SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION!

Matthew 9:31 KJV
But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

OBSERVATION!

Periodically, I am invited to share a guest article. Today’s guest article was provided by a dear sister in Yeshua Melissa Brown. Her heart and devotion is to serve our Lord and bring Yeshua’s truth forward that many will walk in truth and our Lord’s light.

John 1:4-5
[4]In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
[5]And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

COMMENTARY!

PASSOVER TO THE CROSS!

We have all heard how Christ was our Passover Lamb, but have you ever stopped to think exactly what that means? In This article, we are going to search for the meaning and the promise, and understand why the Passover is still an important event to keep today.

FREE FROM EGYPT

Exodus 12:3-13: Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for at household; and if the household be too little for a lamb, then he and his neighbor next to his house shall take one according to the number of the souls; according to what everyone can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats: and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at evening.

They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, on the houses in which they shall eat it. They shall eat the flesh in that night, roasted with fire, and matzah.

They shall eat it with bitter herbs. For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and animal.

Against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be to you for a token on the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be on you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

Notice how at this moment in the Old Testament, we are seeing a foreshadow of salvation through substitution. A small glimmer of what was to come in the future through Israel to all nations, tribes, and tongues of people.

Death passed over the first born of Israel, not because they were more righteous than Egypt, but because a spotless lamb had died in their place. The difference was that Israel hearkened to the voice of God, whereas Pharaoh and the Egyptians did not give reverence to the God of Israel.

Since Israel lived among the Egyptians, they most likely took note of the Israelites putting the blood of lambs on their door posts, yet none seemed to question, because they did not believe in the God of Israel, even though nine other plagues had come upon them.
Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, That you may be no priests to me. Because you have your God’s law, I will also forget your children.”

1 Peter 1:17-21, “If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time of your living as strangers here in reverent fear: knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, the blood of Messiah; who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of times for your sake, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.”

OTHER SIMILARITIES

1. Not a bone was broken: During Passover, the bones of the lamb are not to broken, and neither were any bones of Christ broken. Exodus 12:46 & John 19:36

2. Without blemish: The lamb had to be without blemish. This meant no injuries, illnesses, or deformities. Exodus 12:5 & 1 Peter 1:18-19

3. Four days before: A lamb had to be chosen and brought into the house four days before Passover. Christ rode in to Jerusalem on a Donkey four days before his crucifixion. Exodus 12:3-6, Matthew 12:1-11, Luke 19:29-38, & John 12:9-16

4. The lamb had to be a male in its first year: Christ was a male in the prime of his life. Exodus 12:5

5. Nothing Left: The lamb had to be consumed fully on the eve of Passover. Nothing was to be left. Yeshua was taken off the cross on the same day he died, which was not customary to the time of Roman crucifixions. Exodus 12:8-10 & John 19:31

7. The Blood: The Israelites had to sprinkle blood on their doorposts for protection from the wrath of God. Whoever believes on Christ, repents, and turns from their sin will be protected by the blood of Christ from the wrath of God on judgment day. Exodus 12:7, 12:21-23, &
SEARCING FOR THE LIGHT!

Romans 5:8-10

9. Everyone: Each and every household had to have their own lamb, the Egyptians did not and suffered a terrible tragedy. The same way that everyone must now accept the blood of the crucified lamb of God or they too will some day suffer a great eternal tragedy. Exodus 12:3-4, & Romans 10:9-11

8. Hyssop branch: The hyssop branch was first used in Exodus 12:22 to mark the door posts with the blood of the slain lambs.

We also see the hyssop branch used throughout scripture in ceremonial cleansing of sin. It was a Hyssop branch that was dipped into sour wine and offered to Yeshua on the cross. Lev. 14:6, Num 19:6-8, & John 19:29

10. The lamb in Egypt provided freedom from slavery in Egypt. The lamb of God provides freedom from sin. Colossians 1:13-14 & Romans 8:1-2

THE LAST SUPPER

Matthew 26:26-29, “As they were eating, Yeshua took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, “All of you drink it, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins. But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

The unleavened bread that is consumed on Passover, known as Matzah, contains no yeast. In biblical scripture, yeast is symbolic of sin and is used to relay a message of repentance and turning from sin.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8, “Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump? Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Messiah, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the matzah of sincerity and truth.”
(Also see Matthew 16:5-6)

The body of Christ (the bread) and the blood of Christ (the wine) was shed to cover a multitude of sins. Christ commanded that we continue to do this in remembrance of him until he returns, If you pay attention to the verses, it is clear that Christ intended for us to keep Passover in this like manner.

1 Corinthians 11:25-26, “In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (also see Mark 14:22-25 & Luke 22:18-20)

6. First born: During the tenth plague of Egypt, it was the blood of the lamb that protected the first born of Israel. The lamb of God did not come through a woman who had all ready bared children, but he was the first born of Mary. Exodus 12:3-13, Matthew 1:23-25, & Romans 8:29

Because God is righteous and fair, he knew that his justice would condemn us all, but in his mercy, he made plans for our debt to be paid.
John 1:29, “The next day, John the Baptist saw Yeshua coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Hebrews 2:17-18, “Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.”

FREE FROM SIN
John 3:36, “One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

SEARCHING FOR THE LIGHT!

Why must one believe on the Son?
Hebrews 10:4, “For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.”

The sacrifices that Israel did had to be constant to atone for their sins because it wasn’t enough to pay the debt. Through Christ, the debt was enough.
Romans 3:25-26, “whom God set forth to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Yeshua.”

During the tenth plague that went through Egypt, the Israelites stood exposed to God’s wrath, but it was the covering of the blood that protected them. The same way that we today are exposed to the wrath of God without the covering of Yeshua Messiah.

God has never had a problem with Israel marrying those who turned to him and lived their lives for him. What he had an issue with is when members of the tribes of Israel would marry or join themselves to people who worshiped other gods.
1 Corinthians 15:33, “Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”

Understand that God has never rejected anyone who worshiped him, regardless of their heritage. There were people from other nations, tongues, and tribes that joined themselves to Israel, married within the tribes, and became as they are.

They worshiped God and kept his statues, and shared in the blessings of Israel. Rahab of Jericho, Ruth the Moabite, and according to the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, even the Egyptian Princess that adopted and raised Moses.