Passover Part 2: Who Gets to Celebrate?

Hello Friends, and welcome back for this second installment in our Passover series.  In part one, we explored that the idea of passover was not invented by YHVH in Exodus.  Rather YHVH used a well-known rite, known as the threshold covenant in order to communicate His superiority and authority to both the people of Israel and Egypt.  If you are just now joining us, you may want to go back and review part 1 before continuing. 

Before we go much further down this path, I think it's important to talk about the elephants at the table 🐘🐘🐘

Yep, we all know they are there (and aren't the cute!)  Let's just go ahead and call them out.

Why would believers in Yeshua be concerned about a deep study of Passover?  Isn't Passover for the Jews?  Debbie, we know you aren't Jewish...are you trying to pretend to be? 

Let's take them one at a time:

1) Why would believers in Yeshua be concerned about a deep study of Passover?  

As I shared in part 1 from Exodus 12:17, YHVH commanded that the Passover be observed "throughout your generations."  The pronoun "your" refers to Israel.  Therefore, many believers discount the necessity for a deep study of this appointed time.  But, should that be the case?  I have found that most of us can cherry pick a verse from the scriptures to defend almost anything we want to believe. Let's keep looking, because when we get to Leviticus 23, we are going to notice some very important verbiage.  "These are the appointed feasts of YHVH*, holy convocations which you are to proclaim in their appointed seasons" (Lev 23:4).  Notice who* they belong to.  Additionally, I think most believers have made the connection that Yeshua was given as the Passover Lamb.  The gospel of John quotes John the Baptist in proclaiming, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).  Yeshua gave His life at Passover.  I think these are very compelling reasons for a deep study of this appointed time.  

2) Isn't Passover for the Jews?

Absolutely!  

But not exclusively.

What I mean is this:  If YHVH is our God, and Yeshua, our Savior, gave Himself in a way that pointed back to the original Passover, then this appointed times should be important to us.  

But Debbie, remember what Exodus 12 says....Passover is for Israel.

Oh boy!  I'm so glad you reminded me!

Let's take a quick flip over to the book of Romans, chapter 11, where the apostle Paul explains that believing gentiles are grafted into the tree that is Israel.  HallaluYAH!  So, when we see "mail" addressed to "Israel" in the Bible, we should definitely read it!

*Essential Note -- I think it is critical for me to bring up an elephant specific to the passage in Romans we just talked about.  Paul explains that gentile believers are "grafted in" or "adopted" into Israel.  Notice that he does NOT say that gentile believers have replaced Israel.  "I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He?  May it never be!" (Romans 11:1).  There are people who believe and teachers who teach that Israel, or the Jews, have forfeited their citizenship as YHVH's people and that gentile believers are a new "spiritual Israel."  As you can see from Romans 11, this belief is not scriptural and is a very dangerous teaching.  Many of our Jewish brethren have suffered over the generations because of the arrogance and ignorance of this erroneous teaching.  Gentile believers are adopted into the family of Israel...they do not replace it.*

3). Debbie, we know you aren't Jewish...are you trying to pretend to be? 

Nope.  But people ask me this ALL THE TIME.  Here is what I am:

• a whole bible reading follower of Messiah Yeshua

So who is Yeshua?

• Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel (John 4:25-26)
• Yeshua is a Jew by earthly birth (Matthew 1:1-16)
• Yeshua is "echad" or One with The Father (Deuteronomy 6:4; John 1:1-3)
• Yeshua kept the appointed times (Mark 14:12-17)
• Yeshua is...I AM (John 8:58)

He is so many things that I cannot possibly list all of His attributes here.  I have written another piece that will give you many scriptural examples of the qualifications of Messiah Yeshua.  But...if you take the trail, don't forget to come back :) We need you here!  

If I follow Yeshua, and He is the things listed above, it would make sense that I would model my life after His life...and after the things that were important to Him in His time here on earth.  --That's what you do when you love someone.  You try to love the things that they love.  You spend time with them. I love Yeshua, and my goal is to learn as much about Him as I can in order to love Him and please Him to the best of my ability. 

I hope that by welcoming these elephants to our conversation I have given you some compelling reasons to consider making Passover a deeper area of study in your walk.  

And who gets to celebrate?  We do!

Now that we've discussed how Passover originated and hopefully feel a bit more comfortable in our identity of adoption into the commonwealth of Israel, let's continue to examine the threshold covenant in relationship to what we know about Messiah Yeshua.  That will be the focus of our next time together.  

Heading off to gather more crumbs, and when I get them in the loaf pan, I will certainly be inviting you back to... 

Come Seek With Me!

Ready to Move Forward?

Passover Part 3: The Door 

Need to Catch UP?

Passover Part 1:  The Threshold Covenant