JW.ORG This Is to Be a Memorial for You Part 2 “This day must serve as a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to Jehovah.”—EX. 12:14. THE PASSOVER—WHY? Hundreds of millions of people around the globe who are not Jewish have some knowledge of the event behind what might be called the first Passover. They may have read about it in the Bible book of Exodus, heard the story told, or seen a movie that was based on the event. When the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for many years, Jehovah sent Moses and his brother, Aaron, to Pharaoh to ask him to liberate His people. That haughty Egyptian ruler would not let the Israelites go, so Jehovah struck the land with a series of devastating plagues. Finally, God sent a tenth plague, the death of Egypt’s firstborn, which did move Pharaoh to release them.—Ex. 1:11; 3:9, 10; 5:1, 2; 11:1, .) But what were the Israelites to do before being set free? It was about the time of the spring equinox in 1513 B.C.E., in the Hebrew month of Abib, later called Nisan. * God said that on the tenth day of that month, the Israelites were to start getting ready to follow certain steps on Nisan 14. That day began at sunset because the Hebrew days ran from sunset to sunset. On Nisan 14, each household was to slaughter a male sheep (or goat) and splash some of its blood on the doorposts and lintel of the house. (Ex. 12:3-7, 22, 23) The family was to have a meal of roasted lamb along with unleavened bread and some herbs. God’s angel would pass over the land and slay Egypt’s firstborn, but the obedient Israelites would be protected, and then they could go free.—Ex. 12:8-13, 29-32. That is what happened, and the Israelites were to remember their liberation in the years to come. God told them: “This day must serve as a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to Jehovah throughout your generations. As a statute to time indefinite you should celebrate it.” The celebration on the 14th was to be followed by a seven-day festival. Nisan 14 was the day of the actual Passover, but the name Passover could be applied to all eight days of the festival. (Ex. 12:14-17; Luke 22:1; John 18:28; 19:14) The Passover was one of the appointed festivals (“anniversaries,” The Bible in Living English) that the Hebrews were to celebrate each year.—2 Chron. 8:13. As Jews under the Mosaic Law, Jesus and his apostles shared in the annual Passover. (Matt. 26:17-19) The last time they did so, Jesus instituted a new event that his followers thereafter were to keep annually—the Lord’s Evening Meal. But on what day were they to observe it?
Posted on: Mon, 03 Mar 2014 10:46:48 +0000
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