PASSOVER
UNDERSTANDINGS DEUTERONOMY 16:1-8
Before we look in detail at this section of Scripture, a section that has given many a problem to many a person as they try to understand the feasts of the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread, we need to bear in mind some basics on how to read and understand the Bible.
There are portions of the word of God that are HARD to
understand. Peter was inspired to say concerning the writings of
Paul that "in which some things hard to be understood"(2
Pet.3:16). It is to be noted Peter did NOT say they were
IMPOSSIBLE to be understood, only hard. It took a little more
effort and meditation, a little more study and thought, than
other parts of his writings. So it is with the word of the Lord. There are sections of
Scripture that are not as easy to understand as other sections.
The Eternal has purposely written His word that way, so those who
will not dig, search, study, meditate and realize that there is
no contradictions with God, will as Peter said, WREST to their
destruction. They will fall, be deceived and be blinded to the
truth.
There is the principle in the word of the Lord that not
everything concerning a subject matter is found in one single
place. There are usually many verses and passages of Scripture on
any important topic of the Bible, scattered here and there. We
must be willing to find ALL the information from ALL the Bible on
any subject, before we conclude what is the truth.
Then together with the above point, is the fact that God has
written some very plain words on the subjects of importance to
us. He wants us to find those easy to understand verses first,
then within the light they give as the foundation, we can go on
to ascertain the meaning and truth of the harder to understand
sections on the subject.
We need to keep in mind some other points as to how the
Bible is written. Sometimes the writer moved from one thought
into another thought and back to the first thought, and then once
more to the second thought----- WITHOUT TELLING US HE WAS GOING TO DO SO! Paul and his writings are a good example of that kind of
letter or way of writing. Anyone who has studied Paul for any
length of time will know that was how he often wrote. He would be
explaining something, then in his explanation something
he said would trigger another thought that would lead him off to
explaining something else, then later he would come back to his
original thought and continue his first explanation.
We have the book of Revelation that uses what some motion
pictures use. A scene of the time, then a "going back" in time
scene that fills in or brings you up to date on something that is
needed to understand the present time and plan of the story. This
can be used more than once in the unfolding of events.
There are passages of Scpripture that move from one event to
another event without any warning. The events told may be years
apart or even thousands of years apart, yet the writer does not
tell you this. An example is Isaiah 61. Jesus read this section
when starting His ministry. He read verses one to the middle of
verse two and stopped (see Luke 4). This section had to do with
the Messiah's FIRST coming, but from the middle of verse two and
on this section in Isaiah has to do with the Messiah's SECOND
coming. No warning is given to us as to moving from one to the
other.
NOW WITH THAT let's start to look at Deuteronomy 16.
We have here mentioned the Passover by name and the days of
UNleavened Bread. It seems a little confusing to understand. So
let's STOP for a moment. Let us realize this is the FIFTH book of
Moses. We have already had Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. In
those books we have ALREADY been given some verses on the
Passover and Unleavened Bread feasts, some quite EASY to
understand. Let's get the easy ones clear in our mind.
We have seen by letting the Bible interpret the Bible that the phrase "between the two evenings" as used in Exodus 12:6 and 16:12 is clearly the DUSK or twilight part of the
beginning ofthe day.
The Passover was killed and eaten at the BEGINNING of
the 14th, the death angel passing over the houses the NIGHT of
the 14th. Then in Leviticus 23:5 we are told plainly that the
Passover is in the 14th at EVEN. This corresponds clearly with
Exodus 12:6. Lev.23:6 very plainly tells us the feast of
Unleavened Bread is on the 15th for seven days, the first and
seventh of those seven days are Sabbaths.
And this is exactly what Numbers 28:16-25 tells us. We saw last
time the logical way to understand this section in Numbers is NOT
that the Passover was at the END of the 14th for then the feast
of Unleavened Bread would not begin until the end of the 15th.
But Lev.23:6 says it is ON THE 15TH that is the feast of
Unleavened Bread, not after the 15th. These clear Scriptures make it plain that the 15th is the
first day of unleavened bread, the feast begins with this 15th
day, not after it. And as this is the first day of the feast of
Unleavened Bread, it is a Sabbath day, as is the 7th day of this
feast (the 21st of the first month).
We have seen that the NT gospels verify this to be the plain
truth. Jesus was killed on the 14th, the Passover day, which is
not a Sabbath. He was hurriedly taken down from the cross and
buried towards the end of that 14th day BECAUSE the Sabbath drew
on, the Sabbath of the feast of Unleavened Bread, which was the
15th day of the first month.
With all that clear easy to understand information we can
also now understand correctly Exodus 12 and verses 6 all the way
through verse 20, which some have difficulty with. The Lamb was
killed on the 14th at the beginning of the 14th. The Lord passed
over that night of the 14th (verse 12). That night was to be a
memorial and that day also (verse 14) corresponding to 1 Cor. 11
and Paul's instructions. Then in verse 15 of Exodus 12 WITHOUT
ANY WARNING the topic changes to the feast of UNleavened Bread.
Seven days unleavened bread was to be eaten, from the first day
of it unto the seventh day of it. In the first day was a Holy
Convocation - no work - a Sabbath day then.
It was on this day, the 15th that God started to bring Israel out
of Egypt from Rameses where they gathered (see Num.33:3;
Deut.16:1-3; Ex.12:37-42). It was at the 15th,
when they left Rameses. So in Ex.12:18 we have the
EXCEPTION to the general rule used in the Bible (and there is
another point many stumble over, the Bible does use "exceptions"
at times). The evening of the 14th is this time in verse 18 the
END of the 14th, as YOU BEGIN THE 15TH. UNleavened Bread was to
be eaten from the END of the 14th (the beginning of the 15th) the
start of the Sabbath of the 15th the first day of the 7 day feast
of Unleavened Bread), to the END of the 21st day, the seventh
day of the feast, which was also a Sabbath day.
You will notice from all these sections of Scripture, that
sometimes the FIRST day of the feast is only mentioned as a
Sabbath, sometimes BOTH the first and seventh days are mentioned
as Sabbaths. In Deut.16 we shall see that ONLY the 7th day of the
feast is mentioned as a Sabbath. Again, putting ALL verses
together we can know that indeed BOTH the first and seventh day
of this seven day feast of Unleavened Bread were Sabbaths.
The plain, clear, easy to understand verses MUST COME FIRST!
As we take them and hold the foundation to THEM, then the harder
to understand sections can be put together correctly, so there is
a NO CONTRADICTION in the word of the Lord on the matter.
I am now close to getting into Deut.16, but one more thing
before I do. It is also very important to realize and to remember
that in the ORIGINAL HEBREW of the OT there were NO PUNCTUATION -
no periods, no comers etc. just one letter after another
letter. Remember this and remember the point that sometimes
writers moved from one thought to another thought and back again,
WITHOUT ANY WARNING to you the reader.
We shall see that this was the case with HOW Deut.16:1-8 was
written.
DEUT.16:1-8
FIRST thought and admonition: "Observe the MONTH of Abid,
and KEEP the Passover unto the Lord thy God."
Two points given - the month of Abid is important and has to
be observed in some way. The Passover in that month is to be
kept. Why is this month important? Moses goes on to say: "for in
the month of Abid the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of
Egypt by night." The 14th night and the death of first borns with Israel told to leave was when God brought them out. They did bot get to the border of
Egypt for some days, but they were free from Egypt that 14th night.
Yes as we have seen, the DAY of the 15th when they left
Rameses, the beginning of the feast of Unleavened Bread, the
first day of the feast, the DAY of the Sabbath when they went
for a while and then tented (Succoth meaning tent, Ex.12:37). The thought now goes to the Passover sacrifice: "Thou shalt
therefore sacrifice the Passover unto the Lord thy God, of the
flock and the herd---- IN THE PLACE WHICH THE LORD SHALL CHOOSE to
place His name there. Thou shalt eat NO LEAVENED BREAD WITH IT." Period, end of this thought. Should be end of sentence here.
We need to note this was the "second law" - Deuteronomy (meaning
second law) - given by Moses shortly before Israel was to enter
the promised land. They had been wandering the wilderness for 40
years. They had been one community, one large town or city of
people, together as one. They had observed the feasts for 40
years as one town of people. Now they were going to posses a
land. They would be scattered over a large area. They would have
many towns and villages, large and small. God was instituting a
law here, a rule for them on WHERE to observe the Passover when
they would inherit this land of promise. The Passover memorial service was not just to be everywhere in
the land, it was to be in THE PLACE that God would choose to
place His name. We know from the other books of the OT that it
was first placed at SHILOH and then later at JERUSALEM.
Now after this thought and instruction on the Passover
sacrifice, the thought CHANGES to the feast of Unleavened Bread.
Beginning a new sentence: "Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened
bread therewith (therein, when you eat or consume as the
Hebrew is), the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of
the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day (the
time, not just one single day of 24 hours only) when thou camest
forth out of the land of Egypt all the days (time, years,
generations) of thy life. And there shall be no leaven bread seen
with thee in all thy coasts seven days (this is exactly what the
clear plain sSriptures we have already looked at teach in
Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers); neither shall there any thing of the flesh which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning." End of thought on the Passover and seven day feast of Unleavened Bread
for the moment. All is fully in line with the other Scriptures on
the feast as given in the other books of Moses.
The last sentence about no flesh remaining has mixed up some. They think this is a reference to the Passover sacrifice. BUT IT
IS NOT! Moses when his thoughts and instructions are on the
Passover in this section, ALWAYS makes it clear to us it is the
Passover he is now addressing. Notice it in verse ONE, and again
in verse TWO, also in verse FIVE and once more in verse SIX. The
sacrifice thought about and instructed about in verse FOUR is not
called the Passover sacrifice.
There were DAILY sacrifices all through the year, every day
of each week, never ending. During the feast of Unleavened Bread
no evening sacrifice was to be left until the morning, it was to
be consumed or burnt away. In that sense it was like the Passover
sacrifice, but this verse is NOT SPECIFICALLY talking about the
Passover sacrifice, but the daily evening sacrifice starting on
the first day (the 15th) of the feast of UB.
Moses' mind and thought and instructions ONCE MORE goes back
to the Passover sacrifice to GIVE RE-EMPHASIS, and nail the truth
home to them about WHERE TO kill the Passover lamb. He did not
want them to NOT GET IT! We often do the same today. Something
that maybe NEW, or the situation is going to change for those
within the doing of certain practices(as to how they were doing
it for a long time), we will give the instruction MORE THAN ONCE.
We do not want any to not understand it clearly, or say "well I
didn't hear it the first time" and so we GIVE IT AGAIN!
Moses and other writers of the books of the Bible were no
different. We shall say God is no different (as He is the one who
inspired the writers), so it is really He that REPEATS for us
IMPORTANT instructions. So it is with many of God's laws. He
repeats them over and over again for us, instructs us over and
over again on the same law, maybe coming from a different angle
at times, or adding a slight variation to it. But many things God
repeats to us in His word. He wants to make sure we GET IT Back to the thought of the Passover by Moses (verse 5), a new
sentence: "Thou mayest not sacrifice the Passover within any of
thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee. BUT at the PLACE
which the Lord thy God shall CHOOSE to place His name in, there
thou shall sacrifice the Passover, at even, at the going down of
the sun (the Hebrew says literally - 'when goes the sun ' and we
have seen from our previous studies and previous books of Moses
this was at sunset, dusk, between the two evenings, at the
beginning of the 14th day of the first month), at the season that
thou camest forth out of Egypt. And thou shalt roast and eat it
in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose (notice how
Moses stated this again for the THIRD time, really wanting to
drive the point home to them), and thou shalt turn in the
morning, and go unto thy tents. (the Passover memorial service----- in ancient Israel with a full killing and eating of the lamb etc.
probably lasted well into the night and in the morning of the
14th day, they would go to their tents and sleep, for that day
was not a Sabbath day, no holy convocation was called for on the
daylight part of the 14th).
Moses's mind had now brought them to going to their tents on
the morning of the 14th to rest and sleep. His mind was now once
more taken further on into the feast of Unleavened Bread. His
mind was triggered once again to give instructions concerning the
feast of Unleavened bread. He had covered the 14th, the killing
and eating of the Passover sacrifice and the rest of the day as
they went to their tents. Now to finish his thoughts on this
whole Passover Feast of UB topic, he comes back to reminding them
that AFTER the PASSOVER DAY, there was SEVEN DAYS of UB to be
observed with the eating of unleavened bread. He has already told
them just a few sentences back that there were 7 DAYS of unleavened bread
as clear scriptures in Leviticus and Numbers show. Now he does
not contradict this in verse eight. He only breaks it down into
two points that he wants to give emphasis to. Namely that after
the Passover day, there are days to observe as UNleavened bread
eating - there are six days (he does not even mention here that
the first of those six days is a Sabbath - the 15th of the month,
but other Scriptures in Lev.and Ex.give us that truth), but
really seven (as he has above stated), only the 7th day of this
feast is a Sabbath day, a holy convocation day (as the other
Scriptures in Lev. Ex. Num. prove).
Do you see how Moses went back and forth, moving from
admonition and instructions concerning the Passover memorial
service to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and back again, with
more emphasis on this part of the Passover day or that part of
the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Sometimes repeating certain
important points he wanted them to make sure they understood.
He brought out certain points and left out other points (like
not mentioning the first day of the UB feast as a Sabbath day). There are no contradictions here in Deut.16 with the rest of
the Scriptures on the spring feasts of the Lord. A little new
rule about the Passover being held in one location chosen by God
as they went to inherit the land of Promise, a little specific
emphasis on certain parts of this 8 day spring festival season, but
nothing to contradict Exodus, Leviticus or Numbers.
In closing it is important to notice that in all the
instructions about the Passover sacrifice in all the books of
Moses, there is NOTHING WHATSOEVER stated or laid down as a rule
or law, that the Passover lamb was to be slain by the Priesthood,
OR that it was to be slain in the Tabernacle. The lamb was to be
slain in the PLACE where God chose to place His name, the town,
or the city, where God would place His name and tabernacle, BUT
NOWHERE was it ever stated in the law of God, the books of Moses,
that the slaying of those lambs was to be done by the Priesthood
in the Tabernacle. That practice came about MUCH LATER in the
history of Israel, and was never a commandment of the Lord. It
was one of the many "traditions" of the scribes and Pharisees
that Jesus said made void the law of God, and condemned them for
putting those traditions above the word and law of God.
......................................................................................................................................
by
Keith Hunt
WORDS OF DEUT.16:1-8
DEUTERONOMY 16 AND HEBREW WORDS.
by Keith Hunt [March 2014]
MANY HAVE REAL PROBLEMS UNDERSTANDING DEUT.16:1-8. THEY MAKE THE MISTAKE OF NOT FULLY UNDERSTANDING 3 HEBREW WORDS.
THE WORDS IN THE KJV ARE: Flock; Herd; and
Roast.
WE SHALL GIVE THEM A THOROUGH STUDY.
The word "FLOCK"
We shall go first to Strong's Concordance of the Bible. The number is 6029
"anad" - to bind around, bind upon, bind.
From the "Theological Workbook of the Old Testament" [which all serious teachers of theology should absolutely have] - "anad" - bind, around, upon, (Job 31:36; Prov. 6:21)
From "The Englishman's Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance of the Old Testament" [which any serious theology teachers should have, gives you every verse where the word is used in the OT] -
"gahnad" - Imperative - Prov. 6:21; (and) tie them about thy neck.
Job 31: 36; - Future - (and) bind it (as) a crown to me.
The popular and most often used word for "flock" in the Hebrew OT is #6629; 5739; 4735; 6251; and once 4830.
#6629 is the most used for "flock" and "flocks" - these words [numbers just given].
We do have a CONTRADICTION in scholars!!
J.P.Green in his Hebrew/English Interlinear gives the word as #6029 in Deut.16:2; but Strong's gives it as #6629 [tzohn - so n]
For 6629 Strong has: "flock, sheep, goats [in contrast to larger mammals: cattle, donkeys, camels, etc......]"
So if Strong is correct then "flock" would be the correct translation. So indeed could then be "flock" of sheep.
If J.P.Green is correct, then the Israelites would be binding, choosing, tying, as picking their lamb on the 10th day of the month, to tie or keep until the 14th for the Passover sacrifice. As given in Exodus 12.
The word "HERD"
#1241 in Strong's Concordance.
Strong says: "baqar" - animal, cow, bull, cattle, oxen, herd......"
BUT the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament gives more:
"baqar" - Cattle, herd, ox. baqar (180 times) .... though baqar refers to draught animals, including bulls, cows, heifers, and calves., baqar is distinguished from "flock" (so n) which denotes small cattle such as sheep and goats., so n and baqar OFTEN denote ALL domesticated animals., behema also refers to livestock generally including sheep and goats......"
Now we turn to the very important Englishman's Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance of the Old Testament; this gives us every place in the Old Testament where this word is used, and is very revealing. It is used for bulls, cows, heifers, calves, as we have seen. But I want to focus on verses where it is rendered "herd."
Gen.13:5 "had flocks, and herds" - this is Lot. Flocks yes could refer to sheep, but he also had "herds" - do not presume this means "cattle" [as I will show you later]; it could mean herds of goats, herds of geese, herds of other types, a generic use, meaning herds of this or that.
Gen.24:35 "and he has given him flocks and herds" - speaking about Abraham. Again both "flocks" and "herds" are used here as generic.... flocks of this or that, herds of this or that. A flock of chickens, a flock of geese, a flock of sheep; a herd of cows, a herd of goats, a herd of camels, a herd of donkeys.
Gen.26:14 "he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds" - speaking of Isaac. Again flock and herds used generically..... flocks of this and herds of that.
See Gen. 32:7,8; 33:13; 45:10; 46:32;
Gen.47:17...NOW more SPECIFIC..."for the cattle of the herds" - Here it is not generic but SPECIFIC.... cattle.
Ex.10:9 "with our flocks and with our herds we will go" - Moses saying how Israel will go forth. All kinds of "flocks" and "herds" - portrayed very well in the famous 1950s "The Ten Commandments" epic movie. Flocks of geese, chickens, ducks. Herds of sheep, goats, cattle, cows, ox. An overall generic use.
See also Ex. 10:24,; 12:32.38; 34:3; Lev. 1:2; Num.11:22; 15:3; Deut. 8:13; 12:6,17; 14:23; 15:19; 16:2; 1 Sam.30:20; 2 Sam. 12:2; 2 Chron. 32:29; Isa. 65:10; Jer. 3:24; 5:17; 31:12; Hos. 5:6; Jon.3:7;
A SPECIFIC is given in Joel 1:18 - "the herds of cattle are perplexed."
SO THE WORD "HERD" can in some contexts just be generic.
When Israel left Egypt with their flocks and herds, the use was "generic" - flocks can apply to a number of different fowl or animals; a flock of geese, a flock of chickens, a flock of sheep. So likewise, herd can apply to different animals - a herd of camels, a herd of oxen, a herd of cows, a herd of goats, a herd of horses, a herd of donkeys.
Israel left Egypt with many different kinds of flocks and herds.
So in Deut.16. Flock could apply to sheep, a Herd could apply to goats.
We know from Ex.12 the Passover sacrifice was to be a sheep or goat. So Moses in Deut.16 is using the overall generics of "flocks" [if J.P.Green is incorrect on the Hebrew word; if correct it puts another picture on it all] and "herds" - a herd of sheep, a flock of goats; a flock of sheep, a herd of goats. However your society wants to term them. There is no worldwide written law that you must use. Hence some might say, "a flock of sheep" and "herd of goats" OR "a herd of sheep" and "a flock of goats."
Flock - Herd - generic use. The Israelites after 40 years of observing the Passover knew the Passover sacrifice was from either the sheep or the goats.
As I've said, if J.P.GREEN is correct for the Hebrew of "flock" then the Israelites were again being told to mark, bind, tie, your Passover sacrifice as on the 10th day ready for the 14th day as given in Exodus 12. And it was to be from your "herd" - generic - they knew either the herd of sheep or the herd of goats, as instructed in Exodus 12, and which they had done for the last 40 years wandering in the wilderness.
NOW THE WORD "ROAST" in verse 7 as given as "roast" by the KJV.
The word is #1310 in Strong's Concordance.
Strong say: "basal" - to ripen, boil, to cook, roast, bake; to be cooked, to be boiled; ripen; seethe, boil, sodden, boiled, baked, bake, brought forth ripe, ripe, roasted, roast, seething, sodden at all, sod."
Notice it can mean "roast"
Now to the very fine "Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament"
"bashal" - seethe, bake, boil, roast, and grow ripe. .......
In the more than a dozen places where bashal is used to describe the preparation of cakes or animals in the sacrificial system, it can describe any kind of cooking procedure: "baking" (Num.11:8), "roasting" (Deut. 16:7; 2 Chron. 35:13) or "boiling" (Lev. 8:31; Ezekiel 46:20, 24).
This does not mean that the word is used indiscriminately. The Passover must be roasted (bashal) with fire (2 Chron. 35:13), but the holy offerings should be boiled (bashal) in pots. Even clearer distinction is made in Exodus 12:9 where boiling in water (bashal) is contrasted with roasting with fire (sala), which is required for the Passover...... Where bashal relates to a ripe stage (Gen.40:10; Joel 3:13), the reference seems to be to the harvest or grapes being ready for use, just as cooking makes the meat ready to be eaten. bashel. Boiled. This adjectival form, occurs only twice in the sense of boiled (Ex. 12:9; Num. 6:19).
THERE IT IS FROM THE IN-DEPTH STUDY VOLUMES OF THE THEOLOGICAL WORDBOOK OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.
THE SCHOLARS OF THE KJV BIBLE WERE QUITE CORRECT IN RENDERING THIS WORD "ROAST" IN DEUT. 16:7.
VERY FEW TIMES IN THE ENTIRE KJV BIBLE WERE THE MANY SCHOLARS WHO WORKED ON THE PROJECT WRONG IN THEIR TRANSLATION INTO ENGLISH OF THE HEBREW AND GREEK.
You can also check this fully out in the Englishman's Hebrew Chaldee Concordance of the Old Testament, PAGE 280, in the copyright edition of 1980 that I have.
VERSE 7 is also a key verse. It is the individual Passover of the 14th that is being talked about in all this section. When you understand the truth about "the night to be much observed" which is the night of the 14th and NOT the night of the 15th as erroneously taught by the WCG under Herbert Armstrong, and most of the many off-shoots from them today.
The Passover night was a long night..... it took hours to get the meal cooked, not started till after sundown. Well up to near midnight and after, before the Passover meal was finished. As we see from the Gospels they lay around, no hurry. Jesus continued into the night praying. It was a time of really observing that night.
Then they went to their tents in the morning to actually get some sleep, as Deut. 16:7 tells you.
The Samaritans sect of today [yes there are still some Samaritans living] STILL observe the Passover this way. They cook the lamb or goat, don't finish the meal till very late, stay up for most of the night, and sleep in the morning and day part of the 14th.
When you understand all of this, and that Moses did not think of or write as the "Passover" being 8 days as Ezra and Josephus and as Jews of Jesus' day sometimes thought of it; then you can understand Deut. 16 :1-8 pretty simply, as I've explained in my old study of this under the "feasts" of God on my website.
The idea put forth by some [like Fred Coulter] that Ezra "edited" Deut.16, is pure speculation. There is no Biblical proof of such an idea. Moses is still writing Deut.16 like he was for chapter 15 and was for chapter 17. Now notice chap.32:45.....Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel.
What about after verse 45? Well notice verse 48...God still spoke to him the same day.
After that...well Moses could well have written chapter 33, in the third person tense. OR it could have been Joshua, or someone else that added to what Moses said in his blessing to the tribes of Israel before his death. If it was someone else, it is just speculation that it was Ezra; much more likely someone of Moses' time, who well remembered the words of Moses.
Chapter 34. Same thing - could have been Joshua or someone of that time who added these words, knowing the facts, and so completing the book of Deuteronomy; to say it was Ezra, way down the road, is purely speculation, and has no backing in the Bible. What the Jews may have to say, does not make it correct either; the Jews are very wrong on many things, not the least Jesus Christ, who lived and taught and died among them.
..................
No comments:
Post a Comment