Much observed! How does one observe a night? Days, we know, may be
observed by resting from one's labours; their hours being devoted to
worship, praise, prayer and good deeds. But how does one observe a night,
when most people rest anyway?
According to Strong's Bible Dictionary this word shimmur {shim-moor'}
translated 'observed' means: night watch, watching, vigil
According to Cassell's New English Dictionary, to keep vigil is to:
"for bringing them out of the land of Egypt."
Here is the reason for its observance. It is observed in Yahweh's honour because it is a night of deliverance from slavery. We will not attempt to describe the horrors of Israel's slavery in Egypt, because we cannot. Suffice it to say that the Passover night is observed in the Almighty's honour because it is a Night of Liberation. Bear in mind that it was on the Passover Night that the Almighty shattered the pride of Egypt by slaying the eldest son in every unbelieving Egyptian household: from the first born son of the Pharaoh on the throne, to the first born son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Not a single unbelieving family in all Egypt escaped that awful plague. All, except those who had applied the blood of the Passover Lamb to their door posts and lintels, were visited with death! Yes, the reason for observing the Passover night is an extremely good one and because of this we shall also consider the role of the Lamb's blood: for in very truth the Passover Lamb's blood is to the Sign of God what ink is to a signature.
Note those words "All the children of Israel." Who is Israel? This
term means far more than just the natural descendants of Jacob, whose name
was changed to Israel after he had wrestled with God and prevailed.
(Genesis 32:28). The term "children of Israel" includes every truly
converted person who seeks Yahweh's mercy and blessing as Jacob did.
Yes, every true believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is an
Israelite. This is what the New Testament teaches.
Romans 2:28-29 | "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is
that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew,
which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the
spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."
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Galations 3:6-8 | "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted
to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith,
the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that
God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto
Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed."
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Galations 3:29 | "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." |
It is only in this context, that is, by comparison with ancient Israel's deliverance from Pharaoh, that the invitation contained in that verse about the Passover Night can even begin to have meaning for Christians in this age. For the truth is: Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) is the real Passover Lamb and Satan is the Pharaoh of this world. And in this verse the God of Israel is inviting all Israelites (Jew and Gentile believers) in "every generation" to observe the Passover Night in His Son's honour. Because it was on that night that Jesus, the Lamb of God, began to shed his blood in order to liberate mankind from Satan's domain of sin, slavery and death.
The command requires that the Lamb's death and victory over Satan be remembered by the redeemed host "generations after generation," " age after age" - "for all eternity." It will be done.
John 6:47-51 | "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath
everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the
wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven,
that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came
down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and
the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of
the world."
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Matthew 26:26-28 | "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it,
and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my
body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is
shed for many for the remission of sins."
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1 Corinthians 11:24 | "And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me." |
We have learned that to observe the Passover Night means to "keep
vigil," to "watch and pray." Do believers living in this generation
need to keep vigil? The answer is yes we do. In fact the need to obey this
vigil command is more important now than it has ever been: because the
midnight of the world is fast approaching. Remember that it was at
midnight that the destroyer went through the land of Egypt and slaughtered
all the first born (Exodus 12:23). Yes, we need to watch and pray at all
times. But on the Passover Night we need to keep vigil as well. We
need to stay awake and give ourselves to prayer - at least till midnight. This
instruction is more important to our generation than those before. We have
the perfect example of Jesus himself, who on that memorable Passover
Night recorded in the gospels, obeyed the vigil requirement of Exodus
12:42 in every detail. His vigil in the garden of Gethsemane was the finest
lesson of watchfulness and prayer the universe has ever witnessed.
Repeatedly he warned his disciples to stay awake and watch with him - at
least for that fateful hour just before midnight. But they all fell asleep and
when that hour of temptation came, they were all unprepared and forsook
him and fled. (Matt.26:56) Oh what a lesson for us is their experience. How
much more do we need to keep vigil than those early disciples! How will
you stand when the Hour of Temptation comes to you? Bear
in mind that the Destroyer (Abaddon/Apollyon) is scheduled to strike again in
the near future.
Matthew 26:40-44 | "And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them
asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one
hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit
indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the
second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass
away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and
found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left
them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same
words."
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Mark 13:33 | "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." |