Tag: Passover

Preparing for Passover 2024

Preparing for Passover 2024

Basic instructions on how to commemorate the Messiah’s death and observe the spring 2024 annual Holy Days in a New Covenant context.

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The Resurrection of the Dead

Resurrection of the Dead

The true outline of prophetical events from the first century until today is profound and very easy to learn. The resurrection of the dead is a key to these truths which were held dear by the first century Christians.

Yeshua told us exactly what we are supposed to do to remember Him. We know it, so let’s get together and do it. His command to remember Him by washing each other’s feet and sharing the bread and wine the night before Passover is also tied into today’s message. This is a big apologetic on why we do what we do.

We are commemorating the death and resurrection of Yeshua, the Messiah, the Son of God. While it’s easy to think this is the end of the road, it’s not. It is the single most important event in history, everything before looking to it and everything after looking from it. Imagine in your head an hourglass on it’s side. Yeshua’s death on the cross is the middle point. Everything from Creation flows to that point in time and everything since flows out of it. Sometimes we have to give credit where credit is due and this is the case with the numbering of years on our Gregorian calendar. Today is March 19, in the year of our Lord 2023. It’s been roughly 2023 years since Yeshua was born. Granted, this distinction doesn’t really exist in the faith once delivered, where it is actually the year 5783, and if they were to begin counting, they should have counted from His death, not His birth, but even with all those caveats, I still like the idea of realizing a starting point/finishing point with the coming of the Messiah. Because that’s literally true. And it’s not CE, the “common era”. That’s just a cop out to try and divorce our calendar from Christianity. If one was to consider a “common era”, it would have to be from the printing press or from some much more modern time. There’s nothing common about the Messiah. In fact, He’s very specific and very holy, the opposite of common. But I digress.

The reason I’m on this tangent is because accepting Yeshua as the Messiah, the Son of God, who died so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life, is the most important piece of information available since His death. We really did enter a new era when He was crucified, resurrected, and ascended to the right hand of God. In the first century, one of the biggest doctrinal disputes, if not the biggest doctrinal dispute, was the resurrection of the dead.

Slide 2 But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!” As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. And there occurred a great uproar; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” And as a great dissension was developing, the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.” (Act 23:6-11)

Understand that the Jews were more upset about the resurrection being a thing than they were about Paul preaching Yeshua. It’s astonishing to think of, but once Paul made it about the resurrection of the dead, the Pharisees took his side. Paul was a Pharisee himself when he had papers to persecute the Church of Yahweh. But Yeshua being the Messiah, the Son of God, took a backseat to there being a resurrection of the dead. Next month, when we observe the night Yeshua was betrayed and the Spring Holy Days, we will be commemorating just that – that Yeshua was resurrected from the dead. And that’s a key for what is to come later.

Slide 3 Now if Messiah is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Messiah has been raised; and if Messiah has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Messiah, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Messiah has been raised; and if Messiah has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. (1Co 15:12-17)

1st Corinthians 15 is the resurrection chapter. Most of what I am talking about today is summed up in that chapter, which is a remarkably concise and clear outline of what is next to happen in prophecy. This is all founded on the resurrection of the dead, which means that dead people are literally dead, without life, unconscious, and awaiting one of two resurrections. Those two resurrections are separated by 1000 years referred to as “the millennium”.

Slide 4 “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” (Dan 12:1-2)

But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Messiah the first fruits, after that those who are Messiah’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. (1Co 15:20-24)

“Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” (Joh 5:28-29)

I started this with Daniel to show that the resurrection, and the outline of what’s to come, is not all that new to the New Testament. Yeshua is effectively citing Daniel in John 5: 28-29 and Paul is providing more detail. Ezekiel gives the most graphic information about the resurrection, too. This outline was common knowledge to the Pharisees and because central to first century Christianity. Of course we believe in the resurrection of the dead because our Messiah was resurrected from the dead! At some point, though, mainstream Christianity deviated from this and has a very confused look at what is to come. The pagan belief that dead people are alive somewhere else has overtaken a core doctrine of the early church. Instead of looking forward to a resurrection, Christians of almost all denominations talk about dead people as if they are in heaven, hell, or in some sort of third option yet still conscious. But if we just read 1 Cor 15, and other places, we know the truth. And next month we will commemorate the truth.

Slide 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Messiah and will reign with Him for a thousand years. (Rev 20:5-6)

Revelation 20 is the place to look for the timing. This is where we learn about the millennium. Today I’m encouraging you to listen and then go read these chapters for yourselves. 1 Corinthians 15, Revelation 20 and the one I’m going to talk about next, Ezekiel 37 and 38. Putting these together shows us the time frame and the details about what’s next in the history of mankind. In fact, this shows us what is next all the way until the end of this era and the beginning of eternity. Which is the first resurrection when Yeshua returns, a 1000 year period of time where mankind gets a break from Satan, who is locked up for the 1000 years, and then the second resurrection, which is called the resurrection of judgment. The second resurrection is where all of mankind who did not get resurrected in the first resurrection are judged, which means decided upon. Some are found written in the book of life, others are not. And at the end of that is when we enter into eternity.

Slide 6 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. (Rev 20:7-9)

And the word of YHVH came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, ‘Thus says the YHVH Elohim, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. (Eze 38:1-3)

This is showing is the timing of the second resurrection. This goes against the grain of most of Christianity as well, but Ezekiel 37, the chapter prior, talks about the first resurrection then Ezekiel 38 talks about the second, where this great final war, Gog and Magog, are to take place. It’s the end of the 1000 years, at least 1000 years and 1 day from now, when this battle takes place. After Satan is released from being imprisoned for 1000 years, he will go out to deceive the nations again. Unfortunately, many will follow that deceiver and pay the ultimate penalty.

Slide 7 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (1Jn 5:10-12)

Brothers and sisters, this knowledge I am talking about today is the knowledge that leads to life – eternal life. That we know the Son, and have accepted Him as the Son of Yahweh, so we have the opportunity to enter into life, a resurrection of life. And for a special few, some will not even need to be resurrected but will rise to meet Him in the air when He returns. As you listen to these messages, and read them, and they hopefully inspire you to search the scriptures to see if they are true, understand this is not knowledge for the sake of knowledge. It’s the knowledge of the plan of salvation laid out at the foundation of the world. That plan relies heavily in the resurrection of the dead, something we will commemorate again this year, as we do each year. And you’re invited to join us.

Commemorating Yeshua

Explaining how the first century Christians commemorated Yeshua’s sacrifice and how you can do the same today!

Audio only below.

The Gospel According to Moses

Highlights from the last two Torah portions, which comprise establishing Moses and Aaron as leaders through the 10 plagues. This provides a remarkable outline for the plan of salvation established at the foundation of the world. We can see today that this plan, often referred to as the Gospel, is laid out by Moses in the Torah, but not in a verse by verse manner. It’s established by patterns, analogies, and allusions. Today, let’s learn about the Gospel according to Moses.  

Audio only below

From Hell to Salvation

Highlights from the last two Torah portions, which comprise establishing Moses and Aaron as leaders through the 10 plagues. This provides a remarkable outline for the plan of salvation established at the foundation of the world. We can see today that this plan, often referred to as the Gospel, is laid out by Moses in the Torah, but not in a verse by verse manner. It’s established by patterns, analogies, and allusions. Today, let’s learn about the Gospel according to Moses.  

Slide 2 Then YHVH said to Moses, “See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.” (Exo 7:1-3)

It begins with establishing the relationship between Yahweh and Yeshua. Yahweh uses their model for Moses and Aaron. Moses and Aaron operate as one, just as Yeshua and Yahweh do, with Yeshua being always subordinate just like Aaron. Clearly two different people, but working in concert so well that you cannot tell the difference between the two of them.

Slide 3 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (Joh 6:38-40)

Moses did Yahweh’s will, Aaron did Moses’ will. The ultimate in faithfulness is illustrated in obedience. Can we say that what Aaron did, after being commanded by Moses who was commanded by Yahweh, was actually done by Yahweh? Of course. Can we can that Aaron is Yahweh? Of course not. But this is one of the key themes established in the Torah – that Yahweh desires pure obedience and subordination from His prophets. Yeshua, being His Son, perfectly achieved this and if we believe that, then we may be granted eternal life. And this pattern was established at the Exodus as a foreshadowing of the first coming of the Messiah.

Slide 4 YHVH gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people. (Exo 11:3)

The goal of the plagues was not random destruction. They were to break the people’s will. Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart while He worked through Moses and Aaron to bring about the complete destruction of Egypt. He did this slowly, meticulously, and through His servants. One big reason was to show that Pharaoh was not a god, and Pharaoh’s gods were not as powerful as Yahweh. The plagues broke the people’s will and destroyed their connection to their gods while offering the true alternative – real men of God in the persons of Moses and Aaron, leading them to the true Elohim. Yahweh. This is the same at the end of days. The plagues and end time disasters that are coming aren’t just for the purpose of destruction, they are designed to humiliate the false gods and the imaginations of men, and to show people that Yahweh is indeed our Elohim and Yeshua is His Messiah. Moses was esteemed at plague 9. What happened after plague 10?

Slide 5 A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock. (Exo 12:38)

After the 10th plague, the killing of all the firstborn, many Egyptians and other foreigners left with the Hebrews. Israel began as a mixed multitude and in the end, Israel will end as a mixed multitude. And the Torah was for everyone present at Mt. Sinai. YHVH did not dismiss those who were not from the tribes at Mt. Sinai. They became a part of Israel. Because of the death of the firstborn. Remember that.

Slide 6 For you are all sons of God through faith in Messiah Yeshua. For all of you who were baptized into Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua. And if you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. (Gal 3:26-29)

Do you see the parallel? Those who went through the plagues who realized that YHVH is the real God obtained salvation. They were delivered from Egypt and blessed with manna from heaven. Those now who accept Yeshua as the Messiah, as the Son of God, obtain a better blessing. We become adopted children of Yahweh and heirs according to the promise. The promise that Abraham’s descendants would be more numerous than can be counted. This is clear: those who accept Yeshua as the Messiah become sons of God, which is synonymous with being Abraham’s descendants. We who accept the voluntary death of Yahweh’s firstborn Son as propitiation for our sins allow us to join the family of God. Abraham was blessed because of his obedience, thus we need to be obedient just as Abraham was, just as Yeshua was, once we become grafted into the vine and offered a chance to enter eternal life!

Slide 7 Now the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock. (Exo 12:37-38)

This is an incredible sentence for those who are blessed to follow in the footsteps of the first century Christians. The plan of salvation I’m speaking on briefly today is based on the holy days of Leviticus 23, which span a journey from Egypt (Ramses) to Sukkot, the 8 day festival in the fall. This sentence is alluding to that outline and it is no accident that those who were saved, the mixed multitude, left Egypt and landed at a place called Sukkot, which is the same word as the Feast of Tabernacles. The people were delivered from Egypt through Passover by the blood of the lambs, they made their escape from Pharaoh, and then got to Sukkot where they would finally be delivered. Their hell would be to have died in the wilderness, slaughtered by Pharaoh’s army. From Sukkot they crossed the red sea and there was no going back, which is an allusion to the 8th day where we transition from this sinful world, the olam haze, to eternity, the olam haba or world to come. We can choose to die here or live there, just like the mixed multitude. They didn’t know what was waiting for them after Sukkot, but they knew Yahweh was the true God, Moses and Aaron His servants, and theyirchoice was to go forward in faith or die at the hands of Pharaoh’s army.

This is the outline for our faith, brothers and sisters. We know that the festivals outline the plan of salvation. The Exodus is the first part, where Yeshua died for us on Passover. The fall festivals, culminating in Sukkot, are yet to be fulfilled. We know what’s coming is infinitely better than this world but we don’t really know what’s coming or how we’re going to get there. We know that accepting Yeshua as Messiah, as the Son of God, allows us to enter the world to come. The blood of the Lamb allows us to be saved, just like the blood of the lambs saved the firstborn of the Hebrews. And now you know the Gospel according to Moses.

Last Day of Unleavened Bread 2022

Various topics about this Holy Week, the Wave Sheaf offering, and the timing of the count for Shavuot.

There isn’t much to talk about on the last day of unleavened bread. I’m not aware of any significant happenings on this day in scripture. And you know what? That’s just fine. Sometime it’s good to just obey simply because the WORD says so. We always want to get into deeper meanings, parallels, analogies, and the like, but once in a while it’s good to just trust and obey, huh? For our observance, we bring all our left over unleavened bread treats to Oneig on this day to eat them up. Oneig is a Hebrew word that means “meal of delight”. Bringing in various foods and kind of cleaning everything up is sort of a metaphor for today’s message, which is just a bit of cleanup on the various topics surrounding the week we are wrapping up.

Slide 2 “Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to YHVH your Elohim; you shall do no work on it.” (Deu 16:8)

Today is the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. Since it’s Friday, this year, it’s the next to the last day of unleavened bread since we can’t go buy anything. The commandment, as we see on the screen, is not just to get rid of the leaven but to actually consume some matzah every day. Since we’re in the west, we can switch up to rice or corn tortillas, which I don’t care for, and forget to have the ULB so I hope you didn’t forget to have a little every day. This is a good segue to contrast between back then and now. On Sunday, or after sundown on Shabbat, we can just go buy some regular bread because we live in the west. In first century Judea, likely not. In ancient Israel, definitely not. It would take a good while before they would have soft bread again. It would come back slowly. We can just go to the store and buy made bread or buy yeast and be back in action pretty fast.

Leavening is metaphorically like sin, but it’s not sin. Be careful when we use analogies, similes, metaphors, and other literary teaching devices not to confuse the real with the analogy. If leavening was sin, then we wouldn’t be able to eat it at all. Leviticus 11 tells us what foods are OK and which are prohibited. Leaven is not prohibited at all. Leavening is used as an analogy for sin because we have to search it out and put forth effort to get rid of it, just like we do with sin, but leavening itself is not bad. In fact, there’s a holy day where leavened bread is offered.

There’s a metaphor in this leaven/sin paradigm for where we live today. We live in Babylon, so while we exit the world for Shabbat or the festivals, once they are over we are right back where we started. Well, physically. Emotionally and spiritually, we should be in a much better place, refreshed and ready to go for another season! In Israel, the festivals likely had more of a lasting effect, especially ULB. Just like it takes a long time to get that starter lump going, it also could have taken longer for the people to get back to hustle and bustle. Since these days were pilgrimage festivals, they had to go home on foot or in carts, so the festival would definitely linger. Like when Yeshua was a boy and they lost Him in the caravan home. They were still together, talking about the festival, talking about the harvest, and traveling. The festival would linger for sure. Today, not so much.

Slide 3 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (Joh 17:13-16)

Just to be clear, though, we’re supposed to be in this condition. After Yeshua ascended, the apostles took the faith outside of Judea. They used the synagogues in the world to spread the Gospel, traveling everywhere. We have the documentation of Paul’s journeys and when they intersected the brethren, but we need to remember that happened to all of them. Paul is just the one whom YHVH saw fit to use as our example. Paul was a citizen of both Rome and Judea. A highly educated Jew who could live in both worlds. This is our condition right now. We have come to the truth in the world and in the world we shall stay until Yeshua returns. It’s also important to note that this was the expectation. Their mission was not to start their own Israel or stay in Judea. They had to venture out into the pagan world and spread the Gospel. Such is our fate as well.

Switching gears, there’s an appointed time that isn’t a High Day for which we don’t have any observance or any means to actually observe outside of the land without a full blown priesthood. That’s the day of the wave sheaf offering.

Slide 4 Then YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. ‘He shall wave the sheaf before YHVH for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. ‘Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to YHVH. ‘Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to YHVH for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine. ‘Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your Elohim, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places 

(Lev 23:9-14)

This is an appointed time that is uniquely a work day. And boy oh boy there’s a lot of speculation about this day, its scope, and its timing. Before I get into it, let’s look at why it’s very important to us!

Slide 5 But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. (1Co 15:20)

First fruits is the day Yeshua was resurrected as the first fruits of the dead. The timing of the week of his death and resurrection puts Him coming out of the tomb on the 1st day of the week after Passover, albeit before sunrise. The holy days are literal, but are also part of the prophecies of YHVH and His plan of salvation. While this day is very literally real, the people had to make this offering before partaking of the new grain, it’s also a sod, a mystery, a prophecy of the resurrection of our Lord. And since YHVH accepted that first offering of His Son’s death, we are able to be part of the spiritual harvest, looking forward to our resurrection to eternal life.

Returning to the Torah, there are two popular ways of timing this day and then a third one that I think I’m the only one who contemplates. The first is the way our group counts this day. This reads “on the day after the Sabbath” and we understand that to be the first day of the week.

Our way to identify this day is to make it the first day of the week during ULB. This year, it would have been Sunday the 17th of April. 50 days from then we arrive at Sunday, the 5th of June. In this manner of counting, we always start on a Sunday and end on a Sunday because 50 days from any day of the week will land on that same day of the week. I think this has to be the way because this observance doesn’t start from a calendar date like the rest of the days in Leviticus 23. The other way to count this, which we will get to next, makes it possible to have the day of first fruits be the actual Sabbath day, which doesn’t make sense as this is a work day. Our way lines up with Yeshua’s resurrection, though, so I think it’s a keeper.

The second way to count this is to say the day after the Sabbath to wave the sheaf is Abib 16. This way of counting calls the Sabbath the high day, which is the 15th of Abib, and starts counting on the same calendar date each year, which is Abib 16. That doesn’t make a lot of sense because it’s not set in Leviticus or anywhere as a calendar date. It’s also very possible for Abib 16 to fall on the weekly Sabbath, which would mean people would bring their offerings on a day when nobody is supposed to work. But a lot of people use this manner of counting, including the Pharisees of the first century.

Both of these methods of counting hinge on the timing of Passover and ULB. Passover is Abib 14, ULB 1 is Abib 15, so then you either have Abib 16 or the Sunday during ULB as the day to start. In my feeble mind, and I’m the only person I’ve ever heard say this part, what if the barley isn’t ripe enough to cut on Abib 16 or the first day of the week during ULB? What if the crops just aren’t ready by then and they have to go another week? Could it be possible this day isn’t directly tied to Passover at all? Like I said, our group times this one of the two popular ways and isn’t likely to change, but I wanted to bring this up in case we get to the kingdom and learn something different 😊.

You don’t have to count every day. This is a tradition. There’s nothing wrong with counting every day, I just want to point out it’s not a commandment. Literally, we are to count 7 weeks and a day, so one could count week 1, week 2, etc. This also lends more credence to starting the count on the first day of week one, so you actually count 7 Sabbaths and a day. And I’m sure there were people would did count 50 days individually back in the first century and before. The kohenim definitely kept count. Regular folk probably kept count, too, to keep track and because it’s a fine tradition. But it’s just fine today to look at a calendar 50 days down the road and mark an X. Which is June 5 this year.

It’s also important to remember what was happening during the Exodus at this time. Today is the LDUB, but it’s also the 7th day of fleeing. The people were terrified, they were on the run with the flocks, herds, and kneading bowls. Pharaoh was in hot pursuit. It was still chaos. Pure, uncertain, chaos. They had to get to the Red Sea, get boxed in, and then have that incredible miracle happen. And then they get to the other side and have some relief because they are safe. All that happens during the 50 days. The tradition, which does work out mathematically and makes sense, is that the first day of Shavuot during Exodus was when YHVH gave the 10 commandments from Mt. Sinai. The bible doesn’t say this, but there’s no reason for it not to have happened like that.

In contrast to the Exodus, these days actually anticipate shalom, not chaos. The remembrances are instituted so we can remember the chaos. The Torah is not just a set of rules, it’s an actual culture for a nation. The nation entered the land in Joshua 5, after circumcising everyone, and was able to harvest grain they did not plant and observe the days of unleavened bread in complete peace. Nobody was chasing them. They were enjoying bread for the first time in 40 years. Many of them born in the wilderness had never tasted bread. This happened during peace. Then they went off to war. After the conquest, the nation was expected to plant, harvest, offer, and eat in peace. They were expected to observe ULB and then millions of households would make new starter lumps. They would do this safe and snug in their land with no enemies. The memorial to eat the bread of affliction was to teach the generations that it wasn’t always peaceful and to cherish what they had.

The moral in that story is that they didn’t. They were good for exactly one generation, the Joshua generation. Our adopted ancestors couldn’t keep the faith, just like how the apostles couldn’t even stay awake. They sinned, got tossed into captivity, brought back, were good for a while, then decided to become Greeks. Then a remnant called the Maccabees restored Judea but made a pact with Rome that led to the occupied Judea of the first century. Then we have the Son of God coming to begin the New Covenant, which then launches the greatest evangelism in the history of the world. So that we, a people who were not God’s people, could be grafted in, and be called His People. So as we finish the festival of unleavened bread, let’s rejoice that we are called, and be dedicated to doing it again every year until the Messiah returns.

The Bread of Chaos

John 19:31 records that they wanted Yeshua to be off the cross because that Sabbath was a “High Day”. This message explains what that High Day is and how it parallels events around the Exodus as well as events to unfold at the end times!

The Bread of Chaos

1st ULB Welcome. We’re really in the minority observing these days. Not Passover in general, mind you. Most of Christianity and Judaism does something at this time of the year in commemoration of Yeshua’s sacrifice or the Exodus. In both our movement and within Judaism, the ULB days tend to get short shrift. The Seder is such a beautiful observance, it’s common for folks to just do that and no more. But let’s take a look at the mitzvot:

Slide 2 “Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to YHVH your Elohim, for in the month of Abib YHVH your Elohim brought you out of Egypt by night. You shall sacrifice the Passover to YHVH your Elohim from the flock and the herd, in the place where YHVH chooses to establish His name. You shall not eat leavened bread (chamets) with it; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread (matzah), the bread (lechem) of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), so that you may remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. For seven days no leaven (seor) shall be seen with you in all your territory, and none of the flesh which you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain overnight until morning. You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your towns which YHVH your Elohim is giving you; but at the place where YHVH your Elohim chooses to establish His name, you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt. You shall cook and eat it in the place which YHVH your Elohim chooses. In the morning you are to return to your tents. Six days you shall eat unleavened bread (matzah), and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to YHVH your Elohim; you shall do no work on it.” (Deu 16:1-8)

  • Bread of affliction – the topic today, even though I’m calling it the bread of chaos. Oni means misery, poverty, depression, affliction. It’s supposed to be a chore to eat this bread. Unusual and a break from the norm. YHVH using food. Agrarian society.  I’ll get to the bread of chaos later.
  • Different types of bread = English versus Hebrew and Greek.
  • Chamets = zume = yeast or leavened bread
  • Seor = zume = leaven
  • Lechem = artos = bread. Artos alone means leavened bread.
  • Matsah = azumos = unleavened bread, one word
  • In English, we have to have the adjectives which are not necessary in Hebrew or Greek. Greek words are there to help with NT. They ate leavened bread the night Yeshua was betrayed. If we could read Greek, we would just see it.
  • YHVH uses food to teach us lessons. This week begins before hand for us to remove the leavening signifying a renewal. Abib is the beginning of the year, natural for renewing. Removing the leavening to make a new lump teaches lessons. It starts a cycle. It gives us a pattern from which to grow.
  • Using food shows we need to trust YHVH for our sustenance. On a national level, throwing out starter lumps shows we need to rely on peace to grow a new lump.
  • Unleavened bread is a chore. Here in the US in the 21st century, we can have recipes and make tasty treats for ULB. Not so much in first century Judea or ancient Israel.
  • Not in our towns, where YHVH places His Name – no Temple or priesthood, no real Passover. We are doing the best we can, practicing for when this becomes a real thing again in the future. Practicing for the 1000 years.

Slide 3 The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We will all be dead.” So the people took their dough before it was leavened (chamets), with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders. Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. Now the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock. They baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread (matzah). For it had not become leavened (chametz), since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. (Exo 12:33-39)

  • The bread of chaos. Imagine this scene. Imagine the nation of Egypt, then the most powerful empire in the world, laying in waste. All ten plagues have been executed. The Israelites are unscathed. The Egyptians are decimated. All their first born are dead. That means the leadership is gone. A generational disaster – nobody to hand the family farm to, nobody to inherit the royal titles. And the Egyptians have been brought to their knees, begging the Israelites, their workforce to leave. And a mixed multitude joining. Egypt is a wreck. And the Hebrews have a very tight window to get out of town. Despite the commandment, it reads their bread was not risen because of time, leaving in haste.
  • The commemoration is for this. To remember that YHVH saved a people who didn’t really know who they were. Our adopted family. They knew they were different from the Egyptians, but not how much. They were slaves and had to be chased out. They even shirked their identity many times, but YHVH did not give up on them. Well, there was that one time and then Moses interceded. He brought them out in haste and made them a nation.

Slide 4 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. (Joh 19:31)

  • Today is that High Day. It’s not the day of the week because it was really a Thursday that year, but you get the picture. Imagine the chaos of the disciples at this point. Imagine their sorrow. They do not know where to turn. Their rabbi, who is the Messiah, was dead. They were surely lost. And He stayed dead for three whole days. Do you know what they were eating then? ULB. The bead of affliction. They were mourning the death of YHVH’s firstborn Son. That’s not a coincidence. The blood of the lambs in Egypt covered the Israelites and whoever else put that blood on the doorposts. Then the blood of YHVH’s Son, shed on Passover, as the Lamb of God, allows for all who accept it to be grafted into Israel and become heirs according to the promise.
  • And when He was resurrected, He would have eaten ULB. Still keeping the commandments.
  • The Apostles remained unscathed after His death. Even though the leaders wanted the movement stopped for good. They were protected in the chaos.

Slide 5 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2Ti 3:1-7)

  • Chaos of the end times – believers unscathed? Maybe, maybe not. Some will be martyred. Some will survive until the absolute end. The chaos will be immense at the end. Keeping Pesach and ULB will be incredibly hard. The world will be incredible violent and godless. Which isn’t too hard to imagine. And what will we be doing?

Slide 6 So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of YHVH and hold to the testimony of Yeshua. (Rev 12:17)

  • Well be keeping the commandments the best we can. Even in times of chaos. In Yeshua’s Name!

Hospitality is a Commandment!

Abraham’s example of hospitality resulted in him entertaining angels. His example is exemplified throughout the entire bible. Let’s be generous with our unique knowledge of the Word and hospitable in our gatherings this Passover season.

Hospitality is a commandment

2 Abraham entertained angels. Genesis 18 meshes up to Hebrews 13:1-2 Genesis 24:14 is generosity and hospitality are used to identify Rebekah as the future wife of Isaac.

3 No harvesting the corners. Shows the entire society was to be generous both to the poor and to the needy. The needy had to work to get their food, and they could go get it when nobody was looking. It provided hospitality and dignity.

4 Don’t take money or extra clothes. They were to rely on those who followed the generosity of Torah.

5 Passover season is here. Open the door. Welcome people. Introduce them to Yahweh and His Son. We have the precious information that leads to eternal life. Thursday the 14th we will keep the only remembrance Yeshua commanded us. We will observe the night He was betrayed. Friday the 15th, we will observe Passover. But we will do this in the light of the New Covenant, looking forward to the time when we do it in the New Jerusalem.

Let’s be hospitable, like Abraham was with the angels. And if you look into it, you’ll see they were eating unleavened bread. The bible doesn’t contain coincidences.