Next Wednesday (which in the Hebrew calendar is the 14th of Nisan – 1st month of the year) – begins the Passover. This is the time when God’s people were instructed to commemorate – memorialize – the coming out of Egypt and “crossing over” the Red Sea into the wilderness – where the Father wanted them to be able to worship Him. See, they had lived in 400 years of slavery, with very little ability to truly worship God the way He wanted to, so He commanded Moses to tell Pharaoh to, “let the Israelites go so that they may worship Him for 3 days…”. Pharaoh refused, so the battle for wills began – and we all know the rest of story.
I have lead Passover Seders for years and taught extensively on it, but I want to approach Pesach (Passover) in this season differently, since we all are facing a totally new living environment and an advent of a social frontier – not being allowed to go out very much right now, RIGHT in this season of Passover – I wonder if God is up to something…So let’s look at why this year – it may be pertinent for all of us to celebrate – The Lord’s (Adonai’s) Passover (Lev. 23, 1 Corinthians 5:7)
I want to start off by making some observations about Passover – where it pertains to the entire Body of Messiah:
- At Passover, a year-old blemish-less lamb was submitted to the priest, as on offering for the WHOLE HOUSE (family)
- In Exodus 12 – immediately after the crossing of the Red Sea, Moses inquires of the Lord after vs 38 – because a “mixed multitude” came out of Egypt with the Israelites. Who were these people? – They were Chaldeans, Egyptians, ancient Arabs who identified with Yahweh being the One-True-Living God, and who decided to follow the Israelites. Moses instructed these foreigners to celebrate Passover with them, and if the males were circumcised – to then allow their families to become as the Hebrews going forward.
- The First-Born male of every family was to be set apart as “belonging to the Lord.”
- Unleavened bread was to be eaten for 7 days after Passover – no leavening in the house
- Families were to be told every year that the Word of the Lord was to be upon their hand and forehead (thoughts and actions) – and it was to be commemorated every year
- Leviticus 23 – Yahweh tells Moses that these are HIS feasts – not Biblical feasts, not Jewish feasts, but HIS – which means – that ALL Redeemed people of God can celebrate what God calls as important to Him
In these points – we can all find ourselves, and the pertinence of this celebration. The Father knew – you would be kept in your homes at this time. In essence – he was telling the spirit of this world (Pharaoh) let my people go! (from distractions, oppressions, deliberations) and everything drawing my people FROM me, so that they may come and worship Me with focused intent.
As we look at these points above – we must be able to see something which involves all of us. First – a blemish-less lamb was submitted to the High Priest for the house – meaning – You have the opportunity, before Abba – to see your whole house come into salvation. Yeshua (meaning God’s Salvation) is the Hebrew name Jesus received – and is the Lamb of God. When you partake of Passover – I believe you can proclaim salvation over your entire household – (Your Grandparents, Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Parents, Children etc.) – Passover holds an open window for Holy Spirit to draw the hearts of your family unto Him.
When we see the “Mixed Multitude” exacting the same faith as the Hebrews and believing in Yahweh – we see they are searching for the same covenant which the Hebrews were given – guess what? – God is faithful to extend the blessing to them after they demonstrated their faith in Him. They came into the camp of the Redeemed and where you have been taught that the “church” was born in Acts 2 – I would submit to you that 1443 years prior to Acts 2, a bunch of pagans – believed in the God of Israel – and were able to come into the camp when? – When they Celebrated Passover…There is a principle here – Passover is not for just the Jewish people – it is for you as a believer to memorialize!
As a part of family redemption – the first-born – no matter what age – is supposed to be set apart for God’s purposes. Take the time to do that this year! Honor the Lord by blessing the first born in your home. See what God does in their life and the life of your family.
Unleavened bread was to be eaten for 7 days – Yeshua’s body – Striped, bruised, and pierced – for our transgressions, sins, separation, sickness, and iniquity. Partake of the Lord’s table – His covenant meal – for this is where it comes from – not a western church ritual – a God-ordained covenant act of submission and recognition of who is the King of Kings! (Abraham/Malchizedek)
As families – we are to be reminded of God’s Word – His Torah – the Scriptures – as it pertains to our very lives. The significance of Rabbis wrapping Tefillin and donning Phylacteries was not to become a ritual – it was to remind. It was to remind all of us that our thoughts (forehead) and actions (hand) were to be guarded by the Living Word of God – Yeshua Himself – His life as an example and image for us to be imaged by.
On the way to Israel this past January, I sat next to a Rabbi from Brooklyn. When the break of day occurred in the middle of the flight (about 3am Eastern) He had to wake me up – so he could get up and put on the Phylacteries and tefillin (small black boxes connected to leather straps) and read prayers from the Siddur (prayer book) – one on his forehead, and one on his right hand. I began to ask the Lord in that moment to give me a greater drawing of His heart in mine – for more of the Word in me – I recognized the power in the memorializing – It is why God – so many times instructed Israel to create a memorial whenever there was a victory – but what could be more important than memorializing … “…hiding the Word in my heart that I might not sin against Thee…”
I’m not saying we all need to follow rituals – but I am saying we need to come closer to God in worshipping Him the way He likes to be worshipped. Worship is how one lives – not just singing songs of adoration.
Folks – Israel did not know how to worship God when they came out of Egypt – they created a golden calf and called it Elohim for crying out loud. Their identity in worshipping a god was what they saw in Egypt – something handcrafted – and that identification is what God wanted to get out of them – so they could trust Him and He could draw them in as a family and be reconciled to them – we see that is the ministry of Christ described in 2 Corinthians 5 – being new creations, reconciled to the Father.
I would submit to you – next Wednesday or Thursday – celebrate Passover! – If you don’t know how – I am attaching a link or two to help you. There are no formal rules – Have (Matzah – Unleavened Bread, Bitter Herbs, and the Lamb of God) on hand – have some wine or grape juice handy as well for the Covenant Meal. Walk through the remembrance, the Telling of the Story – Read the 4 promises of God in Exodus 12 – “I will bring you out of the Land of Egypt, I will deliver you from the yoke of slavery, I will Redeem you with an outstretched Right arm, and I will take you as my people and I shall be your God.” See the 4 questions answered – and celebrate Yeshua as the Returning One (Afikomen)…You can do this – It is a great season to see the Salvation of the Lord in the land of the living…
I will end with this one testimony. During the 1990 Balkan War – Bosnian Serbs were fighting Croatians in former Yugoslavia through separatist regimes. In the midst were scattered Jewish families. There is a story about one Jewish family, celebrating Passover on a Shabbat evening – 8 people at the family table. A mortar shell launched and hit this small family home. The four walls and roof were completely destroyed and brought to rubble, yet all eight family members remained unscathed sitting at the table – with not even a scratch on any of them. What a testimony of Passover!
You have an opportunity to honor the Father this season – Trust Him – and see if He doesn’t draw you to a new place…I encourage you, Passover will bring Shalom in your home!
Links Below To Help You Celebrate:
https://www.cmj-usa.org/passover-seder
