Showing posts with label liberation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label liberation. Show all posts

Saturday 18 April 2015

A Passover for unity in God's community

V11p133001 Torah
V11p133001 Torah (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the Torah we do have laws which are case-based. These holy days remembering the passover in many societies the Shir HaShirim — The Song of Songs are read, where we get a magnificent expression of affection between lovers.

This period is an important want concerning the intimate relationship and unity between people and between God. the Nazarene master teacher rabbi Jeshua asked his followers to become one. They had to become one with him, Jesus Christ, but also with their fellow man and with God.

when Jesus came together with his disciples in preparation of the Passover it was to remember how God rescued us from slavery and how god had chosen Himself a People. With the instalment of the New Covenant the followers of Jesus, even when they not originally belonged to the Jewish race, became acceptable to become part of that unity which formed God's community.

For the goim or gentiles Jesus became the passover, the crossing of the sea of death, giving liberation to all people who are willing to accept Jesus as their Messiah.

Passover celebrates our redemption from slavery to freedom. That is binary. One is either a slave or one is a not a slave. There are no degrees of slavery. so how much do you still want to be slave of this world or slave of sin?

Being presented the end of slavery it is up to us to follow God's directions and to accept this given freedom or to refuse God's offering. When freedom was given to Israel in Egypt it was a new beginning and so it is also for us. It is the beginning of everything else.

Like the followers of Moses as slaves had no autonomy, no time, or even emotional energy to engage in the challenges of love, they now faced a new generation were strangely enough the people had again to be re-educated, because soon they seem to have had forgotten the wonders God did to bring them out of slavery. The Jewish slaves might have merely transferred their allegiances from Pharaoh to their God. Their relationship with God would have been the same as their relationship with Pharaoh. Different master, still slaves.

Though God does not want to see slaves.  He wants us to come freely to Him. He does not want to bind us. for Him the commandments are not the chains for the people, but the way to protect ourselves. For God those rules are also a sign of His love for His creation, giving them guidelines to make the best out of life.

God does not want to be the Dictator of the universe. Straight from the beginning He made man partner of His creation, giving them tasks to name all things and to take care of the earth. God has chosen man to be His partner.

Shir HaShirim is a magnificent expression of affection between lovers. Allegorically, the song is interpreted as a love song between God and the Jewish people.

After the laws of the altar God empowers the heroes of the Oral law to bring the Torah to life by interpreting it and applying it in the way appropriate for their particular generation. We get a story of full of drama, intrigue and adventure and God's Words is an open book showing us how God wanted to create a good relationship with man.

Shir HaShirim reminds us we are now free to love, and we are free to feel God’s love. From slavery, to freedom, to love. 

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Please do find to read:
Maintaining unity of Spirit in the bond of peace becoming one with God

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Tuesday 18 March 2014

To whom do we want to be enslaved

Be enslaved to Christ


English: Name tags of two of . Created by Saaby.
Name tags of two of . Created by Saaby. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In our search to come some where or to accomplish something it can well be that we do try to find solutions in human organisations. We try to clinch to those who seem to have the power to make everything work better.

Perhaps we are blinded and do not notice the reality behind the curtain. We want to believe those organisations would be able to create what we are not (yet) able to do, and we show them are weakness, but by doing that we also give them the assurance they can go ahead and take charge over us.

By putting our hopes and aspirations on those human constructions we perhaps forget to see the real man behind it all, or the man in whom we should better trust more.  Though we may try to follow Jesus not seeing any advancement around us, in this world, the danger looks around the corner that we go and clinch more to those human organisations instead of trusting in the cornerstone of the Church and in his Father, Who calls those Who He wants to be with Him.

But by not having patience enough, we do think human people could bring a solution. Normally they could help, yes. Normally people should help to continue missionary work, and getting people to come together to share the Word of God. In this world we do often forget that it is ruled not by Christ yet and not by God but by the powers of this world, where so many are being tempted to have a taste of such power.

Getting doors slammed against our face, undergoing several trials, it is up to us to get up after falling and to try to continue our way, in the name of Christ, and not in the name of such or such organisation. Our hope and our eyes should not be on those worldly organisations nor on worldly-things but on the spiritual and on the powers which are above all human power.

Hopefully we have found that answer and are among those who “followed him”, making our lives count in some meaningful ways, according to our abilities, in the way we follow him.

A last thought: “whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved” (2 Peter 2:19). Let us be enslaved to Christ; remember, it is not possible to be only half committed....

Each of us has to make the choice to whom we wanted to be connected and in which way we want to be united. We should find each other in love to be willing to be united under Christ willing to grow as a part of his body, and to become one in spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; 12:27; Ephesians 5:30)

As son and daughters we should give each other the outstretched hand of peace and co-operation, with the aim to help each other to become one in Christ (Galatians 3:26, 28)

It is in Christ we should be willing to grow, giving ourself up as a volunteer to become a tool in  God’s workmanship ‐‐ His handiwork ‐‐ born anew in Christ to do his work (Ephesians 2:10) Hand in hand with brethren and sisters in Christ we should feel connected, not being slaves of this world or bounded by handcuffs to one particular organisation here on earth, but as free fellow citizens with the rest of God’s family (Ephesians 2:19)


In case we do have to be enslaved to somebody, or have to be a prisoner of, than it should be Jesus  Christ, the Nazarene man who liberated us from all chains. (Ephesians 3:1, 4:1)

As children of God we should come to see who is our brother and who is our sister,  and accept them with their own peculiarities, living under a new law, not made by man from  worldly organisations, but by a Supreme Being. A higher law and a more glorious dispensation.  By faith we receive it and should embrace it,  no longer walking after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Everything we do should not be for our own glory or for the glory of one particular worldly organisation. We should be a product of the Spirit and this Holy Spirit, the Power of God should find a welcoming place in our hearts. We should be willing to give ourselves so that the Holy Spirit can abide in us and that we are offering ourselves for His glory and no longer for our own.  (1 John 5:4)

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Friday 29 March 2013

A Holy week in remembrance of the Blood of life

Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said to them: “These are the words which the Lord has commanded, that you should do them” (Exodus 35:1)
English: Moses speaks to the children of Israe...
English: Moses speaks to the children of Israel, as in Deuteronomy 31:1, illustration from "The Boys of the Bible" by Hartwell James, published by Henry Altemus Company, 1905 and 1916. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


The people who believed in a Divine Creator came already together at regular times in the time of Moses and the time before him. Moses was warned by his father in law that he could not do things on his own.
“17 and Moses’ father-in-law said to him, the thing that you do [is] not good. 18 you will surely wear away, both you and this people that [is] with you. for this thing [is] too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone. 19 listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and god will be with you. you be for the people toward god, that you may bring the causes to god. 20 and you shall teach them ordinances and laws, and shall make them know the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21 and you shall look out of all the people able men, such as fear god, men of truth, hating unjust gain. and place [such] over them to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.” (Exodus 18:17-21 MKJV)
Today we also do find many people in church communities to be burned out, and the people right along with their supposed leaders. Today there are a lot of priests and church-leaders who are not really there for the people before God. They also are afraid or do not bring the many matters of concern to God. Though their job is to teach the common people the rules and instructions of God and to show them how to live, what to do. Many of those church-leaders do not fear God any-more or do not look up to men of integrity, men who are incorruptible — and do not appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. Many churches have gone far off track of what the bride Christ had offered.

Now we have been celebrating Chag Ha Aviv – Passover, our spring holiday – also named Chag HaMatzot the holiday of unleavened bread with so many other chosen people by God, we could and can take time to meet with many people who believe in the One and only One God of gods, Jehovah.

This 7 or 8 days of holy time coincides with what many Christians call the Holy Week. For us it is also a holy week.

As the Jews eat their “bread of procrastination” it is also for us a time to reflect on our faith. On 14 Nisan, Tuesday the 26th in the evening, after sundown, all over the world serious bible students came together to remember two special moments in history.

In Belgium people could follow the Memorial Meal in several languages (a.o. Dutch, French, German, English, Mandarin, Afrikaans, Congolese, Arabic, Albanian) and hear the readings from the Scriptures in their own language or a language they also know. Somehow they could find a language which could suit them and which they could follow so they should not have a had a language excuse.
There should also not have to be an excuse to delay the coming together, because we have 8 days time to come together to share the Good News with friends, colleagues, brethren and sisters in Christ.

As Rabbi Avi Katz Orlow wrote: "We all have ways we can grow; matzah is there to flatten us out and remind us that this growth might not fit neatly into our schedule." For him Jews are not destined to be the doormat of history. When the situation calls for it they need to be ready to risk their own safety and security to stand up for those who need our help.

Jews and Christians must be brave enough to end fights without going into fighting themselves. But even in those situations we need to know when to call it quits and move on. The armour we do have to put on is the armour of love, which was demonstrated by Jeshua (Jesus)

The Matzah has the focal point on freedom and on 14 Nisan we could say we have a remembrance of Liberation Day. First of all there where the Chosen People, Israel, the People of God, who were blessed by the Creator and shown the way to safeguard themselves for the destruction of the firstborns which came over the land of Egypt because the people of Egypt did not wanted to listen to the God of gods. Secondly there is the night Jesus prepared a meal with his disciples, washed their feet as a humble servant, broke unleavened bread and said thanks to the Most High Elohim. On that night he was going to be betrayed and brought to a judgement bringing death he let us know that we have something to look forward and that he was willing to serve as a mediator between God and men, being the Lam of God, bringing blood of life, the Blood of The Everlasting Covenant.

Through sharing meals we each can connect to the network of Jewish tables, Christian tables and share the connection which was made for the Gentiles by the Nazarene Jeshua, Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

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Please do find some of the readings of the service of 14 Nisan:
Please do also find to read about the Last Supper:
  1. Deliverance and establishement of a theocracy
  2. 14 Nisan a day to remember #1 Inception
  3. 14 Nisan a day to remember #2 Time of Jesus
  4. 14 Nisan a day to remember #3 Before the Passover-feast
  5. 14 Nisan a day to remember #4 A Lamb slain
  6. 14 Nisan a day to remember #5 The Day to celebrate
  7. Around the feast of Unleavened Bread
  8. High Holidays not only for Israel
  9. Festival of Freedom and persecutions

Vindt ook om te lezen rond het Laatste Avondmaal:
In het Nederlands:
  1. De Gezalfde en de eerste dag van de feestperiode van Ongezuurde Broden
  2. Voorbereidingstijd tot een herinneringsmoment
  3. Zalving van Christus als profetische repetitie van de begrafenisrituelen
  4. 1 -15 Nisan
  5. 14 Nisan, de avond om Christus Zijn predikingswerk te herinneren
  6. 14 Nisan een dag om te herinneren #1 Oorsprong
  7. 14 Nisan een dag om te herinneren #2 In Jezus tijd
  8. 14 Nisan een dag om te herinneren #3 Voor het Overgangsfeest
  9. 14 Nisan een dag om te herinneren #4 Een Gedood Lam
  10. 14 Nisan een dag om te herinneren #5 De te vieren dag
  11. Jezus Laatste Avondmaal
  12. Jezus aanbod op het laatste avondmaal
  13. Teken van het Verbond
  14. Jezus moest sterven
  15. Een Messias om te Sterven
  16. Lam van God #3c Christus stierf als onschuldig Lam NT teksten
  17. Een Groots Geschenk om te herinneren
  18. Een Feestmaal en doodsherinnering
  19. Geen Wegvluchter
  20. Slavernij, Ongedesemd Brood en Feesten

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Friday 22 March 2013

High Holidays not only for Israel

In Deliverance and establishement of a theocracy we saw that the Creator God provided twice in history a Passover lamb.

Map of the Land of Israel as defined in Number...
Map of the Land of Israel as defined in Numbers 34 and Ezekiel 47 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In coming together next Tuesday 26 March we bring glory to God and show how thankful we are for what He provided in this world. The 14th of Nisan, like that day is called according the directions of God, we commemorate two occasions of deliberation: 1. the liberation of God's People Israel from Egypt; 2. the liberation of all people, believers, heathen, non-believers by the sacrificial offer of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.


Many in Belgium know about this day, either from the Jews or from the Jehovah Witnesses. But they should know they are also welcome at our services to see how we honour God and how we share the love of Christ Jesus. As most Jews will gather with family and friends, at a Pesah or Pesach seder, we also will celebrate the liberation of God's chosen people from slavery.

William Blake's Holy Thursday (1794).
William Blake's Holy Thursday (1794). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The coming days several people may be annoyed that the shops are closed because of a Holy Day . This weekend it starts with the Cypriots and Greeks having free until Tuesday and the 5th of May for their Easter Sunday (Many Orthodox Christian churches, including the Greek Orthodox and the Russian Orthodox churches, celebrate the “miracle of Easter” on the Easter Sunday date in the Julian calendar.) The Jews, Messianic Jews, Unitarian Churches (like Church of God) and non-trinitarian Biblestudents (like the Russell and Christadelphian Biblestudents, Thomasites and Jehovah Witnesses) have coming Tuesday as the 'Preparation' date (14 Nisan) and the Wednesday until Thursday (15 Nisan) as Pesach, on Thursday and Friday the Old Catholics with Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, on Sunday and Monday 31st of March and the 1st of April Easter for the Roman Catholics and several Protestant denominations and for the worshippers of the Celtic gods and those celebrating the goddess Estra (hence the name Easter). Also Hindus, Muslims, other believers and atheists may receive two paid holidays though they may not be interested in the reasons of the free days but will enjoy the family time.

For followers of the One and Only One God of gods  יהוה {Jehovah} it should be the most important time of the year, and not to celebrate the goddess of fertility, Estra, but to think of the liberation of the people God has given His creation.

In Belgium everybody knows  Israel “the place,” and Israel, “the people”but not many do know the position that Israel has to take in the universe. Also we, as Christians should be more aware of the function of Israel and what the position and role shall be for Jerusalem.

14 Nisan is a day when so many in Antwerp shall go into festivity days. Many Jews shall also invite non Jews to a dish with nice things for a special celebration. But we as Christians can also invite other believers to share our faith and to tell them about the liberation of the People of God and what we do expect from the bloodletting of the lamb. The mitzvah of Ahavat Yisrael, loving Israel, calls us to love both the land of Israel and Klal Yisrael, the people of Israel. Loving Israel links us to both the land and the people. We should show respect for the people who got first priority by God. But we should also love all those who are created in the image of God. That means that we also should be loving to people who believe different things than us, or who say they do not believe (though they perhaps mean that they do not believe that there exist a Divine Supremacy God Creator).

Like we should teach our children about “Israel” we also should teach others about the Divine Creator, Israel and the promises God has given the world. Such holidays are good opportunities to do that. We should make use of it.

Though many have tried everything to get rid of Israel it is still a large family spread all over the world. They are a diverse group with different opinions, cultures, lifestyles, levels of observance, and beliefs. However, they are still all one family with responsibilities to each other. Those who want to become under the custody of the Creator God should also be prepared to take others under their care and should unite with each other as children of God, feeling to be part of the one Big Family.

Having been an enslaved and pursued people the Jews should know what it is to be put aside or to be discriminated. The Festival of Liberation coming in a few days time, they should, as we should, take some time to consider what cruelty can be done to people and how God can protect people and give them plural chances to make something good of their life.They should have esteem for their Liberator and show their gratitude to that Protector to others. Their children should come to understand and adopt as part of their vocabulary and their growing Jewish identity  ensch, brakhah, Torah, mitzvah, boker tov, Shabbat, tzedakah, shalom , and Israel and Klal Israel. Young children may not fully comprehend what something happening “long ago” means, but they can have an understanding that what they do now has been done for a long time. First, it happened in Eretz Yisrael, the land of Israel. And now, today, Jews living all over the world continue to observe these mitzvot/practices. This must be important if their family, their teachers and friends give it such meaning.

Others around them should also get to know why those festivities are. And those who are willing to be partakers of the Kingdom of God with Israel as the capital, should show their respect to that Jewish tradition and follow the Law of God.

The same as the Jews connect with those they care about when they share a Passover Seder with family and friends, we should take the occasion of 14 Nisan, the preparation day to the 15 th of Nisan and Pesach, the Passover Meal, to invite others to share a meal with us and to share our prayers and songs to God.

By the action of the Jew Jeshua from Nazareth, Jesus Christ, those following him have become part of the people of God. And as such they also should like the Jews, communally give voice to our shortcomings and our wishes for peace and good health in the coming year during the High Holidays.


Simon Ushakov's icon of the Mystical Supper.
Simon Ushakov's icon of the Mystical Supper. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Like Jesus who came together with his talmidim to prepare themselves for the celebration of the Passover meal at twilight on the fourteenth day of Nisan as ordered in the Law of Moses, we come together according the ordinances given by God and by the request of His son to remember that evening of Jesus his Last Supper. As followers of Christ, believing in his death and resurrection, accepting his offer for us, we believe we have now also become part of those chosen by God to be part of His family. And for this we are very grateful and wish to let the world know about the Wonders God did for His people.

Passover in 2013 will start on Tuesday, the 26th of March and will continue for 7 days until Monday, the 1st of April.
In the USA, Passover ends one day later, so in 2013, Passover will end on Tuesday, the 2nd of April.

This year it was a little bit difficult to consider which day to be taken, because their where different opinions and some confusion in the world, having some Jews and Bible students taking the 14th Nisan Tuesday the 26th and others like in Israel celebrating Passover on the sunset in Jerusalem of Monday, the 25th of March.

We accordingly invite you for our Memorial Meal on 14 Nisan or Tuesday the 26th of March at 7.30 pm.

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You may find more information about Easter and 14 Nisan:

  1. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
  2. Religious Practices around the world
  3. Anointing of Christ as Prophetic Rehearsal of the Burial rites
  4. The Weekend that changed the world
  5. A Great Gift commemorated
  6. Jesus begotten Son of God #1 Christmas and Christians
  7. Jesus begotten Son of God #2 Christmas and pagan rites
  8. A Messiah to die
  9. The Song of The Lamb #3 Daniel and Revelation
  10. Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ
  11. Festival of Freedom and persecutions
  12. Seven days of Passover
  13. 1 -15 Nisan
  14. Day of remembrance coming near 
  15. Pesach
  16. Korban Pesach
  17. 14 Nisan a day to remember #1 Inception
  18. 14 Nisan a day to remember #2 Time of Jesus
  19. 14 Nisan a day to remember #3 Before the Passover-feast
  20. 14 Nisan a day to remember #4 A Lamb slain
  21. A Jewish Theocracy
  22. Observance of a day to Remember
  23. Around the feast of Unleavened Bread
  24. Observance of a day to Remember 
  25. Pesach and solidarity 
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 Also of interest:

Faith Without Obedience
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Thursday 21 March 2013

Deliverance and establishement of a theocracy

On Purim, the Jewish people recall their miraculous deliverance from their enemies 2,400 years ago. But newt week we start a festival week of an important occasion for Jews and Christians we should not forget.

After the rabbi Jeshua (Jesus) was triumphantly welcomed as a king, seated on a donkey,  in the city of Jerusalem, he called his talmidim or disciples to look for a room to celebrate an even more important deliverance and a confirmation of the promise to Abraham and corroboration to Moses that God had prepared Him a people to be sanctified and to receive a Holy Land.

Purim may remind us of our human frailty and vulnerability. We see how close all the Jews in the Persian Empire came to being wiped out overnight at the whim of a foolish, capricious leader. Jews are particularly reminded of the precariousness of their condition. Yet, Purim also affirms that while oppressors come and go, God’s promise and covenant with his people, Israel, is everlasting. The Jews of the Persian Empire, after all, were saved, reminding us that God never deserts His people.

When the Judaic people were slaves in Egypt God tried to convince the Pharao to let them go, but the plagues God had send to him and his people did not bother him so much. For that reason, not wanting God's people go and not recognising the Most High Elohim, God took to the bloodsign which all people after this occasion should remember for always.

People should know what god has everything under control and that His Word shall always become reality. And those who do not listen at the end shall always come to know and see what the Hand of God shall establish.

We all know different songs, musicals and shows where the song “Let My People Go!” catches the full attention of everybody in the theatre.

Egypt had the People of God to go.

In 40 chapters, 1,213 verses the Holy Scriptures brings us in the Book of Exodus the greatest adventure story ever told.


The Israelites Leaving Egypt
The Israelites Leaving Egypt (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The book of Exodus continues the story of the redemptive history that God began in the book of Genesis. The original purpose of Exodus was to help the people of Israel understand their identity as God’s special people, and to learn about their covenant obligations to him. They were to see themselves as God’s “firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22-23) and as a “kingdom of priests” (19:5-6), called to bring God’s blessings to the nations. Exodus describes how the Lord delivered Israel from Egyptian oppression (chs. 1-15), brought her into covenant relationship with himself at Mount Sinai (chs. 16-24), and came to dwell in her midst in the tabernacle (chs. 25-40).
It is that deliverance from Egypt,  the paradigm for salvation in the Old Testament we are going to celebrate soon. But for us there is an extra dimension to the festival week.  It also sets the pattern for the full and final salvation that God has provided in Israel’s Messiah.


The Nazarene Jeshua, who had done many miracles and as such saved already many people from their problems was the one send by God, long ago promised. He was the Christos or Christ who became the new Moses of a greater exodus by going down into Egypt, passing through the waters of baptism, enduring temptation in the wilderness, and going up on the mountain to give people God’s law (see Matthew 2-7). Like Moses, Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant (see Hebrews 9:15).

The Creator-King’s original intention was that he might dwell among His people, who would be a flourishing human community in a paradise-kingdom beginning in Eden and spreading throughout the whole world.
God established the Mosaic covenant with Israel at Sinai to carry forward His purpose as expressed within the earlier covenant with Abraham (Exodus 2:24; 3:6, 15, 16; 6:2-8). God’s promises to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 function as His solution to the problem of the human sin and rebellion that we read about in Genesis 3-11.

Jehovah  repeatedly referred to the slaves of the Pharao as “my people” (Exodus 3:7; 5:1). The Elohim is indicating both to Pharaoh and to the people that, although they have been enslaved in Egypt for a long time, it is His covenant promise to them as Abraham’s offspring that truly governs their identity.

After overwhelming disasters (the plagues), the putting blood on the sides of the entrance door of the houses of the people who followed the God of Abraham and Moses, as a final sign (Exodus 11:1-15:21), safeguarded the first-borns in those houses. (Exodus 7:8-15:21) in what was going to be the first month of the year in the future for them (Exodus 12:1-2).

In that first of months, the first month of the year all the children of Israel had to come together and in the tenth day of that month every man had to take a lamb, by the number of their fathers’ families, a lamb for every family. It had to be a spotless lamb, without any mark, a male in its first year. They than had to keep it till the fourteenth day of the same month, when everyone who was of the children of Israel was to put it to death between sundown and dark. Then they had to take some of the blood and put it on the two sides of the door and over the door of the house where the meal was to be taken. That night they had to eat the flesh of the lamb, cooked with fire in the oven, together with unleavened bread and bitter-tasting plants. Those following God had to take their meal dressed as if for a journey, with their shoes on their feet and their sticks in their hands. They had to take it quickly, because it was to be the Lord’s Passover. For on that night God went through the land of Egypt, sending death on every first male child, of man and of beast, and judging all the gods of Egypt so that they could know that Jehovah is the Elohim Hashem, the most Mighty of all gods.



 “1  And Jehovah 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 their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household: 4  and if the household be too little for a lamb, then shall he and his neighbor next unto his house take one according to the number of the souls; according to every man’s eating ye shall make your count for the lamb. 5  Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old: ye shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats: 6  and ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at even. 7  And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it. 8  And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9  Eat not of it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs and with the inwards thereof. 10  And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but 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 Jehovah’s passover. 12  For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am Jehovah.” (Exodus 12:1-12 ASV)

In Exodus, God advances his solution to the fall by establishing Israel as a theocracy (a nation governed directly by God). Through the Mosaic covenant, Israel becomes the initial fulfilment and next stage of the promise that in Abraham’s lineage all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:3). God’s “Firstborn Son”

 Like the Passover lamb or the offering sprinkled on the ark of the covenant, the blood of his sacrifice is the atonement for our sin. Like the tabernacle, he is the dwelling place of God with us (see John 1:14, where the word for “dwell” is the Greek word for tabernacle). Like Aaron the high priest, he brings us into the Most Holy Place, where we can meet with God. If we know Christ, therefore, we can trace the story of the exodus somewhere in the spiritual geography of our own souls. Through the waters of baptism, we have been delivered from our bondage to sin. Now God is guiding us on our pilgrimage through the wilderness, feeding us our daily bread, teaching us his law, receiving our worship, and leading us to his glory in the Promised Land.

What Purim and Pesach or Pascha reaffirm to Christians and Jews alike is the fact that the everyday order is infused with God’s presence and is under His control.

About the day God liberated the slaves from Egypt God wanted them to remember it for ever.

“14  And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to Jehovah: 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 leavened 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 to you a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you. 17  And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day throughout 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, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a sojourner, or one that is born in the land. 20  Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.” (Exodus 12:14-20 ASV)

Because it had to be remembered for ever and Jesus remembered it, we also should do that. But for us there is an extra touch. We have to keep it as a feast to Jehovah our God through all our generations, as an order for ever, but we also do have to commemorate the night Jesus took the bread and the cup of wine, saying thanks to His Father and giving it to his closest friends as a sign of a new covenant, which had to be remembered as well.

The broken bread was as the body of Christ Jesus, which was slaughtered like the lambs in Exodus, but this time given for the whole world by the servant of those faithful Jews at the beginning of our common time, and of his Father in heaven. Those who have kept with this Nazarene through his troubles will be given a kingdom as his Father has given one to him, so that they may take food and drink at Jesus his table in his and his Father His kingdom, and be seated like kings, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

 “And on the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the passover, his disciples say unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and make ready that thou mayest eat the passover?” (Mark 14:12 ASV)

 “15  And he will himself show you a large upper room furnished and ready: and there make ready for us. 16  And the disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. 17  And when it was evening he cometh with the twelve. 18  And as they sat and were eating, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you shall betray me, even he that eateth with me. 19  They began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? 20  And he said unto them, It is one of the twelve, he that dippeth with me in the dish. 21  For the Son of man goeth, even as it is written of him: but woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had not been born. 22  And as they were eating, he took bread, and when he had blessed, he brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take ye: this is my body. 23  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave to them: and they all drank of it. 24  And he said unto them, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” (Mark 14:15-24 ASV)
On the 14th of Nisan this gathering of Jesus and his best friends we got the inauguration of that New Covenant. Because that it our liberation and our exodus of the slavery of this world, we should also commemorate that evening and the Lamb of God, Jesus who was betrayed and brought to death a few hours later.

Like the apostles and first Christians came together to remember the night the talmidim where there with Christ in the preparation for the Pesach and Feast of unleavened bread, we also should come together.

 “Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1 ASV)

 “23   For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread; 24  and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, This is my body, which is for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25  In like manner also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord’s death till he come. 27  Wherefore whosoever shall eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28  But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. 29  For he that eateth and drinketh, eateth and drinketh judgment unto himself, if he discern not the body.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-29 ASV)

That what God promised in the Garden of Eden came to fulfilment with Jesus birth, his offering his body to all those who where under the spell of death. It reaffirms that God’s hand is indeed at work in human history. Renewing our belief in a God who acts in history and continues to perform miracles is one of the most fundamental affirmations we can make. And knowing we believe in a God of miracles is indeed cause for celebration at Purim and Pesach or any time of year! But with 14 Nisan asking us to remember the breaking of the bread and his offering his body as an instalment of a New Covenant, we should be glad to come together on such an evening to Break Bread with all our brethren and sisters and welcoming those who want to know God.

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Please also do read:

  1. Festival of Freedom and persecutions
  2. Seven days of Passover
  3. 1 -15 Nisan
  4. Day of remembrance coming near 
  5. Pesach
  6. Korban Pesach
  7. 14 Nisan a day to remember #1 Inception
  8. 14 Nisan a day to remember #2 Time of Jesus
  9. 14 Nisan a day to remember #3 Before the Passover-feast
  10. 14 Nisan a day to remember #4 A Lamb slain
  11. A Jewish Theocracy
  12. Observance of a day to Remember
  13. Around the feast of Unleavened Bread
  14. Observance of a day to Remember 
  15. Pesach and solidarity 
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