Remembering and Celebrating Deut 16:1-8 SS Lesson for 07/12/2009

Transcription

1 Devotional Scripture: Luke 22:7-13 Remembering and Celebrating Deut 16:1-8 SS Lesson for 07/12/2009 OUTLINE INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW AND APPROACH TO LESSON LESSON INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND From the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary From the Bible Expositor and Illuminator MAJOR THEME ANALYSIS REMEMBERING GOD'S DELIVERANCE (DEUT 16:1-2) Deliverance date (1) Deliverance date of when Jesus comes (Matt 25:1-13) Deliverance date of when God shortens the days of tribulation (Matt 24:21-22) Deliverance date that is waiting on everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) Deliverance date that is just at the right time (Rom 5:6) Deliverance date that is part of God's plan for us (Gen 45:4-7) Deliverance memorial place (2) Memorial place that is a reminder of God's deliverance (Joshua 4:4-7) Memorial place that is a reminder of God's help (1 Samuel 7:10-12) Memorial place where we are to remember God's acts and blessings (1 Cor 11:24-26) Memorial place where one has experienced God's glory (1 Kings 19:11-13) Memorial place where one has experienced being used by God (Acts 8:26-29) Memorial place where one has experienced Divine guidance (Acts 16:6-10) Memorial place where one has experienced being there for a specific purpose and time (Est 4:12-14) REMEMBERING DIFFICULTIES (DEUT 16:3-4) Difficulties of affliction (3) Affliction of oppression (Neh 9:26-27) Affliction of calamities (Job 5:19-27) Affliction of troubles (Ps 34:19) Affliction that causes an earnest seeking of God (Hos 5:15) Affliction that causes a crying out to God through prayer (Jonah 2:1-2) Difficulties that require fasting (4) Require fasting because of the length of suffering (Dan 9:1-3) Require fasting because of the need for power (Mark 9:28-29) Require fasting because of conviction (1 Kings 21:25-27) Require fasting because of temptations (Matt 4:1-3) CELEBRATING DIVINE DIRECTIONS (DEUT 16:5-8) Directions that God chooses (5-6) Directions that God chooses because it is part of God's plan for one's life (Jer 29:11) Directions that God chooses through being where God wants, when He wants (Numbers 9:23) Directions that God chooses through the presence of God (Ps 89:15) Directions that God chooses but may not provide complete details (Gen 22:2-5) Directions that God chooses because God has reasons for choosing certain people whether the world agrees or not (1 Cor 1:27-29) Directions that God chooses because those God chooses, He also appoints, and they are the ones who bear fruit (John 15:16) Directions for assembly (7-8) Directions for assembly to simulate love and good deeds (Heb 10:23-25) Directions for assembly in the presence of God (Matt 18:20) Directions for assembly for fellowship (Acts 2:42-47) Remembering and Celebrating Page 1 of 12 SS Lesson for 07/12/09

2 Directions for assembly for prayer (Acts 1:14) Directions for assembly to share within the assembly (Acts 4:32) Directions for assembly by being baptized into one Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) Directions for assembly to receive the power of Jesus (1 Cor 5:4) Directions for assembly to reason about the Scriptures (Acts 17:1-4) Celebrations (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) CONCLUSION AND OTHER THOUGHTS CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FROM THE NIV STANDARD LESSON COMMENTARY CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR PRACTICAL POINTS FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR HEART OF THE LESSON FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR Remember God's deliverance (Deut. 16:1-4) Celebrate God's power (Deut. 16:5-8) THE OLD TESTAMENT JEWISH CALENDAR Remembering and Celebrating Page 2 of 12 SS Lesson for 07/12/09

3 Introduction Overview and Approach to Lesson The concept of the outline of the lesson outline came from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator. This week's lesson reviews Memorials. The study's aim is to study the meaning of the Passover and to see how it served as a fore-type of Christian communion. The study's application is to relate the Jewish Passover to the New Testament teaching regarding believers' salvation from the bondage of sin. Lesson Introduction and Background From the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary I used to lead a group of Christian college students to work in the New York City area every year the week before Easter. One year our host couple had made friends with another couple who lived in an upscale apartment on Bay Ridge. Of that second couple, the husband was Jewish and the wife was a Protestant Christian. They were rearing their two daughters in the Jewish faith and heritage. My host couple and I were invited to that Bay Ridge apartment to help that family celebrate the Jewish Passover. This was a special opportunity for witnessing, for we, being Gentile and Christian, should not have been there. The modern Jewish Passover observance is an elaborate ceremony that has been developed over the centuries. It involves the children in the telling of the story of Israel s exodus from Egypt. All leaven is looked for and put in the trash. The meal is blessed, and the first of four cups of wine ( the cup of sanctification ) is served. Greens are dipped in salt water and eaten. Three unleavened loaves of bread are presented the middle one broken, with a larger piece hidden for the children to find later for a treat. The second cup of wine is blessed and consumed. Then comes the recounting of the story of the exodus from a certain booklet. At this point in our meal the Jewish father became frustrated because he was not familiar enough with the procedure to keep us all on track. As he was fumbling with the booklet, his wife turned to me and asked if I would explain how a Christian viewed the Jewish Passover. What an opportunity! With the husband s permission, I carefully and humbly proceeded to explain the original Passover meal its simplicity of roasted lamb or goat, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. Then I mentioned the additions of the four cups, greens dipped in salt water, a sweet-apple dish, and a roasted egg (to commemorate the destruction of the temple in AD 70). Then I said that the retrieving of the hidden piece of bread by the children signified payment of ransom. I explained the ransom the Messiah paid when he was broken, buried, and brought back to life. I noted that Jesus said Take, eat; this is my body when breaking the bread. I then asked the two daughters to go to the door and open it to see if Elijah would come and take his seat at the table where Elijah s cup was set. I explained that Christians understand John the Baptist to have been the one who came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Matthew 11:10 15; 17:10 13) in preparing the way for Messiah Jesus. As part of the wrap-up, we sang a hymn; I suggested that Jesus disciples may have sung Psalms 113, 114 at the beginning of the last supper and Psalm at the close. In conclusion I noted that Christ is our Passover Lamb, and we celebrate this new Passover whenever we meet around the Lord s Table (1 Corinthians 5:7, 8; 11:23 26). To my knowledge, no one became a believer in Christ that evening. But I think I did what the wife and mother of the household wanted me to do. More importantly, I think I did what Jesus wanted me to do. It was a great privilege and opportunity. As today s lesson opens, the 40 years of wilderness wandering were over, and the Israelites were ready to enter the promised land. But first, Moses (age 120) had many important reminders to offer. One of those reminders involved the issue of the Passover celebration. The historical basis of the Passover celebration is the last plague on Pharaoh and the land of Egypt. That involved the death of the firstborn, both human and animal, in about 1446 BC (Exodus 11). To protect themselves from the plague, the Israelites had to slaughter either sheep or goats and smear a portion of the blood on the sides and tops of the doorposts where they lived. When Yahweh struck down every firstborn in Egypt, he passed over (and thereby did not harm) the households where the blood protected the doorway. The original Passover feast is described in Exodus 12. The Feast of Unleavened Bread occurred right alongside the Passover (Exodus 13:3 10; 23:15; Remembering and Celebrating Page 3 of 12 SS Lesson for 07/12/09

4 Leviticus 23:4 8; Numbers 28:16 25; Mark 14:1). Our lesson text for today is a general overview of these two feasts. From the Bible Expositor and Illuminator A day is usually set aside to celebrate a nation's founding. In the United States this is Independence Day. It is celebrated on the fourth day of July to remember when the Declaration of Independence was signed in Canada Day is the first of July when Canada's citizens commemorate the founding of their nation in Birthdays and anniversaries are common days of celebration. Religious holidays are also times when families gather to remember and celebrate. While the occasions are usually happy ones, sometimes they are saddened because some family members are no longer around. In ancient Israel there were a number of celebrations that were commanded by God. Some of these observances were meant to keep alive the memory of events in their past and to honor God. One of the most important celebrations was Passover. Jewish feasts (sacred festivals, holy convocations) were important events in religious life. The first six were divinely appointed. These were named Feast of the Weekly Sabbath, Passover (Feast of Unleavened Bread), Feast of Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets or New Moon (Rosh Hashanah), Feast of the Day of Atonement, and Feast of the Tabernacles (or Booths or Ingathering). The last two, begun by Jews after the Babylonian Captivity, were named Feast of Lights (Hanukkah) and Feast of Purim. The mission of God in the last of the ten plagues imposed on Egypt was to slay the firstborn son in each house. In order to avoid the death of their own firstborn, Israelite families had to kill a sacrificial lamb and sprinkle its blood on the doorframe of each home. Thus it was that God passed over and spared Israel's sons. This divine act of mercy was to be commemorated ever afterward in Jewish life by an annual observance. It was the first religious festival to be instituted in the history of the Jews, and it was the first one on the Jewish calendar to be held each year. Major Theme Analysis (Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV) Remembering God's Deliverance (Deut 16:1-2) 1 "Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 "Therefore you shall sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place where the LORD chooses to put His name. Deliverance date (1) Deliverance date of when Jesus comes (Matt 25:1-13) 25 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' 7 "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 9 "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' 10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' 12 "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' 13 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Remembering and Celebrating Page 4 of 12 SS Lesson for 07/12/09

5 Deliverance date of when God shortens the days of tribulation (Matt 24:21-22) 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Deliverance date that is waiting on everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Deliverance date that is just at the right time (Rom 5:6) 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Deliverance date that is part of God's plan for us (Gen 45:4-7) 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Deliverance memorial place (2) Memorial place that is a reminder of God's deliverance (Joshua 4:4-7) 4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, "Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." Memorial place that is a reminder of God's help (1 Samuel 7:10-12) 10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car. 12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the Lord helped us." Memorial place where we are to remember God's acts and blessings (1 Cor 11:24-26) 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Memorial place where one has experienced God's glory (1 Kings 19:11-13) 11 The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak Remembering and Celebrating Page 5 of 12 SS Lesson for 07/12/09

6 over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" Memorial place where one has experienced being used by God (Acts 8:26-29) 26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Memorial place where one has experienced Divine guidance (Acts 16:6-10) 6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. Memorial place where one has experienced being there for a specific purpose and time (Est 4:12-14) 12 When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Remembering Difficulties (Deut 16:3-4) 3 "You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. 4 "And no leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory for seven days, nor shall any of the meat which you sacrifice the first day at twilight remain overnight until morning. Difficulties of affliction (3) Affliction of oppression (Neh 9:26-27) 26 "But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. 27 So you handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies. Affliction of calamities (Job 5:19-27) 19 From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will befall you. 20 In famine he will ransom you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword. 21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes. 22 You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth. 23 For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you. 24 You will know that your tent is secure; you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing. 25 You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth. 26 You will Remembering and Celebrating Page 6 of 12 SS Lesson for 07/12/09

7 come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season. 27 "We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself." Affliction of troubles (Ps 34:19) 19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; Affliction that causes an earnest seeking of God (Hos 5:15) 15 I will return again to My place Till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me." Affliction that causes a crying out to God through prayer (Jonah 2:1-2) Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly. 2 And he said: "I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice. Difficulties that require fasting (4) Require fasting because of the length of suffering (Dan 9:1-3) In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. Require fasting because of the need for power (Mark 9:28-29) 28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" 29 So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." Require fasting because of conviction (1 Kings 21:25-27) 25 But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up. 26 And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 27 So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning. Require fasting because of temptations (Matt 4:1-3) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Celebrating Divine Directions (Deut 16:5-8) 5 "You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you; 6 "but at the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at twilight, at the going down of the sun, at the time you came out of Egypt. 7 "And you shall roast and eat it in the place which the LORD your God chooses, and in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents. 8 "Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a sacred assembly to the LORD your God. You shall do no work on it. Remembering and Celebrating Page 7 of 12 SS Lesson for 07/12/09

8 Directions that God chooses (5-6) Directions that God chooses because it is part of God's plan for one's life (Jer 29:11) 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Directions that God chooses through being where God wants, when He wants (Numbers 9:23) 23 At the Lord's command they encamped, and at the Lord's command they set out. They obeyed the Lord's order, in accordance with his command through Moses. Directions that God chooses through the presence of God (Ps 89:15) 15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. Directions that God chooses but may not provide complete details (Gen 22:2-5) 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." Directions that God chooses because God has reasons for choosing certain people whether the world agrees or not (1 Cor 1:27-29) 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. Directions that God chooses because those God chooses, He also appoints, and they are the ones who bear fruit (John 15:16) 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Directions for assembly (7-8) Directions for assembly to simulate love and good deeds (Heb 10:23-25) 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Directions for assembly in the presence of God (Matt 18:20) 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Directions for assembly for fellowship (Acts 2:42-47) 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together Remembering and Celebrating Page 8 of 12 SS Lesson for 07/12/09

9 with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Directions for assembly for prayer (Acts 1:14) 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Directions for assembly to share within the assembly (Acts 4:32) 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. Directions for assembly by being baptized into one Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Directions for assembly to receive the power of Jesus (1 Cor 5:4) 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, Directions for assembly to reason about the Scriptures (Acts 17:1-4) 17 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. Celebrations (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) The most famous celebration of the year in New Orleans is Mardi Gras, which means fat Tuesday. This week of raunchy goings-on precedes the period of fasting and discipline of Lent, as much of the Christian world knows it. Ironic, isn t it? The idea seems to be something like, Since we re going to have to behave ourselves for many days, we d better have a really good time before that long period of self-denial! The idea of enforced self-discipline flies in the face of the Western world s attitude of I want what I want when I want it. The Jewish Passover week was the exact opposite of Mardi Gras in many ways. A time of solemn assembly before the Lord was included. When Christians gather to observe the Lord s Supper, when we remember the sacrifice of our Passover Lamb, it too can be solemn. But it can also be joyous. Slavery to sin and death has been conquered by our living Lord! Whatever it is that is being celebrated at Mardi Gras is less than trivial compared with this. Conclusion and Other Thoughts Concluding Thoughts from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary Passover in the Old Testament Celebrations of the Passover (and the Feast of Unleavened Bread that go along with it) are rarely recorded in the narrative of the Old Testament. Perhaps that is because its observance is taken for granted. But the few records of the celebrations are instructive and interesting: Joshua 5:10 12 (second generation of the exodus just before the conquest of the promised land, about 1406 BC); 2 Chronicles 30 (Hezekiah s reform, about 727 BC); 2 Kings 23:21 23 as paralleled in 2 Chronicles 35:1 19 (Josiah s reform, about 622 BC); and Ezra 6:19 22 (Ezra s reform after the exile, about 515 BC). It seems that when great reform swept over the people, they celebrated the Passover extravagantly. The Passover became the most important celebration for the Israelites, for it commemorated their origin as a people in God s great Remembering and Celebrating Page 9 of 12 SS Lesson for 07/12/09

10 deliverance from slavery. The exodus event becomes the model for the idea of salvation throughout the Bible. Passover Superseded The church today should continue to remember and celebrate deliverance from the bondage of sin no less than the ancient Israelites celebrated deliverance from their bondage of the flesh. Certainly Christmas is a great time to celebrate the birth of our Lord. The greatest gift ever given is Jesus (John 3:16), and that is worthy to celebrate. Gift exchanges can enhance the celebration as long as Christians avoid the crass materialism and secularism of the season as practiced in America and many other places in the world. The church often celebrates the resurrection of Jesus in a nobler manner than his birth. Resurrection Day (Easter) recognizes the Sunday morning when death was swallowed up in victory! The resurrection is at the very heart of the Christian faith; it must not be forgotten in the collective mind of the church. Remembering the resurrection means that Christians celebrate salvation from sin. The Day of Pentecost (the Jewish Festival of Weeks) is a time for the church to remember her birth through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). Yet there seems to be no consistency in remembering and celebrating this birth in the church-at-large today. More needs to be done. There is no reason why we should allow such a day to pass without even a mention. Those three are annual observances. Much more frequent should be celebrations of the Lord s Supper. Each time we celebrate we recall Christ s victory over sin. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord s death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). If we allow it to do so, the Lord s Supper can bind us together, keeping us close to God and one another. Concluding Thoughts from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator As much as preservation through the rigors of the wilderness wanderings was to be celebrated (and Israel would celebrate it by means of another feast), there was something even more meaningful in Israel's past. That momentous event was the Exodus from Egypt. The Exodus put an end to bondage to a power the Israelites could not overcome on their own. It was the end of a long and sad chapter in their history and the beginning of an entirely new life as the people of God. The Exodus is akin to the salvation believers experience when they give their lives to Christ. There is a release from bondage to sin and Satan, and new life in the Lord begins. This is something to celebrate indeed! Moses called Israel to observe the Passover each year during the month of Abib (March April) because it would mark the anniversary of their deliverance. People all over the world seem to celebrate important events yearly, including birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and the end of wars, among other days of significance. How many believers actually celebrate the anniversary of their salvation? Not everyone can remember the date he was saved, but the event itself should never leave one's consciousness and appropriate thanksgiving should be offered. Moses directed the people to celebrate their new life unto the Lord. In other words, their freedom and new life had been accomplished and were theirs by the hand of God. To Him belong all praise and glory not just once, either, but again and again and again. To continue to remember and to thank the Lord for our salvation will go far in seeing that we do not take the credit for ourselves. Celebrating salvation would serve as a sober reminder of the slavery experienced in Egypt. History shows that the people of Israel were prone to go back to Egypt in their thoughts whenever life got a bit difficult. They quickly forgot what the Lord had done and therefore did not believe that He could continue to provide for them in their new situation. There is great value in remembering and reflecting on the past, for it provides strength to trust God for the future. Israel was never to forget the nation's slavery, even though succeeding generations would be remembering their ancestors' experience and not their own. Yet it was their own, for if their ancestors had not been freed the present generation would still have been in bondage. It is extremely important for the believer today to think back to how he was freed from bondage to sin. Certainly this is a reason we observe the Lord's Supper; yet this should not be the only time we recall what happened. Moses reminded the people that it was nighttime when they were set free. It was dark in the land (Exodus 12:31) when they left. Spiritually, it was dark where we were when we were saved. Our hearts were dark in sin, and the world is in darkness as well. We were brought out into the marvelous light of the Lord. May we appreciate the light we now have and never forget that our souls once endured darkness. Remembering and Celebrating Page 10 of 12 SS Lesson for 07/12/09

11 Practical Points from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator 1. Our celebrations have changed from those of Israel, but they have the same purpose to honor the Lord our God (Deut. 16:1-2) 2. The forms of our observances contain reminders of what God has done for us (vs. 3) 3. We must take stringent measures to banish the leaven of impurity from our observance of the Lord's saving work (vs. 4) 4. There is a proper place and time for everything we do (vs. 5-6) 5. Although our religious celebrations are different from Israel's, they must be conducted in an orderly way and with reverence (vs. 7-8) Heart of the Lesson from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator We often take a day to celebrate a special time in our lives. It could be a birthday, a wedding anniversary, a job promotion, or a graduation. Whatever occasion it is, we like to invite family and friends to join us in this special time. This week's passage talks about a different type of special time that was extremely important to the Jews. Remember God's deliverance (Deut. 16:1-4) This special celebration began each year for the Israelites on the fourteenth day of the first month, Abib. This was the same month that the original Passover took place in Egypt. At that time, God sent His final plague to persuade Pharaoh to let His people leave. At midnight the firstborn male of every Egyptian household, and even among the animals, would be killed by God. However, God told the Jews to kill a lamb and sprinkle its blood on the top and sides of the portal of their homes. When God saw the blood, He would pass over that house, thus saving the life of the firstborn son. Later, when Israel went into exile, their calendar system changed. The month was then called Nisan, which is comparable to mid-march or April on our modern calendar. The eight-day celebration began with a meal featuring the sacrificial lamb of the Passover. Then followed the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This type of bread reminded the people of their quick exit from Egypt. There had been no time for their dough to rise with leavening as it usually did. Unleavened bread was thus considered the bread of affliction, a reminder of their hardships as slaves and Pharaoh's opposition to them leaving. This special time was to be a week of remembrance for the Israelites. They remembered God's mighty works in redeeming them from Egyptian slavery. It was important that God's power and His love for His people be cherished. Naturally, their parents had told them about it all many times, but it was merely a story to them not a reality. This special time helped them remember the significance of God's miracles on their behalf. During this era, the people came to the tabernacle to celebrate. Later, the people would make pilgrimages to the temple in Jerusalem. Celebrate God's power (Deut. 16:5-8) In this week's passage, the people celebrated in the evening, while the sun was setting. This was to commemorate the time that the exodus from Egypt began. By the time of the New Testament, the Passover was celebrated by the Jewish people at home with family rather than as a corporate body. Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples in a small borrowed room. God told the people that none of the sacrificed meat was to remain until morning. This was perhaps a sign to help them remember God's provision for each day, as He did with the manna. The morning after Passover, they were to return to their own tents. There was to be no work on the special day of celebration. The eighth and final day was a climax, a special closing session of a sacred assembly. During this time, the people were to consecrate themselves anew to the Lord. As Christians, we are not required to specifically celebrate Passover. However, we do celebrate communion, which is often called the Lord's Supper. It is a time of reflection and repentance. We think of Jesus Christ's sacrifice for our sins as the perfect Lamb. It is also a time of celebration, for we are His children. Remembering and Celebrating Page 11 of 12 SS Lesson for 07/12/09

12 The Old Testament Jewish Calendar Remembering and Celebrating Page 12 of 12 SS Lesson for 07/12/09