TREASURE
Volume VI, Issue 1 | January-March 2025 | WNAC.ORG
TREASURE
Was Very Good ............................. 5
True to the nature of a broken cistern, the satisfaction soon leaks out like water and leaves me empty. Look to the living water and the only water that can sustain us.
Rest................................. 14
What do you think of when you hear the term Rest? Take a look at the biblical instructions for the sabbath and how we can take spiritual rest with the Lord.
Jesus Our Passover Lamb 23
Find out what the Passover meal looks like and what the Passover means to Christians today.
and Clean Drinking Water 10
TREASURE (ISSN 8960038) is produced quarterly by Women Nationally Active for Christ of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc., 5233 Mount View Road, Antioch, TN 37013-2306. Copyright privileges reserved. A 2024 Member of Evangelical Press Association.
Mail questions or comments to: Treasure, PO Box 5002, Antioch, TN 37011-5002 treasure@wnac.org | wnac.org | @WNACFWB
ISSN 8960038
Volume VI, Number 1
Editorial Staff
Ruth McDonald, DIrector
Phyllis York, Editor-in-Chief
Tori Matlock, Design
WNAC Board
Jonda Patton, Kentucky
Sharon Dickey, Texas
Tracy Payne, Arkansas
LeeAnn Wilfong, Missouri
Jessica Edwards, Tennessee
Katie Postlewaite, South Carolina
Melanie Franks, Alabama
Angie Fraser, Florida
Ashley Alphin, Ohio
Contributors
Emily Vickery, Tennessee
Danny Gasperson, Tennessee
Sam Postlewaite, Virginia
Diane Harrison, Alabama
Elizabeth Hodges, Tennessee
Austin Marlowe, Indiana
Jonda Patton, Kentucky
Sarah Sargent, Ohio
Ruth McDonald, Tennessee
About the Colunnist:
Jonda Patton attends Pikeville (Kentucky) Free Will Baptist Church, where her husband, Jim, pastors. (Jonda has attended Pikeville Church since she was saved at the age of 12.) One of her passions is Free Will Baptist Women’s Ministries—she began serving on the WNAC Board in 2011. She also enjoys meeting women from across the world, working with youth, and seeing the beauty of God’s creation.
Tidbits From Jonda
BY Jonda Patton
The word good can be used in many different ways. Good can mean to be desired or approved of. In Genesis 1:31, the Bible says, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Notice that “very” preceded good, which I believe means God approved. Can you imagine the beauty of His creation in the beginning? Creation came to life in six days and was given to Adam and Eve.
For a time, everything was very good: no worry, no sin, no sickness, no dying, nothing bad! What a wonderful place it must have been. But then, sin entered the world, and everything changed for Adam and Eve. Their sin was imputed to us; therefore, we have sin to deal with as long as we live. A payment we do not have the ability to make is required for sin. I am so thankful God provided not just a good sacrifice, but the very best He had as payment for our sin, His Son, Jesus Christ. How unworthy we are, but how thankful I am that God loved us enough to make a way for us to spend eternity in Heaven. It is a gift that is ours for the asking. We can never do enough good things to repay Jesus for His ultimate sacrifice, but He deserves our worship and praise. He commands us to tell others about this wonderful gift. It is not His will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9b). May we, as Free Will Baptist Women’s Ministries, continue to provide opportunities for each woman to fulfill the Great Commission.
Although I did not get to witness what God beheld as “very good” in the beginning, I am looking forward to the “very good” I will enjoy for an eternity in Heaven.
Until then, we live in the hope of restoration, knowing that God is still at work in the world and in our lives. Even though sin and brokenness are present, we can experience glimpses of His goodness in the everyday—through acts of kindness, the beauty of nature, the love of family, and most importantly, in the grace and mercy extended to us through Jesus. It is through these things that we are reminded of the goodness that awaits us in Heaven, where all things will truly be made “very good” once more.
IT WAS VERY GOOD JANUARY
BY R uth M c D onal D
Before I order almost anything online, I check the customer ratings. If I see five stars, I click “add to cart” with confidence, knowing other customers were well-satisfied with their purchase. Low ratings are a red flag, and when I see “often returned item,” I am reluctant to proceed.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
When God made this beautiful world of ours, He looked it over and gave it a five-star rating. “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good!” (Genesis 1:31 ESV). Adam and Eve experienced “100% satisfaction guaranteed” as they observed the master craftsmanship, high quality, and perfection of all God had crafted for them in the garden. They found He had thought of everything—the food was delicious, the environment perfect, the weather sublime, and the scenery breathtaking. Even their relationship was fully satisfying in every aspect. Nothing they could have desired was lacking in the perfect paradise of Eden.
Every evening, at the end of another perfect day, Adam and Eve walked with God and enjoyed delightful conversations and fellowship with Him. It was literally “just another day in Paradise.” I would love to have eavesdropped on some of those evening walks, wouldn’t you? God’s loving heart for human beings had created a world in which their every need, desire, and longing was satisfied by and in Him.
Heartbreakingly, though, we read just a couple of chapters later Adam and Eve lost their sense of satisfaction and desired something beyond what God had provided for them. Listening to the serpent’s sales pitch, Eve saw that the fruit of the one tree that was off-limits looked irresistibly delicious. Even though her belly was sated with the variety of beautiful and nutritious foods God did allow… even though the water that flowed through the garden was pure and crystal clear… even though the weather was ideal, and she was married to her soulmate… she was not satisfied. She just had to have that forbidden fruit.
A Forbidden Feast
She “took… and ate” (Genesis 3:6) and the rest, as we say, is history. Adam ate it, too, and every human thereafter has experienced the judgment that resulted from feasting on something God did not allow. In Genesis 3:19 God judged the earth saying, “by sweat… you shall eat bread.” Our present environment is far from paradise, and our living conditions include hard work, sweat, and dissatisfaction in the results of our labor.
The cycle repeats itself throughout Scripture and into our current times. In Genesis 27, we read about two brothers who had a pretty good life. God had provided for both of them, and they each found a vocation that suited their God-given personalities. But the older brother, Esau, got hangry and craved a bowl of meaty soup Jacob had cooked. His hunger and lack of patience led him to make a foolish and costly trade: he gave up the rights of being the firstborn in exchange for a bowl of stew. He traded in the truly valuable blessings of God for the fleeting satisfaction of a full stomach. And so, it continues to this day.
God’s Plan to Satisfy
God’s intention is still for us to be fully satisfied in Him. Consider these promises from the Bible:
Psalm 63:5 “My soul will be satisfied [in the Lord] as with fat and rich food.”
Psalm 65:4 “We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!”
Psalm 107:9 “He satisfies the longing soul.”
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Before we go any further, we need to understand the meaning of the word “satisfied” as it appears in the Bible. The Hebrew (or Old Testament) word for “satisfy” is saba, a verb that means to be satisfied or provided with abundance or saturated. It is a feeling of being fulfilled, fully content… like the feeling you get after a satisfying meal. The Greek word used in
the New Testament is translated, “to fill, saturate or fatten.”1
As a woman, I find it interesting that Scripture compares God to a nursing mother, and His people are pictured as breastfed infants whose every need, both nutritional and emotional, is met in Him. In Isaiah 49:15 (ESV) we read, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” Isaiah follows up with a beautiful passage in chapter 66, verse 13, that includes, “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.”
While I am certainly not in favor of changing biblical pronouns for God, it seems God’s character is most fully described when comparing Him to Father and Mother. Isaiah 66:10-13 uses the language applied to Zion/Jerusalem interchangeably with that used for God:
“…that you may nurse and be satisfied from her [Jerusalem’s] consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance… and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. As one who his mother comforts, so I [God] will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”
While many healthy humans, including me, were not breastfed, nutritionists maintain breastfeeding is the best option for most babies. Many reasons are cited for this opinion, including the closeness and intimacy built through nursing. In addition to the perfect nutritional blend of a mother’s milk, the infant enjoys the satisfaction of being held close, comforted, and nurtured emotionally. In ideal situations, proximity to his mother promotes a feeling of safety, knowing that when he is hungry or thirsty again, she will be right there to meet his needs.
God certainly designed a beautiful system for mothers and babies, and just as a baby finds all his needs met in his mother, God’s design is for us to find our full satisfaction in Him.
Think About It
So… how would you rate your satisfaction in Him today? Are you experiencing a five-star contentment as you walk with Him? Spend some time in honest reflection and circle the star that best describes your level of satisfaction at present.
Take a few moments to re-read the Scriptures listed above that promise satisfaction in Him. Compare them to Jesus’ statement in John 4:14 (ESV), “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” If we’re not experiencing five-star satisfaction, the problem is not with the product but with the consumer.
How to Experience Satisfaction: Stay Connected to the Source
The way an infant feels safe and satiated is by staying in close connection with his mother. If we are not experiencing satisfaction in our walk with God, perhaps we are not living in a consistently intimate relationship with Him.
When we come to Christ, we take our first drink of Living Water, and He fills our hearts and souls with so many wonderful things—forgiveness of sins, joy, peace, and so much more. But, to stay hydrated, we must keep drinking. Experts tell us we are already mildly dehydrated when we sense physical thirst. Thirst is our signal we have not been drinking enough. Likewise, if our souls are thirsty, it is likely
The way an infant feels safe and satiated is by staying in close connection with his mother. If we are not experiencing satisfaction in our walk with God, perhaps we are not living in a consistently intimate relationship with Him.
we are not taking regular and significant sips of Living Water.
Almost 400 years ago, a monastery cook named Brother Lawrence recommended that the key to satisfaction in Christ was to “practice the presence of God.” He suggested “that we should establish ourselves in a sense of GOD’s Presence, by continually conversing with Him…. That we should feed and nourish our souls with high notions of GOD, which would yield us great joy in being devoted to Him.2
Think About It
How can we take regular and significant sips of spiritual water throughout a typical day? Are there ways we can “practice the presence of God” and become more aware of our connection to Him? List ways to train your heart and mind to focus on God’s presence and provision as you go about your daily routines.
Don’t
Turn to Substitutes
As much as we love to indulge in chocolate and soft
drinks, when we are truly hungry, we want real food. When we are truly thirsty, we want pure water. Physical hunger and thirst are designed to turn us toward the things that will meet our needs, not empty substitutes.
Why, then, do we so often turn to useless things in an effort to quench our thirst and satisfy our desires?
As we saw in Genesis, God anticipated our every need when He designed a beautiful environment for the first humans. Why did they decide that they had needs He could not meet? Why do we?
Jeremiah 2:13 (ESV) says, “for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”
A cistern is a large holding tank, usually carved of rock, designed to hold a large volume of water adequate for all our needs. A broken cistern—one that has a crack and has sprung a leak—will not hold water no matter how often it is filled. It is like a sieve
instead of a canteen. Jeremiah indicates there are only two options: God (the fountain of living waters) and broken cisterns. Nothing and no one can supply us with living water except God Himself.
This word picture resonates with me, as I think of many “broken cisterns” I’ve tried throughout my life. The list includes things like relationships, the good opinions of people, material possessions, overindulgence in food, success, and pleasure. Like the original forbidden fruit and Esau’s bowl of stew, they satisfy for a while. But true to the nature of a broken cistern, the satisfaction soon leaks out like water and leaves me empty and thirsty again.
As anyone who’s ever been even mildly addicted to substances or behaviors can attest, the craving for more never ends. As quickly as we fill the cistern from the top, the sense of satisfaction leaks out the crack in the vessel and leaves us needing more. Author Lysa TerKeurst says in her book Made to Crave, “We must realize God created us to crave more of Him. Many of us have misplaced that craving by overindulging in physical pleasures instead of lasting spiritual satisfaction.”3
I have been privileged to hear author and speaker Jill Briscoe several times and even once shared a meal with her. She is famously quoted as saying, “Years ago, I stopped looking to anyone but God to satisfy me. There was no man who could love me enough… no child who could need me enough… no job that could pay me enough… no experience that could sat-
isfy me enough…” Only Jesus!
In John 7:37-38 (ESV) Jesus Himself “stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
Only Jesus can stop the leak, fill you up, and cause you to overflow. He is a five-star God, and His way is still “very good.” He satisfies the longing soul.
Bibliography:
1. “Hebrew Word Lessons.” HebrewWordLessons.com.
2. Lawrence, Brother. The Practice of the Presence of God: The Best Rule of Holy Life.
3. TerKeurst, Lysa. Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food.
About the Writer:
Ruth McDonald has served as the Director of FWB Women’s Ministries since November 2022. She served with her husband Donnie as a missionary with IM, Inc. in Japan. Born to church planters in the Pacific Northwest, Ruth has also lived in Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Arizona, South Carolina and Japan. Ruth actively participated in church planting, music, children’s ministry, evangelism, and discipleship. Ruth’s passion is for encouraging women in their faith through writing, speaking, and counseling. Donnie and Ruth have four young adult children and four grandchildren. Her family describes her as “crazy, fun-loving, talkative, and passionate.”
November
THP and Clean Drinking Water
BY D ann Y G aspe R son
When God, who is limitless in love, power, ability, knowledge, and wisdom, created the world where people would live, He did so with purpose and precision. He supplied everything mankind would need to survive and thrive. His design revealed His desire that physical need would not distract people from concentrating all their energy and effort on their personal, intimate relationship with their Creator. Creation reflected God’s perfect will for mankind. The Garden of Eden was heaven on earth.
God warned disobedience would have devastating consequences impacting people’s relationships with Him, themselves, others, and created order. The world would cease to function according to God’s perfect will. Unfortunately, man ignored God’s warning and injected sin into this perfect scenario and chaos ensued. Abundance, health, and harmony were replaced with insufficiency, hardship, and strife. We are still suffering from the effects of their fateful decision.
Thankfully, God did not give up on mankind. Instead, He initiated a plan to redeem and restore His original intent. He graciously provided a means of salvation through His Son. Then, He commissioned His people to proclaim the Good News and promote the restoration of God’s original purpose for created order. God does not desire people to remain enslaved to sin or suffering in life.
Statistics show we have a lot of work to do. More than 800 million people regularly live with hunger or food
insecurity. The WHO (World Health Organization) reports that 2 billion people (1/4 of the world’s population) do not have access to clean, safe water, making them susceptible to various life-threatening water-borne illnesses.
These realities are contrary to God’s will. The Hanna Project (THP), the humanitarian arm of IM (International Missions), exists to provide Help, Hope, and Healing to desperate people facing difficult circumstances. THP has special projects designed to address these needs.
1. The THP Clean Water Project has drilled more than 40 borewells and installed hand pumps in villages across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Central Asia, ensuring access to pure and healthy water for communities that previously lacked it. Typically, the women or children are tasked with walking great distances to the nearest source of water, which is sometimes scarce and usually polluted, and carrying it back to the village to drink, cook, clean, and bathe. The utter joy and sincere appreciation evident on the faces of those who now have an abundance of clean, healthy water is priceless.
2. The THP Emergency Response Fund has supplied essential food to countless individuals and families who are in crisis due to natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and drought or those suffering from the consequences of manmade decisions like war, terrorism, or oppression.
The Hanna Project offers physical bread and water to those in need, hoping it will lead to opportunities to share about the Bread of Life and the Living Water, which will nourish and refresh their souls. The Lord has blessed THP numerous times with success in this endeavor.
In 2022, a church planter from one of our IM partners in India began visiting a nearby village that has been exclusively Hindu for generations. Surprisingly, the village welcomed the Christian evangelist but had no interest in the Gospel he shared. Hinduism was their identity and their practice. The church planter noticed that the only water source for this village was a distant stagnant stream that was noticeably contaminated. He contacted THP to see if help was available. Funds were sent, and a well was provided. The people of the village were clearly grateful but still not interested in the Gospel. Later that year, monsoon flooding devastated the village. Their homes were damaged, crops destroyed, and livestock killed. Again, the church planter contacted THP, and funds from the Emergency Response Fund were sent to help. The villagers were so impressed by the compassionate benevolence of the Christians that the entire community renounced Hinduism and embraced Christ for salvation! Four brothers in the village donated land proclaiming, “If we are going to follow the One True and Living God, He deserves a house in which to be worshiped.” There is now a Free Will Baptist church in this village where God is honored and served.
The Lord does not want physical needs to deny or distract people from devoting all their energy and efforta to knowing, loving, serving, and worshiping Him.
About the Writer:
Danny Gasperson has served as Director of The Hanna Project since 2019 after a 20-year pastoral ministry in North Carolina. Married for 43 years, he and his high school sweetheart, Jackie, have a son, daughter, son-in-law, and two awesome grandsons.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Late one Saturday night, my husband Matt answered an urgent call from Marcel, a friend in Nantes (France) who works with immigrant women lured into human trafficking. Marcel shared that a woman from Nigeria, enticed into France under false pretenses, was trapped into prostitution. She managed to escape to the police, who decided to relocate her to St. Nazaire temporarily. She had lodging but no food and was arriving on the train from Nantes early Sunday morning. Could we help? Immediately, Matt sent out an SOS on WhatsApp to our church members, informing them of the situation and asking for donations.
Before church the next day, Matt drove to the train station and picked up Marie. Waiting at the church were bags of food dropped off that morning by church members. Our group decided to make it our mission to help the police take care of this unfortunate victim of sex trafficking. People brought in non-perishable food items for Marie every week, until the police moved her to another location.
By this time, we had built up quite a stock of food on shelves in our fellowship building. From time to time, we gave food to needy church attendees, poor university students, or homeless people who had heard the “little wooden church” was helping those in need.
Then Russia invaded Ukraine, and we were suddenly responsible for housing and feeding two Ukrainian families who had fled the war. The food pantry grew from a few shelves to an entire closet. Thanks to the food already waiting on the shelves, we helped these displaced families stock their kitchens and feed their families. This proved to be a huge blessing to our church family. They loved seeing how their generosity became a life-saving blessing to these Ukrainian families who had left everything behind.
Though some may view a food pantry as a side job of the church, it became a true ministry to our church. Our members saw firsthand how love and generosity can bless others and can show them the love of Christ in a tangible way.
About the Writer:
Born in Washington, North Carolina, Cristina Price moved to Omaha, Nebraska, with her church-planting parents when she was two. (She still bleeds Husker Red to this day!) For 22 years, Cristina and her husband, Matt, have been IM (International Missions) missionaries to France. They have twin 15-year-old daughters, Madeleine and Emilie. Cristina loves to read, drink tea, take walks through the woods near her home, and have deep conversations with guests around her table.
BEHIND THE SCENES
The idea for our clothing ministry was born in the heart of a church member, Elizabeth. Our church would provide free clothing to those in need in our community. We remodeled some classroom space, built shelving on the walls, and Elizabeth obtained several department-like clothes racks. At first, our church people or friends of church members donated clothing to get us started. The clothes were gently used, clean, and in good condition. Several ladies helped Elizabeth sort and display the clothing on the shelves according to size and gender. Large signs were strategically placed so people could easily locate the item they needed. We offered men’s, women’s, children’s, and infant clothing.
At last, we were ready for our first giveaway. We placed a few flyers announcing the event and posted them on our Facebook page. We had chosen Fridays and Saturdays about once a quarter to provide this. It was a success from day one! Friends told friends, and soon we had lots of people. Unfortunately, we also had opportunists seeking suitable clothing to sell at their yard sales. Others were taking jeans and sending them to Mexico to be sold for a profit. It became apparent we needed to set some parameters.
We eventually weeded out the opportunists, which allowed the more needy to benefit from our efforts. Soon, folks wanted to donate bedding, baby furniture, strollers, and more. Since we had limited space, we
decided to stick to only clothing.
With nearly 100 people coming through our doors on a weekend, we saw an opportunity to invite them to church. We set up a canopy and a table, asked church members to be greeters, gave out cold bottled water, took prayer requests, handed out Gospel tracts, and invited folks to special events like our spring Easter Egg Hunt or Thanksgiving and Christmas events.
About a week before our giveaway, we advertised on Facebook with paid ads. Thousands saw our giveaways and shared with their friends. Our neighborhood association, which meets at our church, saw an opportunity to pass out neighborhood meeting invitations.
What started as just a clothing giveaway has grown into a way to share the love of Jesus with our community. People from the community now seek us out to donate their clothing. Is it a lot of work? Yes, but ask if it is worth it. We think the answer is a resounding yes!
We have established a “presence” in our community that meets a need, but more importantly we represent Christ and His love.
About the Writer:
Terry Motte pastors First Free Will Baptist Church of Salem, Oregon, where he has served for 36 years. He is also a Certified Thanatologist and Hospice Chaplain. His wife, Debra, is a registered nurse and adult Sunday School teacher.
FEBRUARY
BY Diana Postlewaite
When you think of the Sabbath Day or the Lord’s Day, do you think of REST? Or perhaps you think of a day packed with responsibilities at church or a day to catch up on household chores. Some view the observation as a legalistic day that drains the weekend of fun, while others label it an Old Testament relic to be cast aside. Perhaps, like me, you sometimes feel guilty because your observance of the Sabbath doesn’t measure up to the ideal you have in mind. The purpose of this study, however, is not to promote legalistic “musts and must-nots” or to provoke feelings of guilt. The purpose is to examine the Sabbath’s biblical foundation, reflect on how Jesus Himself observed it during His earthly ministry, and consider some ways we can make the Sabbath what God intended it to be—a Gift, a Celebration, a Feast!
WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL FOUNDATION FOR THE SABBATH?
The Sabbath began at the beginning. Before Eve listened to the serpent in the garden, before the first sacrifice was offered on an altar, and even before the Ten Commandments were etched on
stone tablets by the finger of God Himself, a precedent was set. “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation” (Genesis 2:2-3, ESV). God consecrated a holy day of rest not because He was weary but because He knew we would need a day of restoration and rest.
Around 2,500 years after Creation and just three months after the children of Israel had been miraculously delivered from slavery in Egypt, God called Moses to meet Him on Mt. Sinai. There, He first spoke the Ten Commandments and then inscribed them onto stone tablets. It was a dramatic scene with smoke, lightning, thunder, and trumpet blasts witnessed by the multitude below. The fourth of the commandments was “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8, ESV). The purpose was to remind the people of God’s work of Creation and His provision of rest for mankind. “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore
the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (v. 11). The command to rest from work, given to a people who had been laboring seven days a week in Egypt, served as a reminder that their true dependence was not on their own efforts, but on the Creator who sustained all of creation.
THINK ABOUT IT: Does the way I observe the Lord’s Day reflect my recognition that I am totally dependent on the Lord for the provisions of life, including the very air I breathe?
At the close of the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Moses repeated the commandments in a farewell speech before he died. “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you” (Deuteronomy 5:12, ESV). This time, however, the commandment is related to their years of slavery in Egypt. Verse 15 says, “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath Day.” Thus, they were to observe the Sabbath to remember their deliverance from slavery in Egypt.
THINK ABOUT IT: What has God delivered me from that should result in my willingness to devote one day a week to resting in His presence?
The fourth commandment received the additional significance of being one of seven feasts that God instructed the Israelites to observe throughout the year. Leviticus 23:1-3 (ESV) describes them.
“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the LORD that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.”
Verse 3 speaks specifically of the allocation of the Sabbath as the first of the appointed feasts:
“Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do
no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.”
The feast of the Sabbath is not just a day of solemn rest but a “holy convocation.” This would indicate a gathering together for corporate worship and fellowship.
Bible scholars tell us that the word translated “sabbath” in the English Bible is derived from the Hebrew verb sabat, which means to stop, to cease, or to keep. God was serious about ceasing from labor and resting in Him. Old Testament Jews viewed the keeping of the Sabbath as a mitzvah, or duty, for which one could receive the death penalty if found guilty of profaning the day (Exodus 31:14, 35:2, and Numbers 15:3236, ESV). Isaiah and other Old Testament prophets pointed to idolatry and Sabbath-breaking as the primary reasons Israel and Judah were taken captive.
The Sabbath, however, is not simply a day when labor is to cease. It is to be a day of joy and delight (Isaiah 58:13-14, ESV). Charles Spurgeon said, “Time is a ring, and these Sabbaths are the diamonds set in it. The Sabbaths are the beds full of rich choice flowers.” Yes, the Sabbath includes a cessation of labor, but it is also a day to delight in the goodness of God.
Some might argue that we no longer need to observe the Sabbath Day because Jesus has fulfilled the Old Testament Laws. His own keeping of the Sabbath and His teachings about the topic during His earthly ministry seem to support the intention that all generations are to participate in observing the Sabbath.
HOW DID JESUS OBSERVE THE SABBATH?
He attended the synagogue.
The Gospel of Mark is widely accepted as the first of the four Gospels to be written. One does not have to read far into the first chapter before encountering Jesus on the Sabbath. “And they (Jesus and His disciples) went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching” (Mark 1:21, ESV).
Jesus made it a habit to attend the synagogue on the Sabbath Day throughout His earthly ministry. Luke
4:16 (ESV) records, “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.” The Gospels record many occasions when Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath.
He read the Scripture and taught.
The New Testament depicts Jesus attending the synagogue and actively participating. On at least ten occasions, He read Scripture and taught. Sometimes, He would read a passage from one of the Old Testament prophets and proclaim that He was the fulfillment of the prophecy. Luke 4:16-21 (ESV) records one such occasion when Jesus read about the coming Messiah from Isaiah 61 (ESV), rolled up the scroll, sat down, and proclaimed: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Other times, He answered accusations. Once when Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, a man with a withered hand was there. Noticing the man, some Pharisees asked Jesus if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus replied with a question about what they would do if one of their sheep fell into a pit. He concluded, “Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:1-12, ESV).
On another occasion, some Pharisees criticized Jesus’ disciples for picking and eating grain on the Sabbath. After recounting two occasions when revered Old Testament leaders seemed to have broken the Sabbath, Jesus taught a profound truth: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28, ESV). Notice that His words were not “The Sabbath was made for Jews.” He, who is lord of the Sabbath made it for all people of all generations. He healed and did other good works on the Sabbath.
The New Testament records seven miracles of healing performed by Jesus on the Sabbath:
Simon Peter’s mother-in-law
A man with a withered hand
A man born blind
A crippled woman
A man with dropsy
A man with an evil spirit
A lame man at the pool of Bethesda
Mark 1:29-31
Mark 3:1-6
John 9:1-16
Luke 13:10-17
Luke 14:1-6
Mark 1:21-28
John 5:1-18
Brandon Rhea, a Baptist pastor and avid student of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons shared the following viewpoint: “Spurgeon did not view the Christian Sabbath as a day of inactivity. Rather, a person should rest from his normal labors to labor for the Lord.... The sum of our Lord’s teaching was that works of necessity, works of mercy, and works of piety are lawful on the Sabbath.” (“Spurgeon and the Sabbath: A Theological Conviction,” founders.org)
When we serve others on the Sabbath, we are following the example of Jesus.
HOW CAN THE SABBATH BECOME A FEAST TO DELIGHT IN?
I am certain that most of us truly desire to “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” and to accept the Sabbath as a gift, celebrating it as a feast unto the Lord. If you are a pastor’s wife or a church leader in any capacity, Sunday can be the busiest day of the week. How can we possibly make it a day of rest and worship? Below are suggestions and ideas I gleaned from several sources and my own meditation on the question. By seeking to implement some of them, I pray we can affect our mindset in a way that will lead to true worship and service.
· Prepare your heart throughout the week. Look forward to Sunday as a gift from God. Determine to make it different from the other days and anticipate it as a holiday to be celebrated.
· As much as possible, leave tasks of cleaning, laundry, and job-related assignments for other days. One article said, “Rest in knowing that whatever you accomplish in six days of work, inside and outside the home, is enough.”
· Play worship music while the family is getting ready for church.
· Worship together and/or serve together in church.
· Abstain from social media and news, but connect oneon-one by calls or texts with loved ones and people you seek to encourage or mentor. (Our oldest granddaughter attends Christian College several hours away, FaceTimed us on a recent Sunday afternoon, and we talked, laughed, and shared for an hour. What a priceless gift!)
· Write notes of gratitude or encouragement.
· Read for your own enjoyment and inspiration. Read aloud with children, grandchildren, or with older adults. Everyone enjoys a good story!
· Spend time praying or writing out prayers of thanksgiving.
· Practice hospitality to a new family in church or the neighborhood. It does not have to be fancy or expensive.
· Visit older people or entertain the children of a young mom who desperately needs a nap.
· Nap!
· Take a prayer walk or sit on the porch and focus on giving thanks.
· Have a one-on-one spiritual conversation with a family member or friend. Listen more than you talk.
God never intended the Sabbath to be a boring or legalistic day of strict rules with no joy. On the contrary, Isaiah 58:13-14 makes it clear that our Father desires for us to celebrate the Sabbath with delight.
“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; 14then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (ESV).
As we approach the weekend, let’s celebrate and feast in the gift of the Sabbath.
About the Writer:
Sam Postlewaite and Diana met at Bible College (Welch) and were married in 1978. They have served at Gateway Church and Christian Academy in Virginia Beach, Virginia, since 1984. We are thankful for our three adult children and their wonderful spouses, who have gifted us with 11 brilliant grandchildren. After 38 years as a classroom teacher in various grades, I am currently an office assistant at the Academy and teach 4’s and 5’s on Sundays.
About the Writer:
Sarah Sargent loves to laugh and make others laugh even more. She is a third-generation member and leader in Free Will Baptist Women’s Ministries. She currently serves as president of the women’s ministry at Reynoldsburg Free Will Baptist Church and president of Ohio Free Will Baptist Women’s Ministries.
Giggles
BY SARAH SARGENT
Have you ever gotten the ‘church giggles’ during a Women Active for Christ (WAC) meeting? I have—plenty of times! But there’s one particular moment from about 12 or 13 years ago that still makes me laugh.
It was a local meeting at my church, and back then, we started with a potluck-style meal, followed by a business meeting and a Bible study. About 20 minutes into the meal, one of the young ladies asked the group what everyone thought of her spaghetti. Many of the women complimented her on the dish, and she seemed pleased. Then, she casually mentioned, “I wasn’t sure how it would go over because I didn’t use beef for the meat.” This, of course, prompted a follow-up question, “What did you use instead?”
She replied, “I used deer meat.”
Now, I know many people enjoy venison, but I’ve never been a fan of eating Bambi’s cousin. Someone suggested she might have mentioned that earlier, but no one seemed too bothered.
I’ve known this woman and her husband for years, and I had never heard of their hunting or doing anything outdoorsy. So, after I exhausted all possible ideas in my mind, I asked, “Who hunted the deer?” She answered with total nonchalance, “Oh, no one. My dad is on the Delaware hit team.”
At this point, I was even more confused. “What is the Delaware hit team?” I asked. She explained that after deer are hit by cars, her dad and his team are called in to remove them from the road. The meat in her spaghetti came from a deer her dad had been called to pick up!
Now, if only you had seen my face at that moment, I’m pretty sure my expression resembled Sebastian’s in The Little Mermaid when he realized Ariel had saved a human on the beach and was singing to him. (Don’t remember the scene? If not, just Google “Little Mermaid Sebastian shocked face.”)
Before I could even filter my thoughts, I blurted out, “You brought roadkill to a WAC meeting?” She laughed and said, “I guess I did.” At that point, my comment—and her reply—set off a ripple of giggles throughout the room.
Being involved in Women’s Ministries at nearly every level for almost two decades, I have never heard a story quite like this one. I’m not saying it hasn’t happened before, but maybe someone else has brought roadkill to a potluck, but I’ve never heard of it!
So, here’s my recommendation: if you decide to bring roadkill to a potluck, maybe give everyone a heads-up before the meal. I’m sure the other attendees will appreciate the transparency!
When God Makes You Rest
BY Diane Harrison
In Acts 12, King Herod had the disciple James killed, but Peter was only arrested. Through the ages and even today, God has allowed various followers of Christ to experience the same fate, while others live their lives in relative safety and peace. God has a unique plan for each of us, and we can rest in that plan.
In verse 6 of that chapter, we read: “Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping...” I have often been struck by that statement. On the eve of his execution, Peter was fast asleep. How? Because he had full confidence in God’s plan for his life. This reminds me of that childhood bedtime prayer:
“Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
Peter obviously was not reciting this little prayer before he drifted off, but I do believe his ability to sleep is evidence he trusted his soul in the Lord’s hands. And if Peter could trust the Lord under those circumstances; we can trust Him in any circumstances.
In 1991, my husband Paul was fresh out of seminary when the good folks of Cross Timbers Free Will Baptist Church called him to be their pastor. Our sons, Andrew and Adam, were ten and eight years old. We were very excited to embark on this new journey of Paul’s first pastorate. In May we moved to Nashville, and on July 5, I woke up feeling achy. I felt like I was coming down with the flu. The next day I saw a doctor, but he said I didn’t have the flu. My symptoms worsened, and by August, I had a fever and could barely walk. After many tests and a couple of hospital stays, doctors determined I had systemic lupus (a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack healthy tissue).
Through the years, especially early on, I had to accept that chronic illness was part of God’s will for my life. I have learned to be content in whatever state the Lord desired for me (Philippians 4:11). It hasn’t always been easy, but God never promised us easy. He has promised us His faithfulness, His constant companionship, and His peace. I have found that when I fully trust Him, I can find complete rest in Him and His plan.
About the Writer: A native Alabamian, I have been married to pastor Paul Harrison for 46 years. I have two sons, Andrew and Adam, and three grandchildren, Charlie, Lucy, and Matthew.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Have you ever noticed that the older you get, the faster time goes? Waiting for a birthday or special event as a child was excruciating! Now, it seems like I just put away the Christmas decorations when suddenly it’s time to get them out again.
When my husband, Steve, and I first applied to be missionaries with Free Will Baptist Foreign Missions (yes, we’re that old), we were told we would need to spend two years in a ministry first, gaining experience, before going to the mission field. An eternity! Especially after we had just spent four years getting a college degree. It seemed like such a waste to set aside all that time. Would we ever get to the field?
In the Bible, we read Paul had all the book learning and knew all the rules—he was a Pharisee! But after his conversion and before His ministry began, he knew he needed more. He set aside time to be with the Father to study and prepare. Even Jesus during His ministry on earth regularly reserved time to be alone with the Father to gain spiritual strength to continue. And he was God.
The Center for Intercultural Training, where we now serve, understands how vital it is for all Christians, especially those in ministry, to come apart and spend time with the Lord. CIT provides pre-field training for those called to minister overseas and debrief retreats
for those returning. Participants learn not just about culture and language, but also about the importance of their own spiritual health as the foundation for effective ministry. Often, those in the ministry tend to work, work, work and give, give, give. They become so distracted with doing that the reason for doing is neglected.
We must not make the mistake of focusing too much on what we do or focusing too much on self-care and basically accomplish nothing. A time apart on the sabbath is not about us; it is about being obedient to God. The excellent side benefit is that, as usual, obedience to God grants us the perfect balance of what we need.
At CIT Steve is a member of the facilitation team and was recently named Director of the Equipping program (four-week pre-field training course}. I am the Registrar and Administrative Assistant, the first contact participants have with CIT, and the one who organizes all the details before they arrive.
About the Writer: Appointed career missionaries with IM in 2004, Steve and Lori Torrison served two terms in Panama and then transferred to Uruguay when the work in Panama was turned over to national leadership. After two terms in Uruguay, they transferred once again to serve at the Center of Intercultural Training (CIT) in North Carolina. They have two daughters Melanie and Abby.
The Feast of Passover
BY Elizabeth Hodges
John 1:29
Remember! Over and over in Scripture we are reminded to “remember.” In the Old Testament God instituted seven feasts (Leviticus 23) for the Jewish people so they would remember and pass on these “remembrances” to the next generations.
Three of the seven feasts required Jewish males to travel to Jerusalem for celebration each year: the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths). If distance prevented Jewish males from attending all three, they tried to attend the most important one, the Passover. Important because this feast pointed toward Calvary where the Lamb of God was slain.
In the book of Exodus, the events of the ten plagues and subsequent exodus of the Israelites are so significant for Israel’s identity as an emerging nation that the month they came out of Egypt became the first month of their religious year. God set aside sacred periods that included holy days and festivals—rest from daily life activities and time to remember with the focus of worshiping Yahweh. (The Jews also operated under a civil calendar. Should we consider having our own “remembering calendar?”)
Specific Features – Exodus 12
The sacrificial lamb was selected on the tenth day of the first month, Abib (March/April). It must be a one-year-old male, free of any blemishes or defects. (A kid goat could be used instead if a lamb was not available.) It was then kept separated from the flock until the fourteenth day when it was slain at twilight. Such specific instructions ensured the Passover lamb was fit for this sacred sacrifice.
This lamb was sufficient for one household or could be shared with a neighbor. The laws requiring its preparation were as such: it was roasted, not boiled, and should not be eaten raw, as that was a practice of the neighboring pagan nations. The Law required it be prepared whole, including its head and unbroken legs. Any leftover portions were to be burned, leaving
nothing behind.
The blood of this lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts and lintel (the space above a doorway) of the house where the meal was eaten. The blood indicated the household members had followed the Lord’s instructions and were consecrated to Him. Thus, the occupants of this house would be “passed over” while the Lord destroyed the firstborn in the rest of Egypt, thus the feast’s name, Passover. For the Israelites, the blood was a reminder that a life had to be sacrificed for them to live.
The house was meticulously cleaned eliminating any trace of leaven. For the Passover meal, only unleavened bread was permitted. According to Exodus 12:19, this bread was eaten for seven days before the tenth plague was unleashed. Those who chose to eat leavened bread demonstrated disdain for what the Lord had done in establishing the nation of Israel and faced the consequences of banishment or even the death penalty.
The meal would be eaten with bitter herbs, a reminder of their years in slavery.
“In this manner shall you eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and a staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste” (Exodus 12:11).
The Israelites were to be ready to travel.
The first Passover was a family affair where each household sacrificed a lamb. In Numbers 28:16-25, the priests received specific instructions for preparing the Passover. These detailed instructions were provided just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, highlighting their importance. “My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time” (Numbers 28:2). The lambs would be offered as communal sacrifices, consumed by both the priests and those bringing the offerings, in the presence of God in the Israelite camp and later at the Temple in Jerusalem.
Special Observances
Luke 2:41-52 records the only mention of Jesus’ boyhood, which includes a trip to Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus stayed in the Temple, asking and answering questions that amazed the teachers with His understanding.
During the pilgrimage home, Mary and Joseph could not find Jesus, and they spent three days locating Him. When found, Jesus asks them, “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” (verse 49). Another translation says, “I had to be in my Father’s house.” This incident is pivotal as Jesus’ first self-witness to His deity. He was 12, so this would be the last Passover before His adulthood.
John the Baptist recognized Jesus as Messiah and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
John 2 begins with the miracle in Cana of Galilee, where Jesus turns the water to wine, which was “the first of his signs…and manifested his glory” (verse 11).
John 2:13-23 records Jesus going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. With a whip in hand, He cleanses the Temple of the moneychangers by overturning their tables, and says, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade” (verse 16). And in the following verse, “His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me’” (verse 17; Psalm 69:9). When questioned by the Jews, Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (verse 19). He was referring to His body, establishing Him as the new center of worship (John 4:24). The Jews assumed He was referring to the Temple itself. The disciples later remembered this encounter when Jesus was raised from the dead.
John 6:4 records the Passover one year before Jesus’ crucifixion. By this time Messianic hopes ran high. Jesus is in Galilee and feeds the 5,000 with the lad’s lunch. All four gospels record Passion Week and Jesus’ last Passover (Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:1-26; Luke 22:7-20; and John 13).
The Sanhedrin plotted Jesus’ death sometime
between sunset on Tuesday and Wednesday. They wanted Jesus arrested when a crowd was not present. Judas became that connection.
Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus’ head with her alabaster jar, which Judas thought was a waste. Jesus interpreted her act as a worshipful gift since she was anointing Him for His burial. Had she glimpsed His impending death through her worshipful communion with Jesus?
“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed” (Luke 22:7). Jesus and the disciples were staying in Bethany, but the Passover meal had to be eaten within the walls of Jerusalem. Jesus sent Peter and John to Jerusalem to make the preparations. Food for the meal included unleavened bread, wine, bitter herbs, sauce of crushed fruit, and the lamb.
They were instructed to look for a man carrying a water pitcher, which was unusual as women typically handled this task. They were to follow him, and when he entered a house, they were to ask, “The Teacher asks, ‘Where is my guest room in which I may eat the Passover lamb with my disciples?’” (Mark 14:14).
A large, furnished room awaited them. According to Jewish custom, anyone in Jerusalem with a spare room would, upon request, give it to a pilgrim celebrating Passover. It seems Jesus had already made arrangements with the owner.
Jesus knew his hour had come (Luke 22:14). He told the disciples, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (verse 15). Jesus took the cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes” (verses 17-18).
Jesus again took the bread, gave thanks, and broke it saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (verse 19). After eating, Jesus took the cup and said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (verse 20).
After this Matthew tells us that Jesus went to Geth-
semane, and His disciples followed Him. There Jesus agonized in prayer. Three times He said, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:36-46). God’s plan from eternity past was coming to pass.
Symbolism Fulfilled
“Using the language of Augustine, what was‘concealed’ in the Old Testament is ‘revealed’ in full color in the New Testament. The authoritative revelation of God in the Old Testament opens like a flower in full bloom in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.”
(Matthew Price, Fusion Family, Sept/Oct. 2024)
Beginning in Genesis 3, the only way to approach holy God was through a blood sacrifice. After Adam and Eve sinned, they sewed fig leaves together for clothing. Because that was not sufficient, God killed an animal and clothed them with its skin.
As the Jews brought in their sacrificial Passover lambs, Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem while the crowd shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9). The lambs were pastured in Bethlehem until taken into Jerusalem to be slaughtered. The Lamb of God was born in a Bethlehem stable 33 years earlier. Jesus and His disciples were staying with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethlehem when they came to Jerusalem to celebrate what would be the last Passover.
Now in Jerusalem, the religious leaders tried to question and trap Jesus, but their efforts were in vain. Those aware of Jesus’ location were instructed to inform them, and Judas delivered the plan.
After Judas’ betrayal and the mock trials, the Jewish
leaders appealed to Pilate for Jesus’ crucifixion. Pilate said, “I find no fault in Him” (John 19:4). Yet to appease the Jewish mob, he had Jesus scourged, beaten, and crucified.
Isaiah prophesied, “the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all….he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter” (53: 6-7). Then in verse 11, “By his knowledge, shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”
Not only was Jesus crucified at the third hour, but His blood also spilled on the ground satisfying God’s standard. At the ninth hour, the Roman guards watched Jesus die as the Passover lambs were slaughtered at the Temple.
The lambs were roasted on a spit shaped like a crossbar, roasted whole, with no bones broken (Numbers 9:12), and eaten completely. After Jesus’ death, the Jews did not want the three bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath. They asked Pilate to have their legs broken (John 19:31). “But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs” (John 19:33).
Since it was the day of preparation for their Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus sought Pilate’s permission to bury the body of Jesus. According to Jewish custom, His body was wrapped in linen cloths with spices. Jesus was in the tomb on the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest (John 19:38-42).
On Sunday, the day after the Sabbath, Jesus arose! This was also the first day of the Feast of First Fruits. How appropriate! God’s timing is always perfect! We join John the Baptist and say, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), mine and yours. O, what a Savior!
About the Writer:
Elizabeth Hodges lives in Hendersonville, TN with Eddie, her husband of 48 years. She retired as director of WNAC after 30 years in education. She continues to serve in various ministries and as a substitute teacher.
Bibliography:
“ESV Study Bible.” 2011. Crossway, Wheaton, IL.
“HCSB Study Bible.” 2010. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, TN.
Rydelnik, Michael, and Michael Vanlaningham, general editors. Moody Bible Commentary. 2014. Chicago, IL.
Radmacher, Earl D., general editor. Nelson Study Bible, NKJV. 1997. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN. Barker, Kenneth, general editor. NIV Study Bible. 1985. Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids, MI.
Janosz, Jamie, managing editor. “Today in the Word.” Volume 36, Issue 4, April 2023. Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, IL.
“What is Passover? Bible Meaning and Connection to Christ.” Christianity.com, updated April 23, 2024.
“What are the 7 Ingredients on a Seder Plate?” Israeli Center of Judaica, www.israelicenterofjudaica.com.
Barnett, Jacklyn V., and Laurie Vanderpool. “The Significance of Passover: How Jesus is the Fulfillment of the Passover Lamb.” Live Beyond, March 5, 2020, podcast, www. livebeyond.org.
Davis, Erin. 7 Feasts. 2020. Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL.
Jeremiah, David. The Jeremiah Study Bible. 2013. Worthy Publishing, a division of Worthy Media, USA.
Price, Matthew. “Jesus vs. Paul.” FUSION FAMILY, Volume 21, Issue 1, D6 Family Ministry, September/October 2024, Nashville, TN
Strong, James. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. 1990. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN.
Swindoll, Charles. The Swindoll Study Bible, NLT. 2017. Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, IL.
Unger, Merrill F. The New Unger’s Bible Handbook. Revised by Gary N. Larson, 2005. Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL.
Wiersbe, Warren W. Expository Outlines on the New Testament. 1976. Calvary Book Room, Covington, KY.
Wiersbe, Warren W. Expository Outlines on the Old Testament. 1976. Calvary Book Room, Covington, KY.
Scripture Passages:
Exodus 12:11-48
Exodus 34:25
Leviticus 23
Numbers 9:2-14
Numbers 28:16
Numbers 33:3
Deuteronomy 16:1-6
Joshua 5:10-11
2 Kings 23:21-23
2 Chronicles 30:1-18
2 Chronicles 35: 1-19
Ezra 6:19-20
Ezekiel 45:21
Matthew 26:17-19
Mark 14:1-16
Luke 2:41
Luke 22:1-15
John 2:13-23
John 6:4
John 11:55
John 12:1
John 13:1
John 18:28-39
John 19:14
For Further Study:
I Corinthians 5:7
Hebrews 11:28
The Meaning of Passover to a
Jewish Boy and Its New Meaning to This (Now) Messianic
BY Austin Marlowe
The Meaning of Passover to a Jewish Boy and Its New Meaning to This (Now) Messianic Jewish Man!
(Before we start, here’s a short lesson on pronouncing Hebrew words: Passover in Hebrew is “Pesach.”
The ch is not like in “Cherry.” It’s a deep-in-thethroat H sound, as when beginning to clear your throat. (Think of the German phrase “Ach du Lieber.”) Pesach is pronounced “PAY-soch.”
The beginnings of Passover are found in Genesis 37, where Joseph is sold into slavery. To make a long story short, Joseph became Pharaoh’s “right-hand man.” A famine fell across the land, but during the previous seven years of plenty, Joseph had stored grain in preparation for this very crisis. His family came to Egypt seeking food and were later invited by Joseph to live there. The people multiplied greatly until the Egyptian rulers worried the Israelites might join Egypt’s enemies.
Jewish Man!
The story of the Passover is told in Exodus 12. For 400 years, the Israelites lived in Egypt in slavery. The children of Israel prayed to God for deliverance, and God heard their cries. He appointed Moses to carry out His covenant to free His people.
In verse 7 God instructed the Israelites to take the blood of the freshly slaughtered lambs and to put it on the sides and top of the door frames of their houses so that when the Lord went through the land to strike down the Egyptians, He would pass over the houses marked with the blood of the Lamb (verse 23).
Pesach (Passover) is the most important festival in Jewish tradition. It is a Commemoration of Freedom and a special worship service. What makes this festival so special is that it is celebrated in the home, not the Temple. The ceremony and meal are called the Seder (SAY-dur).
The week before Pesach, the house is cleaned, and all traces of leavened (fermented) food are eliminated. For the eight days of Passover, the only bread eaten is matzah. (When the children of Israel were preparing for the journey out of Egypt, they didn’t have enough time for their bread to rise, so they baked the flat cakes of matzah).
The Seder follows the instruction of the Haggadah (the book that lays out the order of the service) and is marked by the eating of matzah and bitter herbs (think horseradish), drinking the four ceremonial cups of wine, (where indicated in the Haggadah), the prayers, songs, and readings that retell the story of Passover. Then the meal follows where traditional foods are served: matzah ball soup, gefilte fish (covered in horseradish), and a roast or something similar. Growing up, Passover meant going to grandma and grandpa’s house for this special day, reading from the Haggadah, asking the “four questions” in the Seder service, and taking part in the ceremony. Kosher wine (wine that meets the requirements of dietary or ceremonial Jewish laws) is very sweet. Even as six and seven-year-olds, we were allowed to drink the celebratory wine. Our little wine glasses were filled with about a tablespoon, which had to last through the whole Seder.
As mentioned before, matzah is unleavened bread. It contains no yeast, no baking powder, only flour and water. The dough is baked into flat cakes. Passover
matzahs are baked under strict Rabbinic supervision to keep everything kosher. (You can make a kind of matzah to see what it tastes like by using a flour tortilla and pricking the entire surface with a fork. Bake at 325° until it starts to brown).
For me as a Jew, Judaism stopped with the end of the Old Testament. Christianity was another unrelated religion. It was much later in life when I came to Jesus and fully understood God’s true purpose and love for me. My life changed, and I started reading and studying the Bible. (I think I learned more about Judaism as a Christian than I had in the 70 previous years!)
In the New Testament the Lord’s Supper was, of course, a Seder. Just as the blood of the Lamb saved the Israelites so long ago, the blood of the Lamb saves us today! Amen!
About the Writer: Austin, the oldest of four brothers, is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. His family moved to Louisville in the late 1960s, where he met Pam. They married in 1974, settled in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and had two children, Amy and Price. Price went to be with Jesus at the age of 13 from a malignant brain tumor.
Austin came to faith in 2015 and joined Graceland Baptist Church, where he became active in the Technical Team. His career spans graphic arts, photography, and technical support.
Austin and Pam recently celebrated their 50th anniversary and have five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Key Moments of Passover Observance in the Old Testament
BY Elizabeth Hodges
The first Passover observance came the night of the 10th plague, which is referenced as “the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt… …I will execute judgment: I am the LORD” (Exodus 12:1112). God alone had the right to judge while also displaying mercy. His judgment was against all the empty, impotent gods of Egypt. Mercy was made possible by the shedding of blood.
The death of Pharoah’s firstborn son and heir to the throne was effective. The sojourn in Egypt lasted 430 years, but the exodus took place immediately. The Lord’s authority gave the Israelites cause to celebrate. Thus, Passover became a perpetual commemoration and celebration of redemption. The Lord expected the Israelites to teach their children about Him during these celebrations (Exodus 12:24-27).
Pharoah requested one last encounter with Moses. He said, “Go and bless me” (Exodus 12:31-32). The Egyptians feared everyone would die if the Israelites did not leave quickly. Six hundred thousand soldiers and families left Egypt, unlike the 70 who entered with Jacob. Other laborers saw this as an opportunity to escape Egypt but were not necessarily worshipers of Yahweh.
This Passover was a family event for the covenant community of Israel. The males were circumcised. (See the Bible study for more details.)
The second observance was held in the desert as the Israelites journeyed toward Canaan and is described in Numbers 9:1-14. It occurred in the first month of the second year after the exodus, “According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did” (verse 5).
Some could not celebrate because they were unclean from touching a dead body, but they also wanted to participate. Moses did not give an immediate answer but sought the Lord for guidance. The Lord said, “If any one of you…is unclean through touching a dead body or is on a long journey,” that person could celebrate Passover in the second month following the same guidelines. These guidelines affected both the sojourner (alien) and the native (9:14).
Any person who did not meet these two exceptions and “failed to keep the Passover would be cut off because he did not bring the Lord’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin” (9:13).
We learn from Joshua that this was the last Passover celebrated until the Israelites entered the Promised Land (Joshua 5:10). The generation of the exodus had been condemned to die in the wilderness. Thus, a Passover celebrating deliverance from judgment would have had little meaning for them.
Joshua 5 records the third observance. Verses 1-9 record the circumcision of the males who “had not been circumcised on the way,” allowing the keeping of Passover at the appointed time. Israel again inherited the blessings and promises the earlier generation received when it left Egypt.
King Hezekiah initiated another celebration immediately after the Temple was reconsecrated. He desired to unite the entire nation around the temple and ensure proper observance of its services, especially the Passover. “They had not kept it as often as prescribed” (2 Chronicles 30:5).
Letters were sent to “all Israel and Judah, also to Ephraim and Manasseh that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to keep the Passover” (2 Chronicles 30:1). As in the restoration of the temple, King Hezekiah enlisted the princes and the entire assembly. Thus, the letters went to everyone, including those left in the land and those who had escaped Assyrian captivity. These letters were sent from Dan to Beersheba, the farthest points north and south. The celebration occurred in the second month since “the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem” (verse 3).
The letters were a message of unity with an invitation to repent and return to the Lord. Hezekiah challenged the people not to follow their parent’s unfaithfulness nor to stiffen their necks, which resulted in captivity. He reminded the assembly to “yield yourselves to the Lord …for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him”
(verses 8-9). The northern tribes scorned the couriers, and only a few humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
The southern tribes were ready to repent because “the hand of God was on Judah” (verse 12). Verse 13 states that “a very great assembly” gathered in Jerusalem. They began to remove the altars for burning incense and threw them in the Kidron Brook. Levites had to help slaughter the Passover lambs on the 14th day of the second month due to the shortage of consecrated priests. The people’s enthusiasm caused these priests and Levities to consider the depth of their sin. This resulted in them being ashamed: “so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the Lord” (verse 15.)
Many who came from the north (Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun) had not consecrated themselves, yet they ate the Passover. So, Hezekiah prayed for them, asking God to forgive them for disobeying His guidelines. His prayer focused on their hearts rather than the rituals of purification. The Lord heard and healed the people (verse 20). This was the first time in more than 200 years that the entire nation had observed the Passover together.
God heard Hezekiah’s prayer. Scrupulous attention to the Law was expected as an indication of one’s heart.
The assembly then joyfully celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. The celebration was extended for seven days. Hezekiah and the priests donated large numbers of bulls and sheep. There was singing, rejoicing, and giving thanks, “for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem” (verse 26). The priests and Levites blessed the people, “and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven” (verse 27). Attempts to secure unity through arms or ungodly
alliances had failed. Hezekiah’s desire to unite around worship did. We would call this revival!
King Josiah began serving the Lord faithfully at age 16 and purging the land of idolatrous practices by age 20. At age 26, he initiated the repair of “the house of the Lord his God” (2 Chronicles 35:8). The ark had been replaced, which means it had been removed from the Temple at some point. He wanted God to have His rightful, permanent place among His people. The scroll discovered during the Temple repairs clearly included the covenant curses.
Josiah desired his people to reflect once again on God’s redemptive work among the Israelites. The exodus from Egypt and the return from exile were divine deliverances. Passover had not been observed since the days of the judges (2 Kings 23:22). Thus, Josiah’s reforms led to a renewed celebration of the Passover in Jerusalem, reestablishing the guidelines and personnel for the Israelites’ religious life.
Following the Law, the celebration occurred on the 14th day of the first month and did not allow for the adjustments made by King Hezekiah. Josiah’s celebration seems unique in that all the Passover lambs were slaughtered exclusively by the Levites, and Josiah and his officers supplied all the animals needed. Once again, the tribes of Israel were united by gathering them to worship.
Revival is a work of the Lord on the heart of those who repent from the heart.
(Moody Bible Commentary, page 627)
Mark 14 records the last Passover celebration Jesus had with His disciples during Passion Week, which we call the Lord’s Supper. Jesus knew His hour had come (Luke 22:14). He told the disciples, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (verses 15-16).
References:
Exodus 12:11-48
Exodus 34:25
Numbers 9:1-14
Numbers 28:16
Numbers 33:3
Deuteronomy 16:1-6
Joshua 5:10-11
2 Chronicles 30:1-18
2 Chronicles 35:1-19
2 Kings 23:21-23
Mark 14
Luke 22:14
About the Writer:
Elizabeth Hodges lives in Hendersonville, TN with Eddie, her husband of 48 years. She retired as director of WNAC after 30 years in education. She continues to serve in various ministries and as a substitute teacher.
BEHIND THE SCENES
In August of 2023, Billy, my husband, and I had the opportunity to be part of The Hanna Project Vision Trip to Tokyo, Japan. One of the churches we visited during the trip was Good News Chapel. We knew before going that Billy was leading a communion service at the church.
In contrast to churches in the United States, most Japanese congregations observe communion once a month. As a culture that values structure and ritual, believers are deeply moved and encouraged to partake in the Lord’s Supper each time. The Good News Chapel had been without a missionary pastor for over a year; therefore, had been unable to observe communion for over six months. They were so excited to have an ordained minister there to lead them in this ordinance.
In the short time we spent with the people at Good News Chapel, Billy and I grew to love them. Being a pastor and having a pastor’s heart, Billy became burdened for the congregation and their pastoral need. After returning home, we began praying fervently for discernment, seeking wisdom and guidance regarding the possibility of our family returning to Japan so Billy could help with the pastoral needs there. What started as just a possibility has quickly become a wide-open door for ministry, and the chance to share communion with our Japanese friends many more times.
Our family is eager to get back to Japan to serve and love the Japanese people at Good News Chapel.
About the Writer:
Sunni Champion has been happily married to her wonderful husband, Billy, for 9 years. Together, they have three children: Jude (8), Isaac (6), and Sophia (5). Over the past nine years, God has led their family to serve in ministry in two states, preparing them for the next chapter. In April 2024, they were appointed as missionaries to Tokyo, Japan.
Just Being Ruthful*
BY Ruth McDonald
I don’t do very well at keeping New Year’s Resolutions, and it seems like I’m not alone. Research shows that 23% of those who make resolutions give up by the end of the first week, and 43% quit by the end of January. Only 9% of Americans who make resolutions complete them.
My past includes scores of partially completed journals, a ridiculous amount of times I’ve completed the book of Genesis, and several unused gym memberships and fitness apps. Can you relate?
If you are among the disappointed and underperforming, I suggest that you resist feelings of failure and give yourself grace. I love these words from Jesus:
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, ESV).
I like to recite it this way: “Come to me… and you will find rest for your souls.” It sounds a lot like our theme verse for this year’s Treasure found in Psalm 107:9, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with a things.”
He gives us rest. He satisfies the longing soul. He gives us Living Water. He fills us up. It is in Him we are satisfied. Nothing and no one else can do that for us.
As we focus this year on the theme of “Feasting” in the Bible, may our souls be satisfied as with the richest of foods (Psalm 63:5). Rather than living in what feels like a constant state of deprivation and “thou shalt not’s,” may we live in the abundance of His provision, being filled and satiated as we hunger and thirst after righteousness.
In this issue, we will look at the paradise God originally created for us to enjoy and talk about how we can experience the fullness He intended. We will rediscover how to find true Sabbath rest in Him. And we will feast our hearts on the true meaning of the Passover and rejoice at how the wrath of God was completely satisfied in Jesus, the Lamb of God.
Welcome to the feast! I hope you find 100% satisfaction in Him.
*Ruthful is an archaic English word (the opposite of ruthless) meaning “full of compassion.
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