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  • Festival of the Passover

    Festival of the Passover

    No holy holiday surpasses peçach, the festival of the Passover, in the calendar year of the jews. In a previous post, Josiah – a Good King also Dies, we discovered that Passover had been completely forgotten by the Judah. The Law had not been read and Kings before Josiah had done evil in the sight of the Lord.

    פֶּסַח

    We also reviewed the meaning of Passover:

    “a sparing, immunity from penalty and calamity.

    The root word suggests from application of scripture in Exodus 12 that the Lord will pass over or spring over you when executing judgment. He will halt the punitive action in your case.

    A Three-part Festival

    Instructions for the Passover

    Exodus 12:3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they must each select an animal of the flock according to their fathers’ families, one animal per family. 4 If the household is too small for a whole animal, that person and the neighbor nearest his house are to select one based on the combined number of people; you should apportion the animal according to what each will eat. 5 You must have an unblemished animal, a year-old male; you may take it from either the sheep or the goats. 6 You are to keep it until the fourteenth day of this month…

    Preparation

    The contemporary photo of an Israeli employee removing prayer notes from the western wall is just one example of a cleansing of sorts, associated with the sacrifice of Passover.

    You must be spotless before the Lord. Not better than everyone else, one who does more good works than (perhaps) the one who does not achieve eternal life. Spotless. Cleansed of sin.

    His place of worship in Jerusalem must be clean to begin the great sacrifice. Everything washed. Pure. This preparation to come before the Lord is symbolic of repentance.

    Are you mostly good?

    Not good enough (for no man or woman is good, no not one).

    lamb bound on the altar of sacrifice

    Yet we no longer sacrifice the blood of a lamb, for the Holy of Holies and the altar has been destroyed.

    Passover Meal

    Exodus 12: CSB/WLC שמות

    … then the whole assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight.

    Exodus 12:6B

    7 They must take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they eat them. 8 They are to eat the meat that night; they should eat it, roasted over the fire along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

    Strict regulations also include: (9 Do not eat any of it raw or cooked in boiling water, but only roasted over fire—its head as well as its legs and inner organs. 10 You must not leave any of it until morning; any part of it left until morning you must burn.)

    What about now?

    Beloved follower of the Lord in this 21st century after the Messiah Jesus, I ask you:

    Even IF you strictly observance the Passover today, is your worship any more than symbolism?

    Can the blood of a lamb (no longer sacrificed) atone for your sin? כָּפַר

    11 וְכָכָה֮ תֹּאכְל֣וּ אֹתוֹ֒ מָתְנֵיכֶ֣ם חֲגֻרִ֔ים נַֽעֲלֵיכֶם֙ בְּרַגְלֵיכֶ֔ם וּמַקֶּלְכֶ֖ם בְּיֶדְכֶ֑ם וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֤ם אֹתוֹ֙ בְּחִפָּז֔וֹן פֶּ֥סַח ה֖וּא לַיהוָֽה׃

    Here is how you must eat it: You must be dressed for travel, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in a hurry; it is the Lord’s Passover.

    Exodus 12:11

    Christian and Jew alike understand the significance of the events to follow the quickly eaten Passover meal and the account of Moses as redeemer from slavery in Egypt.

    Christians ought to understand this same symbolism of the body and blood of the Lamb, the risen Messiah King, as in an upper room in Jerusalem, Jesus shared a last Passover meal with His beloved Disciple family nearly two millennia ago.

    And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

    And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.

    And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

    Mark 14:22-24 KJV

    Passover Celebration

    14 וְהָיָה֩ הַיּ֨וֹם הַזֶּ֤ה לָכֶם֙ לְזִכָּר֔וֹן וְחַגֹּתֶ֥ם אֹת֖וֹ חַ֣ג לַֽיהוָ֑ה לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם תְּחָגֻּֽהוּ׃

    “This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute.

    • 15 You must eat unleavened bread for seven days.
    • On the first day you must remove yeast from your houses.
    • Whoever eats what is leavened from the first day through the seventh day must be cut off from Israel.
    • 16 You are to hold a sacred assembly on the first day…
    • … and another sacred assembly on the seventh day.
    • No work may be done on those days except for preparing what people need to eat—you may do only that.

    Festival of Unleavened Bread

    … You must observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent statute.

    Thus, we remember how the Lord used Moses to bring Israel out of Egypt, where the Lord led and purified a people chosen to His for entry into a land promised to Abraham as his inheritance. Yet the Lord has used saviors besides Moses to redeem his faithful from the chains of this life.

    Other Saviors Redeeming God’s Faithful

    We know well the saving of the Jews from Pharaoh. Some would look to Moses or Joshua as their redeemer or savior. Certainly Joseph saved Israel in Egypt until in the generations he was forgotten.

    Others see David as Israel’s king triumphant. A few recognize Ezra for bringing back worship in Jerusalem. All of these would give the same glory instead to the Lord God.

    One more mention of the unleavened bread in the generation of Abraham may have missed your notice. You may not believe it, though Moses tells it. Once again, it was served quickly and judgment by the Lord followed.

    The Doom of Sodom

    If any family should have been celebrating a festival of unleavened bread it would be the families of Abraham, who faithful followed the Lord from place to place as the Lord commanded. The Lord’s covenant with Abraham preceded the Law of Moses.

    As you may know, Lot, son of Abram’s brother Haran, also followed the Lord to both Canaan and Egypt before settling in the city of Sodom. It was a walled city with a gate like other cities of its time.

    Genesis 19:

    The two angels entered Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in Sodom’s gateway. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them. He bowed with his face to the ground…

    … He prepared a feast and baked unleavened bread for them, and they ate.

    Have you ever considered it? Lot prepared a feast of unleavened bread for the two angels who saved him from Sodom.

    Lot was unaware of their mission and events which had already taken place between the angels and Abraham.

    The Lord appeared to Abraham

    18 וַיֵּרָ֤א אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י מַמְרֵ֑א וְה֛וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב פֶּֽתַח־הָאֹ֖הֶל כְּחֹ֥ם הַיּֽוֹם׃

    Three angels had appeared to Abraham. Lot would only know that his uncle and aunt in their nineties were childless. He had been like a son to them.

    16 The men got up from there and looked out over Sodom, and Abraham was walking with them to see them off.

    17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide what I am about to do from Abraham?

    Lot, of course knows nothing of the conversation to follow which has already taken place when two angels come to him at the gate of Sodom.

    The Lord had judged Sodom for the sin of all of its residents. Then Abraham intercedes, pleaing for the Lord to spare Lot and his family. Abraham saves them from the sentence of death, all except Lot’s wife who sinned even after the warning of angels.

    22 The men turned from there and went toward Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

    Genesis 19:15 “Get up! … or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.”

    29 וַיְהִ֗י בְּשַׁחֵ֤ת אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־עָרֵ֣י הַכִּכָּ֔ר וַיִּזְכֹּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיְשַׁלַּ֤ח אֶת־לוֹט֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַהֲפֵכָ֔ה בַּהֲפֹךְ֙ אֶת־הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־יָשַׁ֥ב בָּהֵ֖ן לֽוֹט׃

    So it was, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham and brought Lot out of the middle of the upheaval when he demolished the cities where Lot had lived.

    Genesis 19:29 WLC,CSB

    A Savior at the gate of Jerusalem

    As the LORD in Person

    Came to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre,

    As the LORD in Person

    Came to Moses at Sinai,

    The LORD in the Person of the Son With Us

    Came to Jerusalem’s gate.

    —

    The Lord in Person sacrificed

    On a Cross beyond its walls,

    Jesus, Messiah and King

    Risen! in Person,

    Jesus, in flesh and blood shed

    Our King comes on the clouds again!

    Roger Harned

    The Lord will return

    Will you bow down to your Lord and King?

    Or will you yet crucify Him?

    The choice of judgment is yours, yet your redemption or just punishment will be His.

    Is Jesus your Lord? Or will you justify your sin without Him?

    To be continued... [eternally]
  • By What Authority? – Leaders, Law, Scriptures, God

    By What Authority? – Leaders, Law, Scriptures, God

    What authority in A.D. 2018?

    Can you come up with a proverb from scripture anymore applicable to leaders of this 21st century?

    They self-appoint a leader with strong-arm authority as Caesar for life. Or perhaps the rich and powerful will poison your opposition, if not literally, at least in the press. The evil ones manipulate the election, anointing and celebrating key world leaders. They imprison, assassinate or remove vocal opponents from the spotlight of the multitudes. All new, right?

    Certainly not. For such political intrigue preceded the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, not only among its religious authorities, but also across the world in Rome.

    Even though the popularity of Jesus, King of the Jews, threatened local leaders, the criminalization and public execution of Jesus could deter others from opposing the authority of the politically appointed.

    Leaders in the first century

    Israel is not a country; therefore Roman states and authority do not parallel Jewish identification of a former Judah and Israel. 

    As mentioned in previous posts in this lenten series, Rome’s conquest of the Mediterranean led to installment of Jewish leaders with limited power.

    As Rome itself grew from republic to empire a strong military sought alliances with influential kings and leaders, including Herod the Great. Greek influence (Hellenism) gave way to Roman order.

    The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
    Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
    Until Shiloh comes;
    And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

    – Genesis 49:10

    Leaders during the time of Jesus’ teaching

    After Herod’s death, three sons (two named Herod and Philip) administered separate Roman-ruled provinces. Religious divisions and insurrections also sought to weaken Roman rule by selective terrorism.

    The religious/political leaders of Jerusalem divided into three parties, really as much political beliefs as traditional religion. The Lord was not foremost in the philosophies of most of the Jewish elite, which included the Sadducees and Scribes or the more middle class Pharisees. The Essenes were sort of the monks of the day, with limited influence from the wilderness on the religious rule of the cities. (John the Baptist is thought to be one of the Essenes.)

    All of this turmoil preceded the birth of the Messiah Jesus during the reign of Herod the Great and continued even beyond Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, ruled by Herod Archelaus. 

    The natural question to Jesus by leaders on all sides of political and religious belief would of course be, “.. who gave you this authority?” – Matthew 21:23

    Leaders of every political persuasion and religious belief had already challenged Jesus frequently in His three years of teaching. Everyone knew of His power, righteousness and positions in matters of Law, the Scriptures and God.

    And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying,
    “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
    Mark 1:
    For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. – John 1:17

    Sadducees believed the Law was literal and authority came though the Priests. Jesus challenged their authority, but not that of the Law.

    “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished… – Matthew 5:17-20

    Jesus had explained to his Disciples:

    The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace.

    Religious officials hearing him would likely have understood that Jesus identified them as the weeds in the parable of the weeds.

    Pharisees too were far from immune to identification with sin and hypocrisy by Jesus. They had a tendency to impose priestly law and complex interpretation of the Law on the common people. Jesus challenged them.

    “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. – Matthew 23:23

    This Jesus, arriving at the gate of Jerusalem, worshiped by huge crowds is no stranger to these religious leaders. In fact, the Son of Man, the Messiah of Scripture is a direct challenge to their own future.

    Scriptures

    You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. – John 5:39-40 NIV

    Again, even now, no book is so controversial as the Bible.

    Sadducees interpreted the written word of God so literally as to not leave room for the many modes of literary expression. Pharisees loved to spin their own interpretations of God’s word with such complexity as the Lord never intended. They added an oral law of their own making.

    The Essenes actually had it right, using inspired exegesis of the Bible.

    Jesus told Parables, but also quoted scripture to explain why the religious authorities failed in their teaching of scripture. The religious officials of Jerusalem knew what Jesus had previously spoken during the festival of the booths.

    John 7:

    … 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. … then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people…

    13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

    Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching… 

    19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 

    … 25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? …

    37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

    … 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”

    This Jesus of Nazareth was well known in Jerusalem and controversial as well, even prior to His entry into Jerusalem, even after the resurrection of Lazarus.

    God

    Isaiah 44:22 מָחִיתִי כָעָב פְּשָׁעֶיךָ וְכֶעָנָן חַטֹּאותֶיךָ שׁוּבָה אֵלַי כִּי גְאַלְתִּֽיךָ׃

    John:

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

    “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

    Jesus Is Equal with God

    5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

    The Authority of the Son

    19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

    וְכָל־בָּנַ֖יִךְ לִמּוּדֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְרַ֖ב שְׁלֹ֥ום בָּנָֽיִךְ׃

    6:45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—

    John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” 

    Zechariah 9:9  גִּילִי מְאֹד בַּת־צִיֹּון הָרִיעִי בַּת יְרוּשָׁלִַם הִנֵּה מַלְכֵּךְ יָבֹוא לָךְ צַדִּיק וְנֹושָׁע הוּא עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל־חֲמֹור וְעַל־עַיִר בֶּן־אֲתֹנֹֽות׃

    Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

    Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
    humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

    lamb bound on the altar of sacrifice
    The Passover Lamb

    Matthew 21:23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said,

    “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

  • Times of Difficulty – 3

    Times of Difficulty – 3

    Watch Yourselves

    Luke 21:

    34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

    Watch yourselves! A warning of apocalypse.

    “Be on guard,” states the King James, with the same Greek word where Jesus warns to ‘beware of false prophets.’ And in case you missed it, Jesus reiterates the warning. “Stay awake;” “keep on alert,” the King James Version warns. Matthew records Jesus using these warnings together as one.

    [ctt title=”‘Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.’ – Mark 13:33″ tweet=”Do the cares of this life obscure the Light of eternal life? Watch yourselves!” coverup=”Kj6Z5″]

    Who does Jesus warn?

    21st century readers could easily dismiss this. Jesus is just preaching to the people of His day. The Temple will be destroyed and Israel will be destroyed. And that’s the end of it.

    Not quite. Although these events of which Jesus warned did take place, as is so often the case, prophecy also applies to other times. Just because you and I live in a different place and a later time does not exclude us from the truth.

    Jesus warns of impending disaster: ” and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.” How often over time does this apply to so many.

    [ctt title=”For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.- Luke 21:35″ tweet=”Disaster prophesied by Jesus: not just for a forgotten time centuries past.” coverup=”1nRD9″]

    Not just Jerusalem. A disaster of the scope of Sodom and Gomorrah comes more to mind. (Lot was on watch. Only Lot sought to obey the Lord by fleeing sin.)

    Jesus does not speak of only ancient Judea, Samaria and Galilee which Rome would destroy later. The Lord warns, “all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.”

    Do those who ignored the warnings of Noah also come to your mind?

    Judgment!

    We don’t like it, the thought of being judged by another. Yet a sovereign God surely rules in righteousness and will judge the living and the dead! We prefer to see Jesus as our humble example of living to love God. Jesus invites us to think of God as Father. Jesus challenges us to love others.

    Yet He often warned of a judgment to come, a judgment with eternal consequence. Here is just one more example of the Almighty authority of Christ Jesus (which could be easily dismissed).

    The Son of Man

    Allow me to isolate what Jesus warns.

    “… But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength… to stand before the Son of Man.”

    Judgment! Jesus clearly warns the He will be our judge. And you will not stand in your own strength, but in His.

    Jesus IS the Son of Man! Jesus also clearly states for all with ears to hear:

    “I and the Father are one.” –John 10:30

    Revelation 14:14-16

    Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.

    And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud,

    “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”

    So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

    To be continued…