Understanding the PASSOVER story (EXODUS 10:1-13:16)
PARASHA: "BO" enter/go
EXODUS 10:1-13:16...........................JER 46:13-28....................1 COR 11:20-34
In this Parasha, I'd like to look at the "Passover story" it is very meaningful, We are seeing that the great I AM is thundering down judgment from above, ten plagues directed against the false gods of Egypt and to convince pharaoh that "he" is not God, (I think that the pharaohs already knew that, but they wanted to hide the fact) the final plague, when the Angel of Death visits the first born of Egypt, and Adonai gets the Israelite families prepared for the grand finale, when they are finally set free,
EX 12: "this month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you" (vs 2)
So, where in the world does January 1st fit it? God already stated when New Years Day is,
so why does man have to change it? Since God gave us a lunar calendar, the Gregorian date changes, this year, I believe that the first of Nissan is on the 9th of April. This is the day we should be saying "Happy New Year" to all, this is the LORD's new year.
Ask me what I do on the eve of Dec 31st, "I am asleep". The 9th of April (1st of Nissan) is on a Sabbath!
Next Israel is to take a lamb or goat from the flocks, on the 10th of the month of Nissan (April 18th) and keep it for 5 days, examine it, it is to be free of blemishes, a perfect lamb or goat. Why does this symbolize Messiah Yeshua? He came into Yerushalayim 5 days before Passover, to minister to the people. He came into the city hearing the shouts, "Hosanna to the Son of David" and 5 days later, the cries were "Crucify him!" what a change of heart! but we have to remember it was not ALL the people who wanted Messiah crucified, only those who did not understand Isaiah 53, the religious leaders, government officials, etc
vs 6,7 "....they shall kill it and take the blood and strike it on the doorposts of the houses..
If we see this, we can see the blood on the two side posts, and across the top, the blood ran down to the bottom to the "threshold" of the houses. We can imagine in our minds'
eyes, a picture of Calvary, with this verse, Messiah's hands were nailed to the side posts
of the cross, and his head, above on the center beam, and his feet, at the bottom
vs 8-10 they were to roast the lamb or goat over a fire, and eat it with bitter herbs, and unleavened bread.
This is very meaningful, the "unblemished" lamb, that symbolizes who Yeshua is, was to be killed and roasted over a fire, and the entire animal eaten. Fire symbolizes "judgment"
and our Messiah was "judged" for our sins, and when we recognize this, and accept him into our lives as our LORD and Savior, it is like "eating" the lamb, bringing the lamb into the body, so as to nourish us. the "unleavened bread" that symbolizes "Yeshua Ha Lechem Chai" (Yeshua the Bread of Life) so fitting that he was born in "Beit-Lechem" (Bethlehem) the "House of Bread" the "bitter herbs" symbolize the years of suffering in Egypt as slaves, and to us, the bitterness of sin, every time we sin, we should be reminded of the bitter "horse radish" that we eat during Passover"
The bitter herbs, combined with the unleavened bread and the lamb paint a perfect picture of what happened 2000 years ago, Yeshua, the sacrifice lamb, the Bread of Life, was nailed to a crude Roman cross, to pay the "bitter" price for our sins, He took upon himself all of our sins, past, present, and future. And by His blood, the ransom , the debt, was paid, there is nothing more for us to do, than to "believe" and "accept" his perfect sacrifice on our behalf.
7 days are celebrated as the "days of unleavened bread" we are to abstain from regular bread as a "reminder" that "leaven" symbolizes sin in our lives, and we are to be aware above all of that, do a "maintenance check" on ourselves, on our spiritual selves, to see where we stand before a Holy God, yes, we will always come up short, found wanting, but at least we will be extra aware of it, and walk more closely to the LORD
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JEREMIAH 46:13-28
Yirimyahu ha navi (Jeremiah the Prophet) is prophesying over Egypt, anther defeat, but this time, by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Seems like Egypt did not learn after the blow to their false gods, their economy ruined, their army gone. It is told that the widowed queen tried to rule, and did for 40 years, but was kicked off the throne by another 'self made" pharaoh, Egypt never regained their might and power. It was the pharaoh "Ankenaton" who got rid of all the pagan gods and proclaimed "One God" but it wasn't Adonai, it was "Ra" the sun god, his son, Tutankhamun, brought back the worship of many gods, Egypt goes from bad to worse, Egypt will receive judgment, It's power destroyed, however, it still exists as a nation, but it will never be powerful like it was under the earlier pharaohs, like Thutmoses, Narner , Cheops, etc
I believe that God will have mercy and still does on Egypt, because there are many born again believers there, among the population, and Egypt did open its doors for Yeshua and his mom and dad, when they fled from Herod. (and not to mention the really tasty food there:; lamb on pita bread, Egyptian rice and lentils,
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1 CORINTHIANS 11:20-34
Rav Shaul reminds us in his letter to the Kehilah (Congregation at Corinth) about the "LORD's supper" that it is meaningful, and it reminds us of his death, to ransom our own lives, "His blood" which was shed for our sins, and his "body" which was pounded, ripped apart, broken, for our sins as well. It is a serious event, to take communion, to receive the LORD's supper at our churches and messianic synagogues, to be "right" before HIM, who sits on the throne. all it takes, is confession, just between you and God, that's all,
Shabbat Shalom..............rabbi Ben Avraham (I have also placed a poem in the poetry section of this forum)
"I WAS TO BE A KING"
