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Sequence of events of Passover and Unleavened Bread
Fred R. Coulter—September 23, 2017
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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services! We're going to have a special Bible study today. We're going to do like Jesus described of the scribe: Take something new, something old and put it all together and see what we come up with. It will be a clearer understanding of the Word of God.
This Bible study is thanks to my daughter Rachelle, our only daughter. They had a visiting preacher come in a preacher what we're going to cover. He was so far off that it's very interesting how he did it. So, let's just review a few basic things:
Isaiah 28:9 tells us: "Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine?…. [we're going to learn doctrine today] …Those who are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts."
So you have to have a certain level of understanding. Certain things are easy to understand. What is the easiest thing to understand? Obey My voice! Then the Sabbath; easiest things to understand.
We're also taught of God through His Word. So, if we understand the Word of God, led by His Spirit, He's the One Who is teaching us. This is what God wants and this is what it has to be with every teacher, minister, whomever, in our own private lives. If we don't do it, search it out thoroughly, we will never understand.
How do we understand the deep things of God? By His Spirit! Some things are deep, some things are medium, and some things are very, very shallow and obvious. Some are difficult because people come to the Bible with something in mind that they want to have. Or they come to the Bible with something they already believe.
Both of these are going to be Old Testament in the Law, so they're going to be Jewish problems. The Jews, of all people, should understand the Bible; you would assume it. But the truth is that they don't!
What are some of the major things that keeps them from understanding the Truth of God?
- rejecting Christ
- their own laws
- their traditions
- bombardment from the world
What other thing that they have that they practice fervently, even the most renegade Jews?
- the 15th Passover
In reading the sermon series: Scripturalism vs Judaism even the commentary said that those in Galilee kept the Passover a day before those in Jerusalem. Keeping the Passover on the 14th for the Jews they would have to be 'in the land.' That's why you have Num. 9 and the second Passover. If they were outside of the land and they came back into the land, they could keep the Passover on the 14th day of the second month.
- Why do we keep a 14th Passover, when the Jews say it's the 15th and they are the ones who have the Law? That's what Jesus did; He kept it on the 14th!
- What did Jesus tell His disciples? Do it in remembrance!
- What was His final commission to them? Do unto all nations as I have commanded you!
- Did He command them to keep a 14th Passover? Yes, He did!
- Did He command them with foot-washing? Yes, He did!
- What's the lesson with foot-washing? Humility!
- What kind of humility? Service and also it's authoritative! The messenger is not greater than the one who sent him! The disciple is not greater than his teacher! That's the humility!
Deut. 16 is where the Jews say that God changed the Passover and it had to be kept at the temple.
- Is that true?
They also say that the children of Israel left Egypt right after eating the Passover.
- Why is that not correct?
It says they went out at night. We'll read that in just a minute.
- What was the instruction to the children of Israel when they kept the Passover in their homes in Egypt? Don't go out until sunrise!
- How can you leave at night when you can't leave until sunrise?
- How do they justify it?
- What's another principle with things that are not correct? A little leaven leavens the whole lump!
- How do you think the Catholics got into overwhelming idolatry? It started with the cross and the rejection of the Sabbath!
Sidebar: Will demons be where there are idols? Yes, indeed! The other nigh I was watching the Catholic channel. They do the Mass all the time, communion. Idols everywhere!
- Who are they really worshipping? Mary!
- What do they say of the blood of Jesus in the Eucharist? The wine is suppose to be His blood!
- What do they say is also in the wine or the blood? Mary's blood, because she was the mother of God!
That's just an example of a little leaven leavens the whole lump! Pretty soon everything is changed! You can apply this to government, to whatever you want to.
We'll read Deut. 16:1-7 and then come back and analyze it. Another important thing in Bible study is that you have to bring the Scriptures that you know and have proved are true to help analyze and understand what's going on.
Deuteronomy 16:1: "Keep the month of Abib, and observe the Passover to the LORD your God. For in the month of Abib, the LORD your God brought you forth out of Egypt by night. And you shall, therefore, sacrifice the Passover offering to the LORD your God, of the flock and the herd, in the place, which the LORD shall choose to place His name there. You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, the bread of affliction, for you came forth out of the land of Egypt in haste, so that you may remember the day that you came forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. And there shall be no leaven seen with you in all your borders for seven days. Nor shall any of the flesh, which you sacrificed in the first day at sunset remain all night until the morning. You may not sacrifice the Passover Offering within any of your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, but at the place which the LORD your God shall choose to place His name in, there you shall sacrifice the Passover offering at sunset, at the going down of the sun, at the time that you came out of Egypt. And you shall boil and eat it in the place which the LORD your God shall choose. And in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents" (vs 1-7).
When you first read that it does look like that God changed the Passover, but is that exactly what it's talking about? Let's analyze the verses:
Verse 1: "Keep the month of Abib, and observe the Passover to the LORD your God…."—period! That's separate! What is the truth about keeping the Passover? what day? The 14th beginning right after sunset, because all days begin and end with sunset!
"…For in the month of Abib, the LORD your God brought you forth out of Egypt by night" (v 1). In Exo. 12 they started leaving Rameses.
When you understand the chronology; they left their houses in the morning and all gathered at Rameses and left as an organized group. When they were in the land of Goshen they were spread out all over. The way that they communicated, the instruction was that Moses had the elders come and then they went back and told the people. That's how everyone knew what to do for the Passover. So, they left the next night. What did you have to light the way? Pillar of fire!
Verse 2: "And you shall, therefore, sacrifice the Passover offering to the LORD your God, of the flock and the herd…"
- Have you ever heard of a Passover calf? No!
- What was the instruction in Exo. 12? Take from the flock a lamb or a kid goat!
"…the herd… [cannot be the sacrifice of the Passover to be eaten at home] …in the place, which the LORD shall choose to place His name there" (v 2).
Once the tabernacle or the temple was setup, what were they to do? or What could they do on the day portion of the Passover? What did God demand that they do?
The only killing of an animal that could be done away from the sanctuary or the temple or tabernacle was the Passover at home. The Passover commemorated the passing over the firstborn! All the rest were spared because of that. That was a momentous event when you consider that God killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians—male and female—and even the animals.
{note that Exo. 12:51 should be the first verse of Exo. 13, which is in The Holy Bible in Its Original Order}
Exodus 12:51: "And it came to pass the very same day, when the LORD brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies…
Exodus 13:1: …then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Sanctify all the firstborn to Me, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, of man and of beast. It is Mine'" (vs 1-2).
- How important is the first of everything? Everything related to God comes first!
- What's the first and greatest commandment? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and being!
The second is to love your neighbor!
I was talking with a man who was saying that he's had difficulty trying to convince someone that they ought to keep the commandments of God. I said for him to ask them how they would like to live in a nice little town that was peaceful, where all the families stayed together, there were no children born out of wedlock, the children honored their father and mother, no murders, no adulteries, no perversions, no stealing, no lying, no competition through covetousness, and they all worshipped the one God.
There are no policemen, no locks on the doors, wouldn't have to worry about a thing. Then explain to them that that's what God intended with the Ten Commandments. If everyone did that, would that not what it would be like to live in?
So, the first of everything goes to God!
Deuteronomy 16:3: "And Moses said to the people, 'Remember this day in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for the LORD brought you out from this place by the strength of His hand. There shall be no leavened bread eaten. On this day you are going out, in the month Abib" (vs 3-4).
What day did they leave beginning at night? The 15th! Then it talks about unleavened bread.
Verse 11: "And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the LORD all that opens the womb, and every firstborn that comes of any animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD'S" (vs 11-12)—taken to the temple or the tabernacle and it's given to the priest and it's offered to the Lord, and the priest participates in it. In this offering the offerer does not participate; it's wholly given to the Lord.
Verse 13: "And every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem."
Don't you think that every year when it comes around to the Passover there were a lot of firstborn that needed to be redeemed? It belonged to God! And it could be redeemed from the eighth day forward.
If you lived away from the tabernacle or temple, then what would be the time that you would bring those? Three seasons, but especially the Passover! Why? Because the firstborn belong to God, and the Passover Day—the whole day—pictured God passing over the children of Israel at midnight, protecting them! Then on the day portion of the Passover they assembled to Rameses and then they left. That's what they were to do!
Passover Offering vs Passover Sacrifice
The Passover offering is different than the Passover sacrifice. A lot of people come and bring their redemption animals and all the males go to the priests. They could also do this during the year if they wanted to, as long as it was eight-days-old or older.
Verse 2: "…of the flock and the herd…" has to do with the firstborn of the animals that went to God. So, the day portion of the Passover would be busy doing that. And it was in commemoration of the fact that God said that on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall do this.
All of this was done in preparation "…in the place, which the LORD shall choose to place His name there. You shall eat no leavened bread with it…." (vs 2-3). That sounds an awful lot like the Passover where you're to eat unleavened bread.
Why did God specifically say, no leavened bread? Because these redemption offerings were very much like a peace offering, only the participant did not eat of it! But the requirement for the offering was the same as the peace offering or the thank offering.
Leviticus 7:11: And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer to the LORD. If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil, of fine flour, fried" (vs 11-12).
All of those bread offerings that had oil went to the priest. All of those that did not have oil in them went to the Levite.
Verse 14: "And from it he shall offer one cake out of the whole sacrifice for a heave offering to the LORD to the priest that sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings, it is his. And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered. He shall not leave any of it until the morning. But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offers his sacrifice…." (vs 14-16). Where was that?
Verse 13: "Along with the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings."
The leavened bread was not to be eaten by the priest. In other word, God did not partake of the leavened bread through the priests who were God's representatives. The one who offered the offering could eat that leavened bread.
That's why in Deut. 16 it says that you are not to eat it with leavened bread.
Deuteronomy 16:3: You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, the bread of affliction, for you came forth out of the land of Egypt in haste, so that you may remember the day that you came forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life."
That started as the 15th began, at sunset, and proceeded through the rest of the night. This is not the Passover Day!
Offerings:
What they offered during the Passover Day portion of the Passover were all of these:
- redemption offerings
- thank offerings
- vow offerings
that were to be sacrificed and offered at the temple.
Verse 4: "And there shall be no leaven seen with you in all your borders for seven days. Nor shall any of the flesh, which you sacrificed in the first day…"—of Unleavened Bread; this is not talking about the Passover. I'm sure that on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread that there were still some redemption offerings going on, as well.
"…at sunset remain all night until the morning" (v 4). They were to eat it; that's what we read of the peace offering (Lev. 7).
Verse 5: "You may not sacrifice the Passover Offering within any of your gates, which the LORD your God gives you"—because the Passover offering was not the Passover sacrifice. It was the offering offered on the day portion of the Passover:
- redemption offerings
- thanksgiving offerings
- vow offerings
- peace offerings
Verse 7: "And you shall boil and eat itin the place which the LORD your God shall choose…."
- What does it say in Exo. 12 concerning the Passover lamb? It is to be roasted by fire and not boiled in water!
So this cannot be a Passover sacrifice for the passing over. This is an offering on the day portion of the Passover in anticipation of your eating it.
- When are you going to eat it? That night, which is the Night to be Much Observed, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread!
With a lot of people there, and when it's boiled it can be eaten a whole lot quicker than waiting for it to be roasted up on the altar.
Night to be Much Observed:
"…And in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents" (v 7). So, they were eating all night, drinking wine and having a wonderful time thanking God. Just picture this: all around Jerusalem there were areas for tents and the people would come and pitch them all around Jerusalem. Can you imagine all the rejoicing? Maybe a little too much wine; eating and thanking God! God was happy.
How many Days of Unleavened Bread?:
Verse 8: "Six days you shall eat unleavened bread…." That stumps a lot of people because it's the only place in the Bible where it says six days. Why? You have already eaten on the first day, and there are six more days remaining! So, this six days, after you take away the first one: days 2-7 are six days. The six days is a totally different count.
Just like on the speedometer of your vehicle: the speedometer turns over for one mile, then when it hits 1.9 the it goes over to the next mile. That's already been counted. This is hard for people to grasp, because human thinking is in chronological linear ways.
Sometimes in the Bible there are parallel, but not exactly in sequence or coordination. Don't anyone say that they heard Fred Coulter say that the 6th day is the 7th day and he's got Unleavened Bread all mixed up. If you take away one from seven you have six.
"…And on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly…" (v 8). Now it gets back to the seventh day.
The original question was that you have to keep the Passover on the 15th and not the 14th. That's why what Jesus instructed the disciples is so important. It is true that if you don't have the New Testament you cannot keep a 14th Passover anywhere else outside of the land of Israel.
So, here this fellow comes in and he believes all the Jewish things. He also said that you can't have a Passover at home, you must go to where God say, etc.
How did the Jews handle it after the temple was destroyed? All during the Diaspora, even when the temple was still there, they could still keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but not the Passover! So, what they did was to take the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Night to be Remembered, and called it the Passover with a lamb shank. Then they have all the rituals of it.
Then they called the whole Feast the Passover! Now everything is all mixed up. So, once you start down the road of arbitrary changing, or not understanding what's going on, then other things happen and false doctrine comes in.
There are two celebrations here:
- redemption of the firstborn
- remembering that God took the children of Israel out of Egypt at night, the beginning of the 15th
So, they would sacrifice the animals late on the 14th so they could stay up all night eating and feasting. So, there were two things going on:
- overlapping from the day portion of the 14th into the 15th
- then coming around to completing the first day
I hope that helps you understand Deut. 16!
Scriptural References:
- Isaiah 28:9
- Deuteronomy 16:1-7, 1-2
- Exodus 12:51
- Exodus 13:1-2
- Deuteronomy 16:3-4, 11-13, 2-3
- Leviticus 7:11-12, 14-16, 13
- Deuteronomy 16:3-5, 7-8
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Numbers 9
- Exodus 12
Also referenced: Sermon Series: Scripturalism vs Judaism
FRC: bo
Transcribed: 10/1/17
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