Celebrate Passover Liberation
Study Scripture: Ezra 6: 13 – 22
Background Scripture: Ezra 6
Lesson 3 March 19, 2022
Key Verse
And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,
Ezra 6:16
INTRODUCTION
Our Study Scripture examines the Feasts established by God for the children of Israel and the role they play in the celebration of the rebuilt Temple after the Jews returned from exile in Babylon as predicted by the prophet Jeremiah.
It is also held by some believers that the weekly and the annual Feast Days outline the history of human beings from the establishment of the nation of Israel to the end of the age.
Our Study Scripture emphasizes the fact that God is gracious and always fulfills His gracious purposes.
It is to be noted however that God’s faithfulness endures throughout all generations, and that only when His time has come, He will fulfill His purposes for His people.
When He is ready to act, He sometimes raises up the most unlikely persons as instruments to ensure that His will is done.
We see a perfect illustration in this event of rebuilding the Temple, both in God’s influence on His own people who had long delayed what they should have done, and also on a pagan king who acted to facilitate the accomplishment of God’s purposes.
But even though this was a great event in the life of Israel we note that there was something missing. The manifestation of the glory of God was not there as it was in the dedication of the previous sanctuaries.
We know that God had promised to show His glory to his children and so clearly therefore the glory of God was waiting the coming of the day of Pentecost when it would come and point us to the fact that the glory of God will indwell believers when the true Passover lamb would be slain and the promised Spirit would come and the congregation of God would be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Many accept that Leviticus 23 sums up God’s eternal plan from chaos to eternity in the seven annual feasts God had established and which He gave to Moses on Mount Sinai telling him the dates and observances of these annual feasts. These feasts were in addition to the weekly Sabbath Day which is called Shabbat, a weekly feast.
The two feasts that we will look at are among the Spring Feasts and the first is the Passover Feast which Leviticus 23:5 specified would begin at the festival year on the 14th day of the first month (Nisan 15). Passover was therefore regarded as the Feast of Salvation. In the Old Testament the blood of the Lamb slayed in Exodus 12:5 when the firstborn of all sons and the firstborn of livestock born in Egypt died when the angel of death “passed over” the Jewish homes because the blood of the Lamb they had slain had been placed on the door posts of their houses as instructed by Moses on the direction by God.
In the New Testament it is made clear that Jesus served as the sacrificial lamb and the Lord Himself was sacrificed on Passover. So today the believers in Christ will mark his house, that is, his body, “the house of the spirit”, with the blood of Christ. Passover therefore points to and represents our salvation.
The next Feast in the Spring Feast is that of Unleavened Bread and Leviticus 23:6 places that second Feast on the very next night to Passover. That was the name given to it because Leaven was used in the Bible to symbolize sin and evil and so the instruction of unleavened bread to be eaten over a period of time, was designed as a symbol for a holy walk with the Lord.
Leviticus 23:6 had stated:
“On the 15th day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread onto the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread”.
This reminds us of the fact that the people of Israel will as the prophet stated about their confrontation with the Messiah Jesus “Look upon me whom they pierced”. Isaiah 53 reminded Israel:
“He was despised, and we did not esteem Him
Surely He has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows.
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
the chastisement for our peace was upon Him.
And by His stripes we are healed”.
Israel is therefore now looking with some sadness at this picture of their return from exile and the rebuilding of the Temple which took them four years after it had begun at the instigation of the prophet Haggai. Now there came the joyous ceremony of the dedication of this Temple. Along with this were things to be done in recognition of what had been involved in the prior destruction because of their sins.
The Scriptures record the words of the predecessor to this same pagan king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. The king of this chapter Darius Hystaspes most likely had access to the recorded words of his powerful and proud predecessor who after his humiliation at the hands of God said as follows:
“I blessed the Most High and praised and honoured Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generations to generations. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain his hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?”
Note that God blessed the remnant of Israel and was an Advocate for them, appointing a pagan king to support their cause. Then God blessed them and encouraged them, enabling a full accomplishment of His grand purpose.
A brief look at the context of the events in the Study Scripture will be helpful. Ezra 3 records the laying down of the foundation of the Temple at Jerusalem with joy, loud and fervent praises to God for His goodness and mercy, and much sacrifices of burnt and sin offerings.
But when the adversaries of Israel saw that the rebuilding of the Temple had commenced under the reign of Darius 1 who died in 486 B.C., they came with offers to help. Their offers were rejected, and their campaign of opposition began to discourage the people rebuilding the Temple and to “trouble” them. (3:4-6).
The enemies of Israel sent a letter to the son of Darius, King Ahasuerus who reigned from 485- 465 B.C. the same King that is in the Book of Esther, but nothing was done to stop the Jews from working on the Temple.(4:6). Note the hand of God at this time.
The Samaritans spearheaded the attack on behalf of the people of the region to stop the work, again writing a letter accusing the Jews of bad motives and intention. (4:7-16). The king at that time accepted the accusations as correct and officials were sent to stop the work on the Temple, (4:23-24). The work then ceased.
But God raised up prophets Haggai and Zechariah, whose ministries began in 520 B.C. to urge the people to resume the work. They told the people that God expected them to be faithful to His command, and the people audaciously responded and began the work again.
The enemies of Israel stepped in again and demanded the work be stopped but now the people of Israel refused. Ezra 5:5 tells us:
“But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so that they could not make them cease till a report could go to Darius”.
This letter addressed to the reigning king is recorded from 5:6-17 and its contents reveal much about the nature of the work being done.
Note the assessment recorded in the letter is remarkably fair and accurate. The writers saw that the Jews regarded their God as a great God and reported this attitude. Their description of the work was that of a solid structure with great stones and high quality materials. They, despite their small numbers, were moving along rapidly and efficiently and in determined fashion. This was not a flimsy structure.
The Jews claimed that the King Cyrus had authorized them to build such a magnificent structure and that was what they were doing. So the letter requested that the King Darius examine this claim to see if what the remnant was saying was true.
Chapter 6 records that Darius did just that and he sent for the records so that he could see for himself what God had established on behalf of Israel many years before.
So let us look at who exactly God had allowed to sit on the throne of Persia at exactly this moment to give a favorable reply to Israel, so that His plan would be completed in His time and with abundant provision for its success more than the enemies of Israel could even imagine.
Note this was a very powerful ruler who some regard as the real founder of the Persian Empire. He would have been a Zoroastrian and a worshipper of Ormazd. This was a monotheistic religion who believed in the existence of one supreme God. Scholars tell us that this god however was different from the Hebrew God for those who followed Ormazd believed that the principles of good and evil resided in his being as two subsidiary existences.
Ormazd encouraged prayer and maintained that men should strive for purity given that sin was dreadful. Some writers state that this blend of religion and morality was unknown elsewhere in the ancient world, except in Judaism.
Not unexpectedly then, he would have opposed the idolatry of other pagans and their antagonism to events in Israel. Apparently he had restored the temple of Ormazd that a predecessor of his had damaged and he would be unlikely to support any attempt to stall the rebuilding in Jerusalem. He likely learned of Judaism from the Jews of Babylon and he would have had sympathy for Judaism.
This attitude toward paganism showed up in the decree of Darius recorded in Ezra 6:1-12 authorizing again the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and in the menacing words (11-12) addressed to anyone disturbing the work that had begun at the command of Haggai the prophet.
Note therefore, that God had examined the remnant, assessed them, and found them doing right in His sight. They had been obedient to the words of His prophets. God turned and established the heart of this king and placed him on the throne at this specific juncture, and he was a fervent advocate for the work of the God of Israel. But note God had waited for about 60 years to have the work on the Temple resumed.
What a lesson for all believers in God, especially for those faced with what seems to be insurmountable odds and opposition!
The remnant was obedient to God and so He was on their side, in their corner. Their will was bent to His will and so we can say that their will was lined up with God’s will. So with this Study Scripture in mind we remember the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:31-34,
“What shall we say then to think these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”.
First, God remembers all His promises and will accomplish them. Considering what transpired between Pharaoh and God in Exodus 10, we learn that God when it comes to His people has no intention of compromising. He will not yield a point to anyone who acts against His will. Building to the point of Liberation, and what it means to be in that state when a child of God, God already possesses the whole of His people in their intent and purpose, and has sanctified them completely, and He will now move to possessing the whole spirit, and soul, and body of the man whom He hath purchased with His precious blood.
This is His intention from the beginning. If you are children of God, then you are saved, you belong completely and entirely to Christ. As Christ died to purchase the whole of man, God will have the whole of you, or He will have none of you; this is His right, and His children know it! This is what liberation means. If in the intent and purpose of your souls, every thought, and wish, and power, and talent, and possession, you are devoted and consecrated to Christ, you have every reason to believe that you have been redeemed by His precious blood. You are liberated.
People observe the concept of freedom and liberation from man’s perspective, when we should really look at it from God’s perspective. To that end, if we say that we have enlisted in Jesus Christ’s army, should we not give up to Christ, head, and hands, and feet, and heart, and all!
These are word from Surgeon,
When the Romans erected the statue of Christ, and put it up in their pantheon, saying that he should be one among their Gods, their homage was worthless. And when they turned their heads, first to Jupiter, then to Venus, and then to Jesus Christ, they did no honour to our Lord, they did but dishonour him. Their service was not acceptable, and so if you imagine in your heart that you can sometimes service God, and sometimes service self and be your own master, you have made a mistake. Christ will have no such service as this; he will have all or nothing; and indeed, men and brethren, it is necessary for us to escape entirely from the snares of sin, or else we cannot be saved…All those slight amendments and improvements, good as they are in a moral aspect, are worthless as to any
spiritual salvation of your soul.
THE TEXT
Verse 13. There had been some delays in the building of the House of God. God had put it into the heart of Darius the king to see the House built. We see here that God will fulfill His gracious purposes concerning His church and will use whatever instruments to do so, even that which might seem unlikely.
This serves every Christian as an example of perseverance and persistence, as opposition will always exist when we wish to do the work of God. However, that should not discourage us from our task, for we know the Word of God is true and will not return to Him void, so we should continue in His grace to do His will.
The Jews’ enemies were fanatical and violent, but were forced to become their “friends”. The order of the king served as incentive to those whose predecessors had slowed the work of the Temple. It shows the strength and perhaps the absolute judgment of the king at that time in how fast the people moved to help the Jews accomplish their tasks.
Verse 14. After the latest fifteen year delay it took only four years to finish the rebuilding.
The building of the Temple was carried on with great energy and dedication, and was finished in a relatively little time after the decree of the king. Now God had silenced the opposition. The Jews took full advantage of the new situation and did not delay.
“And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia”.
One writer points out this most important fact which should answer the questions many posed about human and divine will. He writes:
“This is the mystery of divine sovereignty (i.e. Prophet’s message and God’s command) and human free will (decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, as well as the actions of the Jewish leaders). Both God’s will and human will combined to accomplish the task. This is true in every area of life”.
It is mentioned that the elders of the Jews assisted in the building of the Temple. It is not clear whether that meant that they physically participated or carried on some other significant role, but it is clear that if the builders saw the elders physically working to accomplish this task, then it would have inspired them greatly to see that the elders of the people did not view this as menial work.
What joy and strength it would have provided all to see them working alongside the people! It is no wonder the work was finished soon after.
It cannot be left out and must be emphasized that God moved and used heathen kings to spur His children into completing the work on His temple. The children of God and the leaders, the elders could not let these kings show more enthusiasm for God’s work than they, and hopefully to that end it is part of the reason they cheerfully assisted in the work.
The kings of Persia mentioned in the books of Ezra- Nehemiah from the First return of the exiles laying down of the altar, the Second return and the building of the Temple, the Third return and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem are:
Cyrus the Great who founded the Persian Empire ruled from 539 to 530 B.C., under whom was
the first return of the Jewish exiles.
Darius the Great who ruled from 522 to 486 B.C. He authorized rebuilding of the Temple only.
Xerxes (Ahasuerus) ruled from 485 to 464 B. C., Events in the book of Esther occurred in this reign. There was a 58 year Gap in what was achieved by the returning exiles. At the beginning of his reign a letter was sent by the Samaritans to have him stop work on the Temple. It seems nothing was accomplished by that letter.
Artaxerxes who ruled from 464 to 423 was the king who authorized the restoration of the city walls by Nehemiah.
Also, one would hope that they participated because they loved their God. We can see strangers to the faith work hard, with zeal, not grudgingly, working towards a goal of a God they do not serve. Children of God must do better than these individuals to show them that we remember God when times are good and continue to do His will at all times.
The support that the people got from Haggai and Zechariah is also mentioned. As these prophets were prophesying concerning the work of God, this encouraged people knowing that God was in constant communion with them. They felt close to God and they knew God was close to them. This could be seen in the prosperous work that occurred for the four year until the completion of the Temple.
As the work of God is always perfect, as demonstrated in the plan to build the Temple, restore the Temple, it was and is seen in the work God does in furnishing the church. That Spirit led Temple is a long time in the building, but it will be finished one day.
Every Christian should understand that they are a living temple, and we must continue to do what we can to ensure this temple is strong and beautiful and fit for our Master’s service.
Opposition will come from the devil and from our own corruptions, however, if we keep our sight on God and His word, God will bring us to His perfection. That is His promise to us. The Spirits of just men will be made perfect.
Verse 15. A concurrence of favourable events accelerated the restoration of the Temple and upon the decree from the king the infusing of a new spirit and energy into the workers brought the work do a decisive completion.
The house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, the twelfth month of the year of the Jews, and corresponds to part of our February and part of March: which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king; four years after the decree came forth.
Verse 16. Here we have instructions of keeping the dedication of the Temple. When it was built, it was designed for sacred uses. They entered upon it with solemnity and probably with a public declaration of the separating of it from common uses and the surrender of it to the honour of God. The Bible records that the priests, Levites and the children of Israel, some of each of the twelve tribes took part in the ceremonies.
The ceremony was officiated by the priests and Levites. From the children of Israel, we have Jews from the captivity taking part in the building and dedication of the Temple and the phrase used to describe the participants seems to put some limitation on who was involved. Only the returning exiles and their descendants that had been involved in building the Temple apparently were involved in the dedication. Those of the people of Israel that had been left into the land and had been associating and intermarrying with the heathen people were not involved. We were even told you before that the genealogies of the returning priests were examined carefully and if the purity of the line was not evident even they were not involved in priestly duties.
This was an event, and a joyous event for all those who loved God. The remnant of the children of Israel most likely recognized what God had done for them, and that God is faithful to His word (Isa7:3).
This dedication occurred with joy in the hearts of the children of Israel. The aged who had wept at the laying of the foundation were most, if not all of them, now dead. Those who remained and the children of those now dead all rejoiced at the completion of this national undertaking.
Verse 17. A list of all the animals for sacrifices was made. Some of the animals were offered as burnt offerings and those were offered in pledges to God and their complete dedication to Him. Other animals were offered as sin offerings for while they joyfully pledged their complete dedication they had to remember their previous sins. The people knew sacrifices were in order for without the shedding of blood there would be no remission of sins.
One should remember that the children of Israel were not given complete freedom, just certain freedoms. They could rebuild the Temple for worship, but not completely do all that they wish. Bullocks, rams, and lambs were offered for burnt offerings and peace offerings.
As a note, this could not be compared with what Solomon offered when the Temple was built, as then Israel was free, but the children of God still gave according to their present ability, and it was accepted.
Even in times of affliction and deep poverty, the people of God demonstrated a willingness to give to God beyond what they had. Poverty is no excuse not to give unto God what is due Him, especially if we say we love Him. Just as the children of Israel gave in this instance all that they could, we too should freely give of our tithes and offerings, despite our apparent poverty, and in so doing we shall be blessed.
It also mentions twelve he goats were given for sin offerings, one for every tribe, to make atonement for their sins, which they looked upon as necessary in order to the acceptance of their services. Thus, by getting iniquity taken away, they would free themselves from that which had been the sting of their late troubles, and which, if not removed, would be a worm in the root of their present comforts.
Note that the offering of twelve male goats as a sin offering for the twelve tribes affirmed that the people there represented all the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Though most of the Ten Northern tribes had long been taken away and scattered, all the tribes were recognized as being the covenant people of God and the promises and covenants of Yahweh also belonged to them.
As with any event or occasion that involves God, we should learn to welcome holy ordinances with joy and attend on them with pleasure. As children of God, with the other saints, I would implore you to serve the Lord with gladness. Whatever we dedicate to God, let it be done with joy that He will be pleased to accept.
Verse 18. Order in the house of God is very important. Clear instructions were given for the building of the Temple. Clear instructions for the restoration of the Temple must have been followed to make it a place of worship for God once again. Even down to the instructions for the service, God gives clear instructions. So, for the household of God to be placed in order and settled, everyone and thing must take its appropriate place. Tasks were assigned to the priests according to the organization of the priesthood. Some priests apart from the High Priest took turns in terms of serving and doing certain things in the Temple. Then Levites were also assigned to roles based on their divisions. These roles had been set out in the law of Moses and later the division of priests and Levites were instituted by David.
Having set up the worship of God in this dedication, they took care to keep it up, and made the Book of Moses their rule, to which they had an eye in this establishment. The Temple service performed could not compare to that done when Solomon first built the temple, but the children of Israel’s current state of poverty ensured that if they could not match the splendor, then they could perform the Temple service with as much purity and close adherence to the divine institution as ever, which was the true glory of it. There is no beauty like the beauty of holiness.
Verse 19. Now that certain freedoms were given to them once again, the children of God could worship the way how God intended. It was seasonable to commemorate their deliverances out of their bondage in Egypt. It is not too hard to imagine that they had kept the Passover, after a sort, every year since their return, for they had an altar and a tabernacle. However, they were liable to frequent disturbances from their enemies, and thus constrained their room to follow a particular path.
Now we see more freedom to worship; the Passover celebration went into the next month after the Temple was finished and dedicated.
The national religion of Israel was now officially established and the great Feasts days could be enjoyed. The first was the Passover followed by the Feast of unleavened bread where leaven was banished from among the people indicating all iniquity therefore was being removed from among the people.
Gladness at God bringing freedom and joy, for God was the source of their joy, was therefore associated with the renunciation of sin. They were extremely happy and celebrating because they realized that it was God that had turned the heart of the king of Assyria and brought a successful end to their captivity by influencing this great king. God had strengthened them all through the captivity and had strengthened their hand in rebuilding the house of their God. God’s providence was something to be celebrated for it was wonderful.
Fresh mercies should put us in mind of former mercies. This was God’s gift to His children for repenting. His mercies and favour resides upon His people once again, and if they continue in His ways, then they shall forever be in His glorious presence.
Verse 20 – 21. Even in their celebration, order and care was taken. The purity of the priests and Levites were taken with care. In Hezekiah’s time many of the priests were under blame for not purifying themselves. But now it is observed, to their praise, that they were purified together. They were unanimous both in their resolutions and in their endeavours to make and keep themselves ceremonially clean for their solemnity. They joined together in their preparations, that they might help one another, so that all of them were pure, to a man. The purity of ministers adds much to the beauty of their ministrations as does their unity.
The animals, the Passover lambs had been slaughtered, and they purified themselves before slaughtering the lambs, so that they were clean before God.
All the people, priests, Levites, the returning exiles and their descendants were together as one. At this time their purification cannot be regarded as an ungracious exclusiveness of their race. This unfortunately developed later but now it was necessary for the heathen were quite filthy. Their behaviour was degraded for these heathens were corrupted by their vices. Many of their heathen practices were immoral and so renouncing their sins of the nations, purifying themselves and symbolically removing leaven from their homes meant a great deal.
The Festival was a time of gladness brought to them by God.
Looking to the great body as a whole, it is up to every Christian to ensure that they approach God and any ceremony involving God with purity of mind and body. There is also something said about the fellowship of believers, because the fellowship that God has given to us could help us with this task. We are our brother’s keeper. The unity of believers will provide us with the strength that we need to continue to serve and worship our God in spirit and in truth.
It is again fair to assume that the proselytes that communicated with them in this ordinance also followed laws that the rest of the children of Israel followed. This would include undergoing the rite of circumcision, a condition indispensable to a participation of the Passover.
The proselytes if present would have left their country and the superstitions of it and cast in their lot with the Israel of God. They separated themselves from the filthiness of sin and fellowship with sinners, joined themselves with the Israel of God in conformity and communion, and set themselves to seek the God of Israel, and those that do so in sincerity. Strangers and foreigners, are welcome to join and eat of the Gospel Feast, as fellow-citizens with the saints and the household of God.
Verse 22. The Lord made them joyful, and gave them both cause to rejoice and hearts to rejoice.
The favourable disposition which Darius had evinced towards the Jews secured them peace and prosperity and the privileges of their own religion during the rest of his reign, as he surpassed the glory of Assyria.
Those that are upon good grounds, joyful, have reason to be thankful, because it is God that makes them to rejoice. He is the fountain from which all the streams of our joy flow.
God has promised to all those who take hold of His covenant that He will make them joyful in His house of prayer. The particular occasion they had for joy at this time was that God had turned the heart of the emperor to them, to strengthen their hands. If those that have been, or who we feared would have been, against us, prove to be for us, we may rejoice in it as a token for good, that our ways please the Lord (Prov. 16:7), and He must have the glory.
We note that something was missing for when the movable Tabernacle was finished a cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of God filled the Tabernacle so that Moses could not enter it. When Solomon build the Temple and dedicated it a cloud filled the House and the priests could not minister in it.
But now at this dedication there is no report of the cloud of God’s glory descending on this new building. But this did not stop the people from celebrating the dedication of the Temple with joy and celebrating the two Feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread with joy.
God had encouraged the people, had made them joyful, had enabled them to rebuild. God Had created
Events so that the people could properly rejoice. So they knew that God had made them joyful.
God had brought joy but the old visible manifestation of glory was missing.
CONCLUSION
We are forced to examine this lesson and to realize that we will only see the glory of God descend on the day of Pentecost. There a sound like a mighty rushing wind came filling the house where the disciples were and tongues as of fire appeared and rested on each of them so that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. That is the time when the glory of God again appeared.
It should be obvious therefore that we must realize that there is a new manifestation of God where believers are personally filled with the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 2 we see the glory of God manifesting itself filling the believers and the house they were in visibly with the Holy Spirit. There was a mighty rushing wind filling the entire house where the 120 believers were sitting and tongues resembling tongues of fire sat on each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
The builders of the Temple in the times of Israel meant therefore they were really participating in the first stage of the rebuilding of the Temple for this rebuilding and dedication was simply anticipating the coming of Christ so that this coming the Holy Spirit would be sent and He would fill the house where the disciples were on the day of Pentecost and then fill each believer in a magnificent way.
We must not therefore think that the missing glory of God was not evident in some way at the rebuilding and dedication of the Temple. But God’s focus was now to be different after the Exile had ended.
But we must focus on the coming of Jesus the Passover lamb and the coming of the Spirit which will purify all believers.
It is a mighty God we serve. God requires that His people, though they live in the world and witness for Him, separate themselves from the filthiness of the heathen. Compromise is always attractive but is not acceptable to God.
The vessels of the Temple were consecrated as ‘holiness to the Lord’, and similarly our bodies are to be so consecrated. We must be unspotted by the world.
Note also believers are not to always have long faces as they often do, but must sincerely and even exuberantly enjoy the many times for enjoyments, simple though they may be, which come our way.
But when we do so never forget God is the source of our blessings and the source of our strength.
So recognize God’s providential direction in your life and in the life of His people that are around you.
Look for examples of faith around you for these will help strengthen you.
Reject the ‘leaven’ of the many false religions and corruptions of the faith that are around us. Be faithful to your faithful God. One writer challenges us:
“Today, many of God’s work are met with unprecedented challenges from the enemy and have stopped halfway. If only we would turn to God and his resources, these difficulties can be overcome. Jesus said in Matthew 16: 18 “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. What a blessed assurance this single verse gives to us. It is a statement by our Lord, and He is backing it up. Let us rise up and build the kingdom of God because God of heaven and earth says He is with us. His spirit is with us and in us. He will take us through the waters, but it will not drown us. He will take us through the fire, but it will not consume us. Instead, all this will strengthen us to accomplish His purpose. Rise up and complete the God-given task!”
Remember therefore that Passover is a celebration of God’s gracious salvation. Israel was to observe this because it reminded them that they were delivered from slavery in Egypt. The feast of unleavened bread that immediately followed this symbolized the kind of fellowship that a redeemed people have with their God.
So we too when we study this lesson should realize that the precious lamb of God has shed His blood for our sins and the Lord’s Supper is designed to remind us that Christ is our Passover who has been sacrificed for us.
Then we remember that when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper we must do it without the old leaven of malice and wickedness removed from us so that we are celebrating with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth as was told us in 1 Corinthians 5:8.
God wants us to know that there is joy in living a life of obedience to Him and the life of purity. The prophets told Israel on this day of dedication and celebration of Passover and the feast of unleavened bread they must purify themselves and experience true joy in their worship.
So we too must be reminded that we have to separate ourselves from the impurity of the nations. We cannot live and then come to worship Him on the Sabbath with a pious looking face only. God hates hypocrisy.
When our lives are obedient and we experience the purity of life in the Spirit we will have joy, true joy. Obedience might be difficult but it will bring the peacable fruits of righteousness according to Hebrews 12: 11
We have to remind you though that the pleasures of sin are quite real, but we also have to remind you that they will be enjoyable only for a brief time, but they will leave lasting scars and pain.
Do not delay to follow the leading of the Spirit.
Do not delay to follow the leading of God. Don’t delay like the remnant did at some points. Instead follow their path of repentance and subsequent obedience to the Lord.
Look forward to the smiling face of your Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ.