BibleBackStory
For God so loved the world...
Passover is a celebration of the good things the LORD did for His children to break their servitude in Egypt, and set the Children free. We have all seen the movie, with Yul Brenner and Charlton Hesston depicting the Passover and the Exodus, and watched as the rag tag Jewish people became a nation.
As the season of Passover approaches, it is worthwhile to read chapter 12 in the Book of the Exodus. The first 13 verses are the Lord's commands to the Children in Egypt regarding this event. These instructions are the foundation of the Passover celebration to this day.
Then verse 14 begins this way ... "And this day shall be a memorial; and ye shall keep it as a feast by an ordinance forever.” And who exactly is to keep this feast? Well, the congregation of Israel, per verse 2. And who are the congregation of Israel?
Let’s take a look at that. It is something that applies any time we read Scripture. The Hebrew word pronounced yis-raw-ale’ is pretty simple, the SR sound in the middle is the root of the Hebrew word saw-raw' meaning literally to prevail, but carries the meaning of authority. Words like Sir, Sire, Tsar, Caesar, all derive their meaning from this word. The ale' at the end is the Hebrew word for strength and is a common word for God. Thus yis-raw-ale' means God has Authority, so anyone who claims the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has authority over their lives is called yis-raw-ale' in the Scriptures. They can be national Jews, like Moses, Abraham, David, or others like Elijah, Rahab, Ruth, Caleb and many others who are not born Jews but instead joined themselves to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
We will not dive in to it now, but this is why Jacob is later renamed Israel, why the Children of God are called Israel, and why Jesus said, "I came only for the lost sheep of the House of Israel" Matthew 15:24. Do not confuse the word Israel with Jewish (Judah), they are two different words and often two different people. It is helpful to understand this when we read the phrase "Israel and Judah". That phrase means the Jews, of course, and all others who are under the authority of YHWH, which would include each of us, I hope.
But getting back to chapter 12. YHWH Himself commanded that all of the Congregation of Israel celebrate the Passover every year forever. This same command is given in dozens of other places as well Leviticus 23:4-8, Numbers 28:16-25, Exodus 23:14, Deuteronomy 16:16 just to name a few of the more than 300 times in both the TaNaKh or Old Testament and in the Second or New Testament, that we are encouraged as believers to keep the Feasts of the Lord.
I might also remind you the Hebrew word translated as keep is pronounced shaw-mar' and means to guard and protect.
Jesus would later say, as recorded in John chapter 14:15. 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. and in verse 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him., and 23 -24 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Down in verse 29 we read about His death on a Roman cross "and now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe." When did Jesus tell us what was about to happen? Many places, of course, if you are willing to look, but one of the first and most clear was at the Passover, some 1,000 years previous. And in light of that fact it becomes clearer why Jesus Himself asked that His children guard and protect the feasts of the Lord.
Leviticus 23:4 reads this way "These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons." Feasts here are the word mo-ade' and means an appointment, and convocation is the word mik-raw' that can be translated as rehearsal. So then the feasts are appointments made by God to meet with each of His people and rehearse events about to happen. Who would pass up that opportunity?
But why do we celebrate the Passover? First and most obvious is because the Lord asked us to. Jesus later said if we Love Him we will keep His commandments. If we are under the authority of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob we are Israel. And last but not least, YHWH, the God of all creation, has offered each of His Children for the last 3,000 years, tickets to the final dress rehearsal of events from the beginning to the end, and I personally want to attend. I do not plan on letting someone tell me that this is only for the Jews.
If you are a Gentile and feel funny about celebrating the Feasts, stay tuned for more on Elijah.
I want to obey YHWH and make it to the appointment He made, and obey Jesus and follow His commandments, and addend the rehearsals of upcoming events, and if nothing else, as Pastor Matt said on Sunday, "the food is good".
CB