Passover to YWHW פֶּ֖סַח לַיהוָֽה

We are in chapter twenty-three of Leviticus with our word for today which is a phrase. פֶּ֖סַח לַיהוָֽה Passover to the LORD or to YHWH. It is used 11 times in the Old Testament. Let’s start in our chapter. Leviticus 23:5-7 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the פֶּ֖סַח לַיהוָֽה [literally Passover to YHWH] Lord's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. Our phrase shows us that circumcision was required to participate. Exodus 12:48 If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the פֶסַח֮ לַיהוָה֒ Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. We also see an exception to the unclean rule so that Passover could be observed. Numbers 9:10 If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the פֶ֙סַח֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה Passover to the Lord. We also see the rules for offerings to be brought for the Passover were to be equally applied to native and foreign born Israelites. Numbers 9:14 And if a stranger sojourns among you and would keep the פֶ֙סַח֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה Passover to the Lord, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native. God gives the people the date of when this feast was to be observed. Numbers 28:16 On the fourteenth day of the first month is the פֶּ֖סַח לַיהוָֽה Lord's Passover. Deuteronomy 16:1 Observe the month of Abib and keep the פֶּ֔סַח לַיהוָ֖הPassover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. We later see this feast reinstated after years of neglect by God’s people. 2 Kings 23:21 And the king commanded all the people, “Keep the פֶ֔סַח לַֽיהוָ֖ה Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant. 2 Chronicles 30:1, 5 Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to keep the פֶּ֔סַח לַיהוָ֖ה Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel … So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the פֶּ֛סַח לַיהוָ֥ה Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed. 2 Chronicles 35:1 Josiah kept a פֶּ֖סַח לַיהוָ֑ה Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem. And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. Just like the Sabbath that we saw yesterday was for the benefit of the people even though our phrase identifies it as belonging to YWHW. Here the Passover as well points to it belonging to YWHW and at the same time it is for our benefit. We see this idea throughout the Bible that God knows what is best for us his people. The lamb that was slain as part of this feast points to Christ who died in our place for our sins. Jesus himself institutes the Lord’s supper or communion during the context of the Passover meal to make this very point. I’ll close with these great reminders. 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.