Tree of Life Ministries Association
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Blessed New Year
(Easter)
Exodus 12:1-28
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Eric Aschendorf
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Exodus 12:1-28
1) And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2) This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
3) Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
4) And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
5) Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
6) And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
7) And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses wherein they shall eat it.
8) And they shall eat the flesh in the night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9) Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
10) And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
11) And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’s passover.
12) For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I AM the LORD.
13) And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
14) And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
15) Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leaven bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
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.
17) And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.
18) In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
19) Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.
20) Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
21) Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.
22) And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
23) For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when HE seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
24) And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
25) And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as HE hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
26) And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
27) That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when HE smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
28) And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
Vs 2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
The 14th day of Nisan: Pesach, the Passover a day designated by the CREATOR as the New Year. The day of New Beginnings! The Beginning of Months!
As noted the Bible; the Word of GOD, tells us that Nisan, the Passover month, is to be the first month of the year. Yet traditionally Rosh Hashanah, which is celebrated in Tishir, is acknowledged as the start of the New Year.
Why the difference? Is GOD establishing a contradiction? No! No contradiction! Then why the difference? Before we get to the explanation, let’s lay a little historical foundation.
At this time in the history of Israel the Jews had been slaves in Egyptian bondage for 430 years. They were finally at the point where they were willing to lay down their way of thinking. Their way of doing things. They had earnestly, as a nation started seeking the will of GOD in their lives. They had started crying out for GOD.
God hears their cries and sends them a deliverer; Moses! Along with the deliverer come ten plagues to convince the Pharaoh, the king of Egypt to let GOD’s people go.
Pharaoh didn’t know the GOD of Israel and honestly didn’t care to. Pharaoh knew that the Jewish slaves were the backbone (literally) of the Egyptian economy. Without them one of two things would have to happen. One choice would be for Egypt to conquer another nation. The other was that the Egyptians would have to “work” for themselves. The first idea was do-able, but the second was unthinkable. How dare this GOD of the Jews consider making the Egyptians, the riches and most powerful nation in the world consider working, but that is what HE did!
Pharaoh refused and GOD warns and prepares the Jews before releasing the tenth and final plague upon the Egyptians. This time is what we find recorded in Exodus 12:1-42.
Now lets go back and consider our question of the difference in the New Year. The physical New Year happens at Rosh Hashanah! This is when the earth’s seasons change. The earth’s days start to become longer and the nights shorter. The seed in the earth goes from dormant to growing. Thus, this is the “physical” New Year of ALL the earth.
On the 14th day of Nisan is the “spiritual” New Year. All the rest of the world but those “peculiar people”; those people of Israel; that nation of the Living GOD, they will celebrate on the 14th day of Nisan.
One of the “traditions” of Passover is for their to be three pieces of Matzoh (unleavened bread). The significance of these is shrouded in mystery. One tradition holds that they represent three classes of people in ancient Israel: the Priest, the Levites and the Israelites or the general congregation of the nation. Another tradition teaches that they symbolize the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In ancient Israel I believe the first is most accurate. As the nation of Israel marched through the Wilderness of Zin (Sin) you had three groups. First came the praise and worshippers (the Priest, the tribe of Judah), then the Levites or the ministers. Those who carry forth the “Word of GOD”; the messengers! Last you had the general congregation or the warriors. In charge of each of these three groups you had an archangel.
From last to first you have, Michael over the warriors, since he is the archangel of War. Over the messengers, the Levites you have GOD’s messenger angel, Gabriel. In charge of the Praise and Worshippers you had Lucifer. Because of the fall of Lucifer and the fall of the one-third of the angels that followed him you have a void in the nation of GOD’s people, Israel. We the modern day church and those Jews who are still looking for their Messiah, are “spiritual Israel” created to give GOD continual praise and worship. We are to replace these fallen angels. Our head, our leader is JESUS the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The one whose earthly name YESHUA is properly translated Joshua. A name of which, in the Bible was the name of the one who would lead Israel out of their Wilderness of Sin and into the Promised Land just as our JOSHUA, our YESHUA will lead us from our sin and into our Promised Land if we will follow HIM. (For more information on this read “Why”, by Pastor Eric)
Thus the Matzoh would represent both us, the spiritual nation of Israel replacing the one-third of the angels which fell. As well as JESUS who fills the void Lucifer left when he fell.
During the Seder supper, as earlier noted, the center of three pieces of Matzoh is removed. It is then broken and wrapped in linen. This then is hidden and later the children are called upon to find it.
Remember Calvary? On Calvary, JESUS was the middle one of three hung upon the crosses! After HIS life had been broken for mankind, HE was removed from the cross and wrapped in linen. Then HE was buried or hidden from all eyes. Later the children of spiritual Israel found HIM alive!
Remembering that the Old Testament is filled with types and foreshadows of things to come, could either of these last two be the hidden meaning of the center piece of Matzoh?
Let’s now look again at Exodus 12:3-14, paying particular attention to verses 11-13. In verse 13 we read, “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”
From this we can conclude that this sacrifice is for the forgiveness of sins. Since Egypt is the land of “bondage” and sin causes and is bondage.
The last part of the Pesach I want us to notice is found in verses 7 and 13. During the Seder the wine is used to represent the blood and in the Pesach the blood is used as a sign to GOD to “pass over” all of the individuals within this house. It is stating to GOD that those within these walls hear you and obey you!
Look with me now to Matthew 26:26-28. Here we find what is referred to as the Last Supper. When JESUS was crucified it happened to be the same week as the Passover. HE had instructed HIS disciples to secure this room and prepare for the Seder.
Thus all the traditional elements were there and JESUS was leading them through the Seder as were the heads of all the households that night. JESUS would then have grabbed the Matzoh-tash (a pouch in which the three Matzoh crackers are contained) carefully reached in and pulled only the center cracker out. Then HE “blessed it, and brake it” but then things changed from the traditional ceremony. HE gave it to them and then told them to eat it and that this was HIS body! They had watched HIM do many odd things during their three and one-half years together but never this. Why wasn’t HE conducting this Seder as HE had with them over the last couple of years?
Then “HE took the cup”, one of the four generally used in the ceremony, “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.” It is not so recorded but it would not be surprising if HE had to encourage them again to drink this!
Certainly by now tons of questions were running through their minds but JESUS gave them no occasion to question HIM. HE had them sing a song and then follow HIM to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.
Through traditional sacrifices for the remission of sins before the animal is split in two, the Priest and person, persons or representative of the group would lay hands upon this animal and pray GOD to place their sins upon it. Then the animal would be killed, the blood extracted and poured over the mercy seat and the rest of the altar. Then the flesh would be consumed by fire (exceptions were made to this to provide food for the Priest but this was the “general” manner).
In Deuteronomy 12:23 we read, “Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.”
The flesh has had sin placed upon it by GOD and in the blood is the life of an animal condemned to death. Thus to ingest such a creature would be to take in it’s sin and partake of it’s condemnation. What had JESUS done?
At this point the full awareness of the sacrifice to come was not made known to them. Only later would they understand that JESUS did this in order to pass onto them HIS life. HE had not yet been condemned to die, so by doing this they are NOT taking in condemnation but eternal life for as the “fulness of the GODhead bodily” (Col 2:9), HE could not die! Prior to this, anytime JESUS got near death the dead person would come back to life. Since they consume this body it now lives within them and JESUS the man can proceed to be condemned, to take upon HIMSELF the sins of mankind and to die.
They must also consume HIS flesh before sin is imparted to it for in GOD is no sin and in order for HIM to have placed upon HIM the sins of mankind, HIS flesh must be consumed.
Thus when JESUS is hung upon the cross it is as an eternal sacrifice, the LAMB of GOD and no longer as the fulness of the GODhead bodily. That part of HIM now lives within mankind.
Some other noteworthy points are that communion, as JESUS performed it was for everyone! Let’s take a quick look at The Last Supper account from the view of the physician Luke. In Luke 22:19-23, first we find the account of the Communion, then in verse 21 we read, “But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.” Now according to Luke, Judas is still there after the communion. That means he partook of the Communion Supper. Moreover the other eleven men that took communion that night, none of them were CHRISTians either! None were yet CHRISTians because JESUS had not yet died to redeem them from their sin! Further proof of the fact that none were yet CHRISTians is found in Luke 22:32, after the supper JESUS addresses Simon (Peter) and says, “ But, I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren.”
When GOD established the Passover, in Exodus 12 what was about to happen? Why did they eat the Seder standing up, with their shoes latched and their coats on? Why didn’t they take the time to leaven the bread?
They were “preparing” to be set free from bondage! They were preparing to come out of captivity! They were preparing to Exodus Egypt! JESUS established the Communion Supper for the same reason! To prepare the way of salvation!
In 1 Corintians 11:23-32 we see another account of the LORD’s Supper. This one is a little bit different from the others. Let’s skim through the first part, which is essentially the same as the three Gospel accounts and pick-up in verse 27-32.
27) Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the LORD, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the LORD.
28) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29) For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the LORD’s body.
30) For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31) For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32) But when we are judged, we are chastened of the LORD, that we should not be condemned with the world.
If we look at these verses and “ONLY” apply them to verses 23-26 we would easily conclude what has become common within the CHRISTian community, that only those who are saved should partake of communion. This, however is a false assumption based on partial information!
Looking back to verse 17 and through to verse 32 we see that Paul is upset with the church at Corinth. He is upset because when they come together and partake of the LORD’s Supper, they do it more as a party. They become gluttenous and drunk. It was to these persons that he is later making his comments about participating in the LORD’s Supper unworthily. He is addressing members of the church! He is telling them that they are making a mockery of the cross! That they have taken the LORD’s name in vain or that they call themselves CHRISTians and yet live like the unsaved! That they are like a man who looks at himself in a mirror but when he turns away from the image forgets what he has seen (James 1:21-27 paraphrased). Essentially he is warning them not to become like the Laodecian church or lukewarm CHRISTians that GOD would prefer to spue out of HIS mouth. He is telling CHRISTians not to take the cross for granted but to remember the cost of the cross and to live in appreciation of the cost.
Let us now take time to reflect on the cost of the cross! If any of us are in any type of bondage! If we have willingly picked up any sin as a part of our lives! If we have forgotten how much GOD loves us, that HE laid down HIS life on the table at the Last Supper and then willingly gave HIMSELF as a sacrifice to buy mankind back from the bondage’s of sin, tradition and the Law. Or, if any of us have never asked GOD to forgive us of our sins; our living a life without HIM. A life where we place anything before HIM! If any of these or like things describes you then take the time to ask GOD to forgive you and HE will! This will then become the beginning of the New Year for you! HE has prepared the way to free you from your bondage. Will you accept HIS way today? Will you become part of Spiritual Israel and have a joyous and blessed New Year?
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Always HIS servant,
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