Friday – April 22, 2016
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior. Glory to God in the Highest, amen. Before I dive into the Three Spring Moeds please allow me to remind us all to pray for the Church of Jesus Christ. Tradition must be eliminated from the Church in order for Christ to come for a Triumphant Church. The Church building pictured is Christ Chapel formerly St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Boise, Idaho. This Church was constructed in 1866 and is currently owned by the Historical Society and is used mainly for weddings. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Associated with the Tenth Plague which involved the death of the firstborn of man and beast was the initial establishment of three spring feasts with a fourth established with the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai. Later God spoke to Moses establishing seven feasts (moeds). These feasts or moeds are appointed, set times, for the congregation. These are not only appointed times for the congregation to gather but they are to gather for a specific purpose. These feasts are to be perpetual. There are four spring feasts and they are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First fruits, and Pentecost. The three fall feasts are Rosh Hashanah, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles. The spring feasts are a picture of the first coming of Jesus bringing the return of the Holy Spirit and the fall feasts are a picture of the second coming of Jesus.
Today at 6 pm is the start of Passover which is the 14th of Nisan. Passover is when the Passover lamb was killed and corresponds to the death of The Passover Lamb at Calvary. The night the Children of Israel left Egypt God made a difference between them and the Egyptians when the blood of an innocent unblemished lamb (Jesus) was applied to the doorposts of a leaven (sin) free home (our whole spirit, soul, and body). Under that covenant established by the mercy of God the blood of an innocent animal covered their sin for a year but in the new covenant our sins are not covered they are expunged like it never happened.
Leviticus 23:5 (KJV)
5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover.
1 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)
7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Before I move on to the Feast of Unleavened Bread recall that the number fourteen in Scripture is deliverance or salvation. The blood of our innocent lamb, Jesus, certainly provided an abundant deliverance, an abundant salvation.
Leviticus 23:6-8 (KJV)
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Leaven, that which spreads throughout bread and causes it to rise, is representative of sin. We would refer to leaven in the physical as yeast that is used in the making of bread. It is not that leaven in and of itself is bad but is representation of the effects of sin. A ‘little’ sin will spread throughout the whole person corrupting the whole person just like leaven effects the whole loaf of bread.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 (KJV)
7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a seven day feast starting on the fifteenth. Seven is the number of spiritual completion and fifteen is the number of God’s rest. Jesus the unleavened bread sacrificed for us has given to us spiritual completion and we now can enter freely into the provision of the Father (rest). Now let’s consider the Feast of First fruits.
Leviticus 23:9-14 (KJV)
9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.
14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
The Children of Israel did cross the Red Sea in three days but they did not enter the Promised Land for over forty years (forty is the number of proving).
1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (KJV)
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
The Feast of First fruits is celebrated on the 16th of Nisan (sixteen is the number of love) on the Hebrew Calendar however Jesus arose from the grave before dawn on the 17th of Nisan. When Jesus died on the cross He descended into hell but the Words of His testimony and His innocent blood (of the Lamb) brought Him out of hell to the bosom of Abraham. In the bosom of Abraham He preached the gospel to the Old Testament saints and then led captivity free and they were resurrected (Matthew 27:50-54) with Jesus on the third day, the 17th of Nisan. They were seen in Jerusalem and then went on to Heaven with Jesus (Ephesians 4:8) when He took His blood to the Mercy Seat in Heaven and presented them with Himself to the Father. Seventeen is the number of victory, victory over hell and the grave. Glory be to God!
By Pastor David R. Wood
