The Night to Be Much Observed to the Lord

Greetings, brethren! Welcome to the Night to Be Much Observed unto the Lord! Why do we keep this night?

Things come around in circles, and people even within the Church are beginning to say that 'we don't need to keep the days in the Old Testament.' But they still keep the Sabbath. Now, you figure that one out.

This day is a special day, because we know that it refers to the covenant that God gave to Abraham in Gen. 15. God is a God Who keeps every word that He says He's going to do.

I've already explained in detail how Gen. 15 figures into this, and how we get the 430 years, so I'm not going to go into a detailed explanation of that. But let's read it:

Exodus 12:40: "Now, the sojourning of the children of Israel in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years." This ended the 430 years, which began with Gen. 15!

Verse 39: "…they were driven out of Egypt and could not stay, neither had they prepared any food for themselves for the journey."

Verse 41: "And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years… [there it is, right there] …it was even on that very same day…"

Well, the 430 years refers back to when the covenant was made with Abraham, and on that day that God made the pledge that they would come out, that's when He gave the promise. So, here it is being fulfilled literally!

"…all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed to the LORD…" (vs 41-42).

Some people say that this is because one of the apostles in one of the Churches of God said that we're to keep it; but we don't have to keep it.

• How do you answer that?
• What did Jesus say? Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God!

If there are any changes in anything, only God can make those changes. So, you think on that!

What does this say? Verse 42: "It is a night to be much observed to the LORD…" It's to God!

"…for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This is that night of the LORD to be observed by all the children of Israel in their generations" (v 42).

Well now, guess what? The Church is spiritual Israel, and all of those who are Christ's and have been baptized into Christ, they are the ones who are also the spiritual seed of Abraham. Referring to taking the children out of the land of Egypt. We will see that God always remembers His covenant. The ones who forget it are people.

Exodus 6:2: "And God spoke to Moses, and said to him, 'I am the LORD. And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty. But I was not known to them by My name JEHOVAH…. [YHVH in Hebrew] …And I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers…. [He remembers that] …And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, those whom the Egyptians are keeping in bondage. And I have remembered My covenant'" (vs 2-5).

That whole ceremony that we have in Gen. 15 is a covenant. We've already explained what a covenant is, so let's look at what it is for us today in keeping the Night to Be Much Observed. This is something that we need to understand. Today we don't have Egypt as it was back then, but we have Babylon!

Rev. 18—so we go from one end of the Bible to the other end of the Bible. Here's where we are today. God tells us to do something. Very similar to coming out of Egypt, we are to come out of spiritual Egypt, which is also called Babylon the Great. The city of Jerusalem in Rev. 11 is called 'Sodom and Egypt.' So, you can see that it all connects together.

Revelation 18:1: And after these things I saw an angel descending from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried out mightily with a loud voice, saying, 'Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hated bird'" (vs 1-2).

Look at what God has said of Egypt and compare the two. Just as God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, so his calling for us to come out of the world is also based upon the covenant that God made with Abraham in Gen. 15, which is the stars of heaven, meaning the sons and daughters of God. So, God calls us out of this world! We know how it starts:

• God is the One Who draws us
• God is the One Who brings us to Christ
• God is the One Who brings us to repentance

Now let's look at this and see how great our calling is! It's part of eternal life. Always remember: every word of God is true; every word of God will be fulfilled and carried out completely!

1-Corinthians 7:17: "Let each one walk only as God has apportioned to him, according as the Lord has called him; and this is what I command in all the churches." We've all be called, a Holy calling!

Now let's look and see when God planned this fantastic calling for us. Brethren, this is always important to remember, because this is tremendous. God has called us to the most important thing that's going on in the world:

The conversion and preparation for the people of God to rule the world under Christ when He returns!

This plan of God was started way before there was, as we will see, the ages of time! But I want to emphasize saving us and calling us,because when we answer the call then we repent, are baptized, and now we grow in grace and knowledge in the understanding of the Lord!That's all in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ, all in preparation so that we can be prepared to help rule the world under Jesus Christ. Look at the world the way that it is, and see what a fantastic calling that God's calling is!

2-Timothy 1:8: "Therefore, you should not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner; but jointly suffer with me for the sake of the Gospel, according to the power of God." God's power is right there with us!

Notice how he explains it, v 9: "Who has saved us…"

• saved us from Satan the devil
• saved us from the world
• saved from death by the power of the first resurrection

"…and called us with a Holy calling…" (v 9)—from God Himself: God the Father and Jesus Christ with the Spirit of God!

They are teaching us, as we come out of this world, how we need to be to help Him rule! That's what's important.

"…but according to His own purpose and grace…" (v 9).

Think on that! We are part of God the Father and Jesus Christ's personal purpose and grace! When you think of all the billions of all the human beings there have been down through history, that's quite a thing to understand.

• He hasn't chosen the rich
• He hasn't chosen the important
• He hasn't chosen the wise

To the rest of the world we're foolishness! But to God we have been called to be His sons and daughters!

"…which was given us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time" (v 9).

God had it all planned out, worked out, and He calls us to come out of the world! How do we come out of the world? First of all we will see what this calling is for!

Isn't it interesting that the phrase before the ages of timeis in the last two epistles that Paul wrote? We don't find it in the early epistles. We find some of it in Eph. 3. and in Col. 1, but not expressly like this:

Titus 1:1: Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect…"—selected! Think on that! How important are you to God? So important that He selected you!

"…and the knowledge of the Truth…" (v 1). That's what it has to be for all of us in everything; the Truth always!

"…that is according to Godliness; in the hope of eternal life…" (vs 1-2). There it is right there! To be in the Family and Kingdom of God!

"…which God Who cannot lie promised before the ages of time" (v 2). That's something to think about!

God has called us out; He wants us to change and grow so it's expressed in this way by Jesus Himself. We are in the world but not of the world! What separates us from the world?

• the Spirit of God
• the Sabbath and Holy Days of God, and the fact that we keep them

That's what sets us apart!

1-Thessalonians 2:12: "And earnestly testifying, that you may walk worthily of God…" How?

• keeping His commandments
• having His Spirit

Using His Spirit to change, grow, overcome, and studying and praying; living our lives:

"…worthily of God Who is calling you to His own Kingdom and glory" (v 12). Think of that; God Himself!

Let's see what Jesus said about our calling, and about the world. This was Jesus' prayer on the Passover night before He was arrested.

John 17:5: "And now, Father, glorify Me with Your own self, with the glory that I had with You before the world existed. I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You have given them to Me, and they have kept Your Word" (vs 5-6). Everything that comes from God initiates with God the Father!

Verse 7: "Now, they have known that all things that You have given Me are from You. For I have given them the words that You gave to Me; and they have received them and truly have known that I came from You; and they have believed that You did send Me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world, but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours" (vs 7-9).

Think about that with your calling, and why keeping the Night to Be Much Observed to the Lord is important. It shows that we belong to God the Father through Jesus Christ.

Verse 10: "All Mine are Yours, and all Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world… [so we're still here in the world] …and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name…" (vs 10-11). How are we kept in the Father's name?

• by loving God
• by keeping His commandments
• by observing the Sabbath
• by observing the Holy Days

And the Night to Be Much Observed is part of a Holy Day, the 15th day of the 1st month!

"…so that they may be one, even as We are one. When I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. I protected those whom You have given Me, and not one of them has perished except the son of perdition, in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to You; and these things I am speaking while yet in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in them. I have given them Your words, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world" (vs 11-14).

Yes, we're in the world, but we're not of the world, because we don't do things the way the world does.

Verse 15: "I do not pray that You would take them out of the world, but that You would keep them from the evil one."

It says in Col. 1 that God the Father rescues us from Satan the devil! Look back on your life and everything  you've gone through, and when you were called, baptized and up to this point. Think on that! God the Father is right there with you, all the way!

Verse 17: "Sanctify them… [keep them Holy; here is how we're not part of the world]: …in Your Truth; Your Word is the Truth." That's how we're not part of this world!

Just as God called the children of Israel and brought them out of the land of Egypt—from that evil satanic place, from the oppression and sin that they were suffering—and brought them out to fulfill His promise to Abraham. On that very night that He gave the promise, 430 years later it happened.

Now then, God's promise to us comes on an individual basis as He calls us. So, we are to not be part of this world! As we started: Come out of the world, My people! This Babylon the Great! In Rev. 17, John in the message that was given to him by Jesus that the world is going to fight Christ and us, and it says of us that we are the called, the chosen and the faithful!

That's why this Night to Much Observed unto the Lord is mightily important for us to remember and do.

Have a wonderful night, a great meal and see you tomorrow on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Scriptural References:

• Exodus 12:40, 39, 41-42
• Exodus 6:2-5
• Revelation 18:1-2
• 1 Corinthians 7:17
• 2 Timothy 1:8-9
• Titus 1:1-2
• 1 Thessalonians 2:12
• John 17:5-15, 17

 Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Genesis 15
• Ephesians 3
• Colossians 1

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 3/1/21

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