Why Passover?
The Hebrew name for Passover is Pesach, and means “passing over” or “protection. This feast is derived from the instructions given to Moses by God in Exodus 6:6-8. Many of us are familiar with this story. God comes to Moses and tells him that he needs to go and tell the children of Israel that Yahweh is going to deliver them and redeem them from the Egyptians.
One of the reasons Passover is so significant is because it is a time of beginnings for Israel. The festival ushers in the coming of spring on the Jewish calendar, and is celebrated on the 14th of Abib (later called Nisan). This feast is also a pilgrimage feast, which means that Jews from all over had to travel to Jerusalem to observe this feast. Furthermore, besides the feast being about God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt, the Jews also celebrate during this time the end of the rainy season, the beginning of the growing season, and the new lambing time.
Because most of us reading this article right now are probably not Jewish, one of the things we often miss is how foundational Passover is in God’s plan of redemption. The reason Nisan and Nisan alone can be the first month in God’s calendar is meant to show the great significance of the Passover event and its birth of the nation of Israel and their deliverance from bondage. Passover sets the precedence for how God redeems the people he has chosen for himself.
Also, it is the sacrifice of the lamb that makes Passover significant. Though other feasts of the LORD are important, without the sacrificial lamb of Passover, Israel would have suffered the same fate as the Egyptian in the plague of the first born. The sacrifice of Passover and the application of the blood is what sealed the redemption of the people of God. Without Passover, there would be no Torah for Israel; there would be no other feast; there would be no tabernacle; there would be no significant event that points towards the coming Messiah and the redemption he would bring. Indeed, the first month of the Hebrew year signifies the real beginning of all spiritual life. Thus, the purpose of the Feat of Passover was one of commemoration of the past and expectation of the future of God’s redemption.
Passover in the Old Testament
Passover was kept and referred to many times through the Old Testament. One significant time of its keeping was when the Jews reached the promised land (Joshua 5:10). Passover is also mentioned during the time of Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, and Ezra. But what was actually involved in keeping this feast? The requirements of this feast are listed in Exodus 12:1-13:16. Here is what we see in regards to the first Passover:
1. It was to be kept during the first month (Abib, or Nisan).
2. On the tenth day, each household would select a one-year-old lamb or kid (goat, that is!).
3. One the fourteenth day of the month, the lamb was killed during the evening sacrifice.
4. The blood of the lamb was to be put on the two side post and on the upper door post of the houses.
5. The lamb was to be roasted with fire and have no broken bones or removed limbs.
6. The lamb was to be eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread.
7. None of the lamb was to remain. If it was not eaten, it needed to be burned with fire.
8. They were to eat the meal with their sandals on and staff in hands.
9. The feat was declared a memorial and to be kept forever.
As things progressed, Israel eventually moved out of its portable tabernacle and built two temples. During the temple times, we have records of what a joyous occasion this was. Josephus (who was alive during the second temple) records the number of lambs slain during this time range from 256, 500 to no fewer than three million (65 AD). As sign was also hung on the lamb’s neck which had the name of the family written on it.
Preparation for Passover commenced on the evening of the 13th of Nisan, which according to Jewish calendaring, the 14th actually began. During this time the head of the household was to light a candle and search all the places that the leaven was usually kept. This was in reference to Zephaniah 1:12, which mentions God bringing Jerusalem in with candles. No work was to be done, and the proper lamb was also to be chosen.
When the time for the sacrifice of the Passover lamb drew new, the families would take their lambs up to the temple to be slain between 2:30 and 3:30 pm. The priest would blow a trumpet (ram’s horn) when the lambs were slain. As the lambs were being slain, the priest used a special bowl of silver or gold to catch the blood. Hymns were sung while these bowls were being passed to the priest at the altar. The Hallel (Ps 113-119) was recited, and the lambs were cleaned out and burnt on the altar. The service was then ended with the burning of incense.
In the next post we will look at the Passover as observed in the life of Jesus, along with its Messianic fulfillment.