The Feast of the Passover, a pivotal event in the Jewish calendar, commemorates the Israelites' deliverance from Egyptian bondage, as recorded in the Book of Exodus. This feast, instituted by God, is not only a remembrance of divine intervention but also a call to holiness and purification for those who observe it.

Biblical Foundation and Commandments

The Passover is first instituted in Exodus 12, where God commands Moses and Aaron regarding the preparation and observance of the feast. The Israelites are instructed to select a lamb without blemish, symbolizing purity and perfection, to be sacrificed on the fourteenth day of the first month (Exodus 12:5-6). The blood of the lamb, applied to the doorposts, serves as a sign for the Lord to "pass over" the houses of the Israelites, sparing them from the plague of the firstborn (Exodus 12:13).

Purification and Preparation

Purification is a critical aspect of the Passover observance. The Israelites are commanded to remove all leaven from their homes, symbolizing the removal of sin and corruption (Exodus 12:15). This act of cleansing is not merely physical but also spiritual, as it prepares the heart for sincere worship and remembrance of God's deliverance.

In Numbers 9, the necessity of purification is further emphasized. Those who are ceremonially unclean or on a journey during the Passover are given a provision to observe the feast in the second month, ensuring that all have the opportunity to participate in a state of purity (Numbers 9:10-11).

Spiritual Significance

The requirement for purification underscores the holiness of God and the need for His people to approach Him with reverence and purity. The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, draws a parallel between the Passover and the Christian life, urging believers to "cleanse out the old leaven" and to be a "new batch" (1 Corinthians 5:7). This call to purity is a reminder that the observance of the Passover is not merely a ritual but a profound spiritual exercise that points to Christ, our Passover Lamb, who was sacrificed for us.

Historical Observance

Throughout Israel's history, the observance of the Passover has been marked by a return to purity and devotion. In 2 Chronicles 30, King Hezekiah calls the people to celebrate the Passover, emphasizing the need for consecration and repentance. Despite initial lapses in ritual purity, Hezekiah prays for the people, and the Lord hears and heals them, highlighting God's grace and the importance of a contrite heart (2 Chronicles 30:18-20).

Conclusion

The Feast of the Passover, with its emphasis on purification, serves as a powerful reminder of the holiness required to approach God. It calls believers to examine their lives, remove sin, and prepare their hearts for worship, reflecting the deeper spiritual truths fulfilled in Christ.2 Chronicles 30:15-19
Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 11:55
And the Jews' passover was near at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Cavils of the Pharisees Concerning Purification, and the ...
... the Lake, was intermitted on the Eve of the Passover. ... the city and Temple in time
for the feast. ... in regard to these ordinances about purification, and seek to ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxxi the cavils of.htm

Letter xvi. To the Bishops of Sicily.
... of age and grace: at the time of the Passover He comes ... But if any one thinks the
feast of the Epiphany ... and to have a victim offered for His purification: that He ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/letter xvi to the bishops.htm

The Paschal Supper - the Institution of the Lord's Supper.
... His Holy Supper; even as the only purification to which ... silence in regard to the
Jewish Feast, to indicate ... and the new Institution the Jewish Passover had for ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter x the paschal supper.htm

Covenanting Provided for in the Everlasting Covenant.
... washing, representing the means of purification from all ... every seventh day: the periodic
feast of unleavened ... days, following upon the Passover: the Sabbatic ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter vi covenanting provided for.htm

Appendix iv. An Abstract of Jewish History from the Reign of ...
... to our December) - the same on which, after its purification by Judas ... first and the
last great festive days of the Passover and of the Feast of Tabernacles. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix iv an abstract of.htm

Period iv. The Age of the Consolidation of the Church: 200 to 324 ...
... the lamb, should be observed as the feast of the ... observed the fourteenth day of the
passover, according to ... as a concession to weakness, a necessary evil, and ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period iv the age of.htm

Appendix xii. The Baptism of Proselytes
... all the services of the Sanctuary without a similar purification. ... to partake after
baptism of the Passover, [6439] the ... that, when he gave a great feast at the ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xii the baptism of.htm

The Oration on Holy Baptism.
... Offer yourself; clothe yourself with Christ, feast me with your ... Let the purification
take hold of these also ... bade Israel of old when partaking of the Passover. ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xl the oration on.htm

Dialogue ii. --The Unconfounded.
... Orth."Was it not then necessary for the ignorant to ... the Apostle, Christ, God, [1314]
our Passover was sacrificed ... by a Star, at the wedding feast makes water ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/dialogue ii the unconfounded.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... It was necessary for an enemy to break through this complex defensive zone, and
even after this had been successfully accomplished and the walls of the capital ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

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