“These are the LORD’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The LORD’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.” (Lev.23:4-5).
Today, Monday 28 March 2022 at sundown is the beginning of Passover. It is a feast that lasts for one day and concludes at sunset on 29 March. This is a day for us to remember the greatness, faithfulness and love of our God demonstrated to us through His rescue of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. We are instructed to observe this day and all feast days outlined in Leviticus 23 for all generations. “This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.” (Lev.23:14). God saved the Israelites by instructing them to put the blood of an unblemished lamb on their doorposts so that the angel of death would PASS OVER their homes. Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the unblemished lamb slain for us. Let us therefore reflect on what He has done for us and give Him worship and praise for setting us free from sin and death.
I recommend anointing yourself with oil you have prayed over and that you put some on the doorframes of your house as part of observing this feast.
The seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread starts on Tuesday, 29 March at sunset. During this feast we to remove all leaven from our homes and we do not consume anything with leaven / yeast in it. Leaven represents sin. Scripture tells us that a little leaven leavens the whole lump (Gal.5:9). As we are the temples of God, we are to reflect on our lives earnestly during this feast and ask for cleansing from all our sin, wrongs, iniquities, transgressions and unrighteousness through the washing by the blood of the Lamb. This feast begins and concludes with a holy convocation, equivalent to that of the Sabbath.
The last of the Spring Appointed Feasts is the Feast of First Fruits on Sunday 3 April. This is the day when the Israelites of old brought the first of the new harvest to God as an offering. Today, let us follow Paul’s instruction with regard to our offering: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Rom.12:1). We do this by submitting ourselves to live in obedience to God’s commandments and to serve Him with our lives.
Now if you think that the instruction to observe the appointed feasts is only meant for the people Moses led out of Egypt, then I would like you to consider this verse: “But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.” (Rom.11:17).
Through the blood of Jesus we become partakers of the promises to Abraham. Let us therefore heed the guidance from Moses; “For I command you this day to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.” (Deut.30:16).
MY PRAYER
Father AhaYah, thank you that You have appointed days for us to reflect on Your greatness and Your love for us. Father, in Your great mercy, forgive us for not honouring these days as You have instructed us to do. Forgive us for being a stiff-necked people who choose to worship You according to what we have inherited from our fathers and not according to what You have commanded us to do. Father, please draw us back to Your truth and Your ways. We pray in the mighty name of our Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus of Nazareth, the unblemished Lamb slain for us. Hallelujah. Aman.