The New Season – Passover is here!
In the book of Exodus there are a myriad of events that shape the transition of the lives of the nation of Israel from Egyptian captivity to the journey in the wilderness as they pursued the covenant land of promise from Yahweh where they would possess land as an inheritance.
In Exodus chapter 3 He says to Moses as He visited him in the burning bush, Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of My people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I know about their sufferings. I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey — the territory of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Exodus 3: 7 – 8 (HCSB)
Joseph preceded the children of Israel into Egypt after being sold as a slave where he rose in rank to royalty and thereafter brought his family into Egypt, later on we see that a pharaoh who did not know Joseph arose, enslaved and oppressed the children of Israel. However, the more pharaoh oppressed them, the more they multiplied and flourished, what a great lesson we learn from this, that no one can overrule God’s word, purpose and intention. It is dangerous to deal treacherously with one who is in covenant with the living God and those with the word of covenant hanging over their heads. God’s hand and power voluntarily will follow His words and covenants to fulfill them, in the book of Genesis 15:13, God says to Abram, “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be foreigners in a land that does not belong to them; they will be enslaved and oppressed 400 years.” (HSCB)
As the children of Israel cried out due to the slavery and oppression, God heard their cries and located Moses to be his deliverance agent initiating a chain of events that would be responsible for the exodus of Israel out of Egypt, the start of the feast of freedom otherwise known as Passover and a host of events modelling a new start for the children of Israel. Among these events which are engraved in this season is what is known as the head of months and what Israel and the Jewish people regard as the Jewish Sacred New Year. In the middle of the exodus preparation from Egypt and just before the final plague of the firstborn, God spoke to Moses and Aaron announcing to him that the month they were starting was to be regarded as the beginning of months for him and the children of Israel. Exodus 12:1, The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: “This month is to be the beginning of months for you; it is the first month of your year. (HSCB)
God gives them further directions regarding the same month regarding the lamb of slaughter they are to obtain on the 10th day of this month which was to be male and unblemished and which was to be kept till the 14th day of this month to be slaughtered at twilight. Twilight meaning after sunset, the blood from the lamb was to be smeared on the doorposts and lintels as God was exercising the last plague of the death of the firstborn all over Egypt. Over the years these dates have coincided with what Christians celebrate as Passover though majorly referred to as easter.
The season of redemption for Israel and The Jewish People was primed with sacrifice and judgment of the nation that enslaved and oppressed them and this is the time we are in as we prepare to celebrate Passover 2023. In Jewish circles we have the Hebrew calendar otherwise known as the biblical calendar and it lunar, using the moon to mark of months. Today is 30th April 2023 but in the Hebrew calendar is the 8th of Abib which is the month God commanded Moses to initiate the beginning of months. Deuteronomy 16:1 - 2 “Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, because the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night in the month of Abib. Sacrifice to Yahweh your God a Passover animal from the herd or flock in the place where the Lord chooses to have His name dwell.” In the Bible this is a great and honourable time for all in covenant with God, it is a new beginning and a new season to proclaim and establish the new in accordance to God’s will.
In special reference to the Jewish calendar the date that corresponds to the beginning of months or 1st of Abib in the year 2023 was 23rd March 2023, exactly a week ago. If these were ancient Bible times on the 10th of Abib we would select a lamb to be slaughtered and on the 14th day of Abib we would slaughter it and eat it together with unleavened bread at the Passover meal gathering in remembrance of God’s salvation and deliverance. Regardless of what you observe Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is the perfect and fulfillment of the Passover Feast, offered once and for all and for all people as sin offering for the redemption of many. Hebrews 10:10, By this will of God, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. (HSCB)
There is something interesting about the night of Passover as Israelites prepared to leave Egypt; first, they could not leave before this sacrifice was made in every family and the blood smeared on the doors and lintels. Secondly, just because they were children of Israel and people of covenant, this was not the exemption criteria which could mean one or many things. One predominant thought in my mind is that, in their time of slavery in Egypt, they integrated with their oppressors perhaps adopted culture, ways of worship and other things that needed the blood otherwise they had factors and characteristics of those whom judgement was upon, the Egyptians.
The blood was the distinguishing factor when the angel of death came calling and in this same season God commanded a new beginning for them, this is a great lesson for us. God will never build on faulty foundations, His deliverance into new beginnings means being cultured to hear His voice and establish the needed systems for entrance and building into the new. We wish you a great and amazing Passover season ahead as you contemplate on what may have rubbed off you from your oppressor in the enemy’s camp and further what you must do to prepare for the new beginning and encountering Yahweh who is both our deliverer and builder of new seasons.
(photo courtesy - Istock)
Passover Sameach. Happy Passover.
Njeri. E. Yvonne.
