter herbs?

Shebb’khol hallelot en anu matbillin afillu pa‘am eḥat, vehallayla hazze sh’tei fe‘amim?

Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip [our food] even once, but on this night we dip them twice?

Shebb’khol hallelot anu okh’lin ben yosh’vin uven m’subbin, vehallayla hazze kullanu m’subbin?

Why is it that on all other nights we dine either sitting upright or reclining, but on this night we all recline?

The four questions have been translated into over 300 languages and the answers are as follows:

• We eat only matzah because our ancestors could not wait for their breads to rise when they were fleeing slavery in Egypt, and so they were flat when they came out of the oven.

• We eat only Maror, a bitter herb, to remind us of the bitterness of slavery that our ancestors endured while in Egypt. The first dip, green vegetables in salt water, symbolizes the replacing of our tears with gratefulness, and the second dip, Maror in Charoses, symbolizes the sweetening of our burden of bitterness and suffering.

• We recline at the Seder table because in ancient times, a person who reclined at a meal was a free person, while slaves and servants stood.

• We eat only roasted meat because that is how the Pesach is prepared during sacrifice in the Temple at Jerusalem.

At this part in the Seder, songs of praise are sung, including the song Dayenu, which proclaims that had God performed any single one of the many deeds performed for the Jewish people, it would have been enough to obligate us to give thanks to Him.

• Kos Sheini The second cup of wine. Magid concludes

• Rohtzah This is a ritual washing of hands. The ritual hand-washing is repeated including a blessing. Motzi (Who brings forth) is said with matzah

The blessing over the matzah is recited and then the matzah is eaten

• Maror The blessing for the eating of the maror (bitter herbs) is recited and then it is dipped into the charoset and eaten

• Koreich sandwich The maror is placed between two small pieces of matzo, similarly to how the contents of a sandwich are placed between two slices of bread and eaten

• Shulchan Orech The meal. The festive meal is eaten. It traditionally begins with the hard-boiled egg on the Seder plate

• Tzafun The eating of the afikoman

• This was hidden earlier in the Seder and is by tradition, the last morsel of food eaten by participants. No other food may be eaten for the rest of the night and no intoxicating beverages may be consumed, with the exception of the remaining two cups of wine. In some families, the children “steal” the afikoman and ask for a reward for its return

• Bareich This is grace that is said after meals

• The recital of Birkat Hamazon

• Kos Shlishi This is the drinking of the third cup of wine. The Third Cup is customarily poured beforehand

• Kos shel This is the cup of Elijah the Prophet.

Eliyahu ha-Navi In some places, the front door of the house is opened at this point. Some people relate this cup to the notion that Elijah will visit each home on Seder night as a foreshadowing of his future arrival at the end of the days, when he will come to announce the coming of the Jewish Messiah

• Hallel (songs of praise)

• Afterwards the Fourth Cup of Wine is drunk and a brief Grace for the fruit of the vine is said

The Seder concludes with a prayer that the night’s service be accepted A hope for the Messiah is expressed L’shanah haba’ah b’Yerushalayim. Next year in Jerusalem

Following the Seder, usually now getting late in the evening, people may recite the Song of Songs, engage in Torah learning, or continue talking about the events of the Exodus. This then is a typcal Passover and I hope you enjoyed it.

In conclusion, I would like to quote Jesus.

Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed.

Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”

“Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.

He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’

He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you. Luke 22:7-20.

That was His Last Passover as we know it under Old Testament conditions. Jesus said that He desired this so much that it was like a deep craving or such a passionate longing for it, the feeling in the original language is likened to a lusting after something. It was pressing in upon Him so much, that it was almost as if He couldn’t wait any longer. He sent Peter and John ahead of Him to get things ready, then when these preparations (that took a considerable time) were finished, He arrived and all twelve of them ate. He also said that it would be His last until He partook anew until it was fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. He fulfilled it!

All that remains now is for those who are making things ready for Him and He will return. Will you be ready? Will you be present at the great Marriage Supper?