What Is Passover?
Passover is a holy feast celebrated on the evening of the 14th day of every year by the people of God. Keeping this feast helps the children of Israel to remember how our God delivered us from captivity and slavery to the Egyptians. He did this with great signs and wonders, to let the Egyptians and the other nations know that we are His people, and He is our God, and a mighty one at that!
Background
The Passover can be thought of as the grand finale of the children of Israel’s time in Egypt. Without getting into the full story, this event was the final, and most devastating plague against Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who refused to let the Israelites go free.
Yahawah had sent Moses and his brother Aaron to speak with Pharaoh, telling him to free the enslaved Israelites so that they could worship Yahawah, and be His people…but Pharaoh refused to do this. Egypt prospered because of the labor of the Israelites, and he did not want to give that up! Furthermore, the Bible tells us that Yahawah hardened Pharaoh’s heart, making him more likely to say no, so that He could show his power and glory to Pharaoh and all the land of Egypt, and the nations roundabout!
Every time Pharaoh refused, Yahawah sent a new plague upon Egypt; there were ten in total. Among them were multitudes of flies, frogs, locusts, darkness, sores, and the Nile River and all water used by the Egyptians turning to blood.
“And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:“
Deuteronomy 26:8
For the tenth and final plague, Yahawah warned Pharaoh that He would kill the firstborn of every family, and of all cattle and livestock of the Egyptians if he refused to let the Israelites go. Before He carried out this judgement, He instructed the Israelites to sacrifice a sheep or goat without blemish, of one year old or less on the evening of the Passover. They were to roast and eat the sacrificed animal, and place the blood of it on the side and upper posts of their doors. This that night.
Significance and Symbolism
The feast of Passover gives us a clear picture of our Savior, long before the time of his birth!
- Just as the Israelites sacrificed an unblemished lamb, Christ is the unblemished, sinless Lamb of God.
- The Israelites covered the doors of their homes with the blood of the lamb to avoid the harsh judgment of death on Passover night. We spiritually cover the homes of our bodies with the blood of Christ to escape spiritual death and the punishment of sin, which Christ willingly took on our behalf.
- The blood on the Israelites’ doorposts . The blood of Christ which covers us when we accept him as our Savior puts a difference between us and those who do not believe, so that we are not subjected to The Most High’s wrath.
Observance
Passover is kept every year on the evening of the 14th day of the first month. We are to come together in holy convocation for dinner and prayer. If possible, we should have a meal of lamb and unleavened bread just as our forefathers and mothers did on that monumental evening. If we are able to have this particular meal for Passover, Yahawah instructs us not to keep any leftovers until the next day, since the Israelites made a hurried escape from Egypt the next morning and did not have time to grab leftovers!
We should also remember that Christ our Savior is our Passover Lamb now. He paid the ultimate price for our sins as the unblemished Lamb, saving us from Death, so he should always be the focus of this holy feast, and we should always give praises to his Father for giving His Son for us!