The Passover: Commandments Keepers

The Passover

Nearly 4000 years ago the Lord God saved Israel from the slavery of Egypt, through the blood of the Passover lamb, to make them a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. The same day that they were freed from slavery the Lord God gave the Israelites His laws (Exodus 20-23), that they were to obey, so that they might be that kingdom of priests, and that holy nation. (Exodus 19:1) "In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai." (Exodus 19:3) "And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;".

After the lamb was slain, was the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is called so because God had told Moses to tell the people not to eat leavened bread. (Exodus 12:28) "And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they." (Exodus 12:34) "And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders."

Leaven is a symbol of sin (1 Corinthians 5:6-7) "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:"

At the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which the Gospel of Luke refers to as the Passover, (Luke 22:1) "Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover." , the blood from the Passover lamb was to be sprinkled upon the alter and on the people of God. (Exodus 24:6) And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. The word used here for basins: ag-gawn' means: a bowl (as pounded out hollow): - basin, cup, goblet. (Exodus 24:8) And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.

Also, the first day and the last day of this seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread are Sabbath days. (Exodus 12:16) "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." These Sabbath days are called High Days in the New Testament. (John 19:31) "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away."

2000 years later Jesus, the lamb of God, saved us from the slavery of sin and the penalty thereof, which is eternal death. Jesus also taught us how to follow the commandments of God by the spirit of the law by giving us His Holy Spirit and placing our Fathers Laws in our hearts. He did this to make of us a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. (Matthew 21:43) "Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

On the Feast of Passover we are to remember our Lord Jesus using these same two symbols, the unleavened bread and the cup of blood. (Matthew 26:27-28) "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 gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Luke 22:19) ": this do in remembrance of me."

(1 Corinthians 5:8) "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."

Yet, the people of God, still can't follow the most simple of these Ten Commandments. This one, simple Commandment that I refer to, is keeping the Sabbath day holy. It is the ONLY one of the Ten Commandments that one obeys by faith.

Many christians today honor the first day of the week as the sabbath day only because they think Jesus had risen from the dead on that day. They follow the commandments of men rather than obey the commandments of God. The Holy Scriptures state very clearly that Jesus had already risen from the dead by the time Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome had come to the sepulchre to anoint him. He had risen on the evening of that weekly sabbath, exactly 3 nights and 3 days after Joseph of Arimathaea had buried him, which was on the day of preparation, for the first day or High Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

During the week that Jesus was crucified, there were 2 Sabbaths, a weekly Sabbath and a High Sabbath.

The High Sabbath, the day after Jesus was buried - (John 19:31) "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." (Luke 23:54-56) "And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment."

The Weekly Sabbath, after Jesus had risen from the dead - (Mark 16:1-2) "And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun."

Is there therefore anymore excuses for not obeying the Commandments of God? (Matthew 5:18-20) "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."