About 3,500 years ago, Egypt ruled over Jacob’s children (The Hebrews, Yahweh’s elect). Pharaoh lorded over Jacob’s children, and forced them to build his kingdom. The only recompense that Jacob’s children received was pain, misery and death.
Jacob’s children had been in bondage for 400 years. These Hebrews knew that Yahweh had promised to prosper them and make them into a great nation, but they doubted His promises, and turned their backs on Him to worship the gods of Egypt.
Then, suddenly, Moses appeared with a message of salvation. Salvation did not come in the form they anticipated, however. Moses said that Yahweh had condemned every first born person and animal, in the land of Egypt, to death. In Egypt, the first born inherited a double portion and became the family priest. So the first born represented all the people of Egypt, their relationship with God, and their future.
This was not good news for the Egyptians, or the Hebrews. Afterwards, Moses told the Hebrews that if they would take the blood of a lamb and put it on their doors, Yahweh would spare their first born. In other words, Yahweh would restore His realtionship with them and give them a future they could look forward to–He would fulfill His promises to Abraham by prospering them and making them into a nation.
When the death angel passed through Egypt, Yahweh covered the doors that were marked with blood so that he could not kill the first born in those homes. The Hebrews who placed their faith in the blood of the Passover lamb were saved. Then, the Hebrews followed Moses through the Red Sea and were baptized into a new life.
After that, Yah took the Hebrews, who He had already redeemed by grace through faith, to Mt. Sinai. At Mt. Sinai. Yahweh instructed His people and told them what sin was, and what righteousness looked like. Yah also gave His people away that they could be restored when they missed the mark of righteousness (when they sinned).
This was nice, if you were a Hebrew, but what about the non-Hebrews in Egypt? Were the non-Hebrews (the Gentiles), in Egypt, just out of luck and condemned to die? Were they condemned and separated from Yah without a hope or a future?
No! The gentiles, who put their faith in the blood of a Passover lamb, received the exact same grace as the Hebrews did. This is why the Scriptures say that a mixed multitude came out of Egypt with Moses. This multitude of Hebrews and Gentiles passed through the Red Sea with Moses, and were baptized into a new life. This multitude of Hebrews and Gentiles stood at the foot of Mt. Sina and received Yahweh’s instructions and the legal code that came with them. This legal code defined sin and made it consequential, and provided a way for the mixed multitude to be cleansed of their sins so that they could enjoy their relationship with Yahweh.
In Exodus 12:48-49, Yahweh says, “And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.”
Notice that Yahweh said that a stranger (someone who was not born in Israel as a child of Abraham, that is, a person who was born in another nation as a child of someone other than Abraham, a gentile) wanted to enter into a relationship with Him and eat the meal of fellowship with Him, they had to be circumcised. After this gentile was circumcised, Yahweh treated him like he had been born in Israel as a child of Abraham. Yahweh said that His instructions and law applied to this gentile.
Therefore, Israel was not an ethnic group (a group of Hebrews); Israel was a Hebrew core with people from many other nations attached to it; Israel was Yahweh’s people.
Passover was a point of entry into Israel for the people of the nations (the gentiles). Gentiles put their faith in Yah’s promises and demonstrated their faith by submitting to circumcision, so they could fellowship with Him and partake of His many blessings.
Yahweh commanded His people, the children of Israel (a Hebrew core with people from every nation attached to it), to keep the Passover every year, forever.
The New Testament says that Yahweh has condemned everyone in the world. However, we can mark our hearts with the blood of the Passover Lamb to escape this condemnation. Yeshua is Yahweh’s Passover Lamb. When we put our faith in Yah’s promises and bow our knee to Yeshua, His Spirit comes to live in our heart to circumcise it. Then, we can eat the Passover. The communion meal is a short version of the Passover meal, where we examine ourselves to remove all the leaven from our hearts, and eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Passover Lamb, by faith.
Today, just as in times past, gentiles enter the Israel of Yahweh through Passover. When Gentiles partake of the Passover Lamb, that is, when they bow their knee to Yeshua, they become children of Abraham and fellow citizens with the Hebrews in the Commonwealth of Israel. Yahweh’s instructions to Israel apply to us.
Yahweh’s instructions to the children of Israel (to His people, Hebrews and Gentiles) is to remember His death until He returns. How should we remember Yeshua’s death until He returns to the earth to rule over the nations for 1,000 years?
Well, Yeshua celebrated Passover. Paul celebrated Passover. Paul told us to keep Passover. Paul told us to follow him as he followed Yeshua. John said that if we are Yeshua’s disciples, then we should walk as He walked. Christians kept Passover up until the 4th Century, when the Catholic Church replaced Passover with Easter.
My wife and I have celebrated Passover for the last 7 years. Each year, at the appointed time, we assemble with our gentile and Hebrew brothers and sisters to remember Yeshua’s death on the stake. We look forward to it all year. Tomorrow, we will celebrate Passover with a meal and worship service, and you can too.
Why keep a short 5 miniute version of Passover, when you can enjoy a feast and really celebrate your deliverance from Egypt (the world) and Pharaoh (Satan)? Do you remember when Pharaoh held you in slavery through sin and forced you to build his kingdom and paid you the wages of pain, misery and death? Do you remember when your partook of the Passover Lamb and got free to serve Yahweh? Celebrate your deliverance by keeping the Passover with your gentile and Hebrew brothers.
Embrace the One New Man (the Hebrew/Gentile Body of Messiah) by keeping the Passover. It will make your deliverance more real and transform your life.
Passover is not a Jewish holiday; Passover is a holy day for Yahweh’s people.
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