Thursday, November 4, 2010

Feasts of YHVH: Passover Pt 1

Lev 23:4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

Back to our list, we find after the Sabbath the first feast in the list is Passover or Pesach meaning exemption, it comes from the root word “to hop or skip.” Passover, let me just tell you right now…this feast…well all of them…are just bottomless pits of teaching. There’s so many things that YHVH wants to teach us here.

Let me begin in reverse from last time, and mention how a traditional season of Passover might occur. If you were to get online you would find many sites that can give instruction on tradition. Most will say that on the 14th of Nissan there is the “hunt for hametz” hametz being leaven. This takes place at night. The following day going into the 15th of Nissan you would have your Seder (the traditional Passover meal), where you would have lamb, four or five cups of wine, various traditional dishes, singing, dancing, and the whole ‘seder’ would last hours. I’ve done these until recently.

Nothing wrong with the elements of that, but keep the order in mind. Firstly, note that the Levitical list begins with these are the feasts, holy convocations, that you shall proclaim. Which is the first convocation on that list? It’s not Passover; it’s the First Day of Unleavened Bread. Passover is what day? The 14th, not just anytime on the 14th but at the beginning of the day “Even.” Remember biblical days are “Evening and the morning…”

Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day lasts for seven days and there is a holy convocation on the first day (the 15th) and the seventh day (22nd). This is why you might look at a calendar and say “Wait, Passover is eight days long.” It’s not, Passover is in the evening on one day and then a separate but associated feast begins the day after. In tradition, Passover has largely been rolled into the feast of Unleavened Bread. Why do you suppose that might be? Let’s dig a little deeper.

...continued

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