I vividly remember my second Pesach we celebrated on the beautiful farm of Besorah in Broederstroom. We also had the privilege of dedicating Ari’el to Abba on the day of First Fruits. Every moment felt like peeking into the keyhole of eternity. We worshiped, really worshiped on the Friday. There was no fancy band or equipment just an older lady with her guitar leading a large hall of people in worship. I also remember the late Predan Durr. He is/was a true man of God. Later that evening Predan taught me how to utilize a long piece of clothe to create a snug pouch where Ari’el could sleep in. He tied it around my waist and Ari’el dozed off in the atmosphere of warm fellowship.
It is great to reflect on these memories of feasts gone by. But today, as a body of believers in South Africa, we are looking forward to celebrating Passover (Pesach) this coming weekend. Pesach is really the starting point for most believers when they realise the significance of Yah’s festivals. Even our kids get totally stoked when we are entering into Yah’s festive season.
I am going to cover some basic questions in this blog post in regards to Pesach and also address the spiritual significance. Common question not just for Pesach but in regards to feasts are;
· Are the feasts not Jewish and only Jews should celebrate them?
· Why should we celebrate it if the law is fulfilled in Messiah?
· Why would I celebrate Pesach?
The first time we are introduced to this appointed time (moedim) is in Exodus 12:
Exodus 12:11-16
And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S Passover (Pesach). For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
Through the blood of the lamb we are saved and get to celebrate Pesach/Passover – Hallelujah! All those that confess Yeshua (Jesus) as their Saviour should celebrate this in my opinion. Pesach is a prophetic celebration of the victory and liberty that came through the blood of Messiah. There is nobody that attaches more significance to Pesach than the believer in Messiah.
The common objection is that we should steer away from all things Jewish. And I get you on that but this is not Jewish. It clearly states that “: it is the LORD’S Passover”, similar to Lev 23:4;
“These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them.
Okay, so the first point is that Pesach and the other feast belong to Yah and not the Jewish people. Now the passage in Exodus states;
..throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.
This agrees with Leviticus 23. In this passage that neatly lays out the feast of Yah we are showered with the phrases like;
It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations (verse 14)
It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places (verse 31)
It is a statute forever throughout your generations (verse 41)
Forever really implicates that this will be celebrated into eternity. That would be forever from Yah’s perspective. Even the wedding feast of the lamb in Revelation could potentially be the Pesach:
Revelation 19:8-10
…it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Could it be that the faith journey of our walk begins and ends with the Lamb of Yah? There is a significant passage in the hall of faith;
Hebrews 11:25-30
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he (Moses) had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he (Moses) kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
We all know that Joshua that led Israel into the Promised Land was a type of Messiah. That is very important to notice. Jesus (Joshua) brings you into the promised land, not Moses.
But what is the connection here between Pesach and what happened at Jericho, if any? I believe the book of Jasher, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua, explains this:
Jasher 88:9-13
And it came to pass after that, that Joshua rose up in the morning and all Israel with him, and they journeyed from Shittim, and Joshua and all Israel with him passed the Jordan; and Joshua was eighty-two years old when he passed the Jordan with Israel.
And the people went up from Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped in Gilgal at the eastern corner of Jericho. And the children of Israel kept the Passover in Gilgal, in the plains of Jericho, on the fourteenth day at the month, as it is written in the law of Moses. And the manna ceased at that time on the morrow of the Passover, and there was no more manna for the children of Israel, and they ate of the produce of the land of Canaan. And Jericho was entirely closed against the children of Israel, no one came out or went in.
Again we see a transition and passing over from one state to another. Once wanderers, now the Israelites are about to inhabit a land they can call their home. This is the link;
We transition from bondage (Egypt) under Pharaoh, to the desert where we become wanderers with Moses, until we transition from the desert to the Promised Land with Yeshua and become citizens of the heavenly kingdom. We trade our sorrowful world for a joy filled eternity in His presence, the heavenly Jerusalem. This has multiple spiritual implications.
We as believer Passover/transition from:
– Death to Life
– Slaves to sin to more than conquerors in Yeshua
– Slavery mentality to the mind of Messiah
– Lost souls to founded treasures
– Orphans to beloved sons and daughters
– Meaningless wanderers to purpose driven disciples
– Stumbling in the dark to light-bearers.
Of course this is not a comprehensive list but it gives you an idea of our identity redemption that takes place in Messiah. And we make this transition through the blood of Messiah, the spotless Lamb. There is no other way.
John 14:6-7
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.
If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.
From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”
In a sense Yeshua trades Himself as a type of firstborn of Egypt so we can be the Sons of the Most High. The call of Pesach is a call for trading – including trading the leavened bread (false doctrine) for the unleavened bread (truth). We are transitioning from glory to glory in the Spirit through constant realignment to the truth.
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.
For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness;
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
So in summary Pesach is a prophetic celebration of the victory and liberty that came through the blood of Messiah. It is a feast unto the Most High forever. Furthermore, Pesach is a festival of transition and trading. Pesach is probably connected to the marriage supper of the Lamb. We as the bride have to be living sacrifices in order to obtain the wedding garment. To live with Messiah we first have to die with Messiah. There is no easy way to be glorified with Messiah if we do not die with Him first. So there you go, just my thoughts on the coming feast.
Chag Sameach in Yeshua ha Messiach
Edgar
