THE NIGHT TO BE
OBSERVED
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March 11, 2007 | Written by Felicia A. Trecek.
PREFACE: It is best for anyone who reads this study to be somewhat familiar with Exodus 12. If not, I recommend that you, the reader, read Exodus 12 before reading this study. It's not mandatory to read Exodus 12 to understand this study, but it would be helpful.
There is only one old testament scripture that mentions a night to be observed and it is Exodus 12:42. Exodus 12:42 is commonly joined with Exodus 12:14. However, Exodus 12:14 reads that a DAY shall become a remembrance and we are to observe it. Paraphrased; Exodus 12:42 specifically states a NIGHT and Exodus 12:14 specifically states a DAY. Is this night and day within the same twenty-four hour time period? And, what exact day and night is it that we should remember and observe?
For the people who follow the set-apart days and laws set-forth in Leviticus 23, understanding Exodus 12:14 and Exodus 12:42 is important. The Jews and some other religious groups who adhere to Pharisaic Judaic teaching, use these scriptures to support a late 14th day and early 15th day Abib Passover. Although; there are religious groups who observe the Passover during the first evening hours of the 14th day of Abib, but assume Exodus 12:14 and Exodus 12:42 refer to the beginning evening of the 15th day. So; both opposing religious groups previously stated, are in agreement that Exodus 12:14 and Exodus 12:42 refer to the 15th day of Abib - the first month of the year.
This study will demonstrate that Exodus 12:14 and Exodus 12:42 do not refer to the 15th day, but rather the 14th day of Abib.
BEGINNING WITH EXODUS 12:14 Exodus 12:14 reads, "And this day shall become to you a remembrance. And you shall observe it as a festival to YHWH throughout your generations - observe it as a festival, an everlasting law."
Exodus 12:14 informs us that there is a specific day that YHWH requires of us to observe. The word, "DAY" is singular and not plural. Keeping this scripture within it's context, the first verse of the chapter through verse thirteen are mandates about when and how to keep the Passover. In verse six, we are told that the lamb should be kept until the 14th day, then kill it between the evenings. The following verses, seven through thirteen specifically inform us how the lamb is to be handled and eaten. Then, we read verse fourteen - the mandate that we are to remember and observe this DAY. The very next verse, verse fifteen mandates the seven days of unleavened bread. Hence; based upon the above, Exodus 12:14 specifically refers to the singular Passover DAY and not the seven DAYS of unleavened bread.
Interestingly, Exodus 12:14 labeled this special day of observance as a "festival". Now, notice Exodus 34:25. It explicitly states that the Passover is a festival. Exodus 34:25 reads, "...and do not let the offering of the festival of the Passover remain until morning." This is an important point because some people believe that the word DAY in Exodus 12:14 is referring to the fifteenth day - the first day of the seven days of unleavened bread festival. This belief is incorrect.
Evidence demonstrated above reveals that the DAY mentioned in Exodus 12:14 is referring to the Passover DAY. And, Exodus 23:5, Numbers 9:2-3, Joshua 5:10, 2Chron 30:15, 35:1, and Ezra 6:9 state that Passover is on the 14th day of the first month. Numbers 28:16 specifically and explicitly reads, "And in the fourteenth DAY of the first month is the Passover of the LORD." (KJV). Green's Interlinear Bible concurs with the King James Translation. It reads, "And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of Jehovah." This point needs to be unequivocally clear: the Passover IS IN THE FOURTEENTH DAY. It is DURING the fourteenth day time period as like Numbers 28:16 specifically stated when it read: "...IN the fourteenth day...". The Passover time period IS NOT at the end of the fourteenth day and includes the beginning of the fifteenth day as many believe. The Passover event is WITHIN the fourteenth day time period. It does not crossover in the 15th day.
As a repeat, Exodus 12:14 reads, "And this day shall become to you a remembrance. And you shall observe it as a festival to YHWH throughout your generations - observe it as a festival, an everlasting law." The word DAY refers to the 14th day Passover. Hence, we are to observe and remember the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
EXODUS 12:42 Exodus 12:40-42 reads, (v:40) "And the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years." (v:41) "And it came to be at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that same day it came to be that all the divisions of YHWH went out from the land of Egypt." (v:42) "It is a night to be observed unto YHWH for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This night is unto YHWH, to be observed by all the children of Israel throughout their generations."
Firstly, verse forty-one states that the Israelites came-out of Egypt on that same DAY. But, verse forty-two states that the observance is during a NIGHT time period. Verse 42 is usually joined with Deuteronomy 16:1 that reads, "Watch the month of Abib, and perform the Passover to YHWH your Elohim, for in the month of Abib, YHWH your Elohim brought you out of Egypt by night."
Secondly, the Israelites did not literally leave Egypt in one single day nor night. During that time in history, Egypt was a huge world ruling empire and it's boundaries extended into the promised land. If they had modern technology and airplanes, I doubt it would have been possible to leave in one day or night considering all the people, their animals and their belongings. Hence; the only way to interpret coming out of Egypt by night (or day), is to interpret it in a figurative sense. Egypt represents sin and bondage (Ref: Ex 13:3,14). Henceforth, the Israelites came out of sin and bondage by night. What night did this occur? Answer: Passover night. The firstborn of the Israelites were passed-over during the night, because the lamb died in their stead, and the Israelites were ransomed back to YHWH. Symbolically, their sins were passed-over during the night. Hence; the Israelites came out of Israel (sin) by night.
The fact that the phrase; "brought you out of Egypt by night" is figurative only, concurs with the commandment in Exodus 12:22. It reads, "...none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning." The Israelites were not allowed to leave during the night time hours by a direct command.
Thirdly, many mistakenly assume that the story flow from Exodus 12:37 - referring to the fifteenth day of Abib (ref: also Numbers 33:3) - continues through verse 42. Then, they place a break-in-thought between verses 42 and 43 because verse 43 reads, "...this is the law of the Passover." This is incorrect. The break-in-thought is not between verse 42 and verse 43.
Exodus 12:37-39 relates the events that occurred on the 15th day of Abib. The real break-in-thought is between verses 39 and verse 40. Most people place the break-in-thought in the wrong place. I will now demonstrate this statement: the break-in-thought is actually between verses 39 and 40. This statement is correct and is not a mere assumption.
Demonstration 3.a: Read Exodus 12:43-50. It is definitely speaking about the Passover. Again, Exodus 12:43 begins, "And YHWH said to Moses and Aaron, 'This is the law of the Passover:..." YHWH begins speaking about the Passover again and gives more laws concerning the Passover. (The Passover is on the 14th day of the month as I previously demonstrated.) As you read Exodus 12:43-50, you'll see that the law of the Passover is the only topic. Now, verse 51 - the verse that immediately follows verse 50, the Passover thought - reads, "And it came to be ON THAT SAME DAY that YHWH brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their divisions."
Which day did YHWH bring the Israelites out of Egypt (sin and bondage)? Verse 51, the verse that immediately follows the laws of the Passover mirrors verse 41. But, verse 41 adds this: that it was at the end of four-hundred and thirty years.
Verse 51 clearly demonstrates that the Israelites came out of Egypt during the Passover day time period - the 14th - because of the words, "And it came to be on that same day...". The only day that this verse can possibly be referring back to is the Passover day. Again, this verse - verse 51 - mirrors verse 41.
Demonstration 3.b: Galatians 3:17 refers to the four-hundred and thirty years as like Exodus 12:40-41 mentioned. Notice what Galatians 3:17 reads: "Now this I say, law, that came four hundred and thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously confirmed by Elohim in Messiah, so as to do away with the promise."
Galatians 3:17 informs us that there was a NEW LAW established at the end of the four hundred and thirty years. (The beginning of this time period will not be discussed within this study. However, it is believed to have began with Abraham in Genesis 14 and 15 when he was promised the land inheritance.)
So, what LAW is Paul referring too? Again, this law was established at the end of the four hundred and thirty years mentioned in Exodus 12:40-41. Verse 18 of Galatians 3 gives us a clue. Galatians 3:18 reads, "Why, then, the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the Seed should come to whom the promise was made. ..."
Because of transgressions, a law was added at the end of the of the four-hundred and thirty years. The law was the Passover law - the lamb sacrifice. Exodus 12:27, 34:25 informs us that the Passover lamb offering was a sacrifice. And, we know that the lamb died in place of the firstborn of Israel. If they didn't have the blood on their lintels and door-posts, they would have died. This Passover lamb sacrificial law ended when the Seed came whom the promise was made. The SEED, was Messiah. Galatians 3:16 explicitly states this fact. Hence, the Passover lamb sacrificial law ended when Messiah died for us. We are no longer required to sacrifice a lamb.
However, this LAW began at the end of the four hundred and thirty years mentioned in Exodus 12:40-41. And, as like scriptures have demonstrated, the lamb was slain ON THE FOURTEENTH DAY of the first month of Abib.
I have shown within demonstrations 3.a and 3.b that the break in thought within Exodus 12 is between verses 39 and 40, not between verses 42 and 43. The events relating to the 15th day ends at the end of verse 39. And, the thought of the Passover - back to the 14th day - begins again in verse 40.
Therefore; the night to be observed is the Passover night - the night of the 14th. Again; Exodus 12:40-42 reads, (v:40) "And the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years." (v:41) "And it came to be at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on that same day it came to be that all the divisions of YHWH went out from the land of Egypt." (v:42) "It is a night to be observed unto YHWH for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This night is unto YHWH, to be observed by all the children of Israel throughout their generations."
As a side note, the divisions of Israel began walking away from their houses in Goshen (where they lived) during the daylight hours of the 14th day. They walked into the city of Rameses, plundered the Egyptians, and departed from Rameses on the 15th day (Ref: Num 33:3). I won't take the time to provide the scriptures for this side note since this is a separate subject than what is being covered here-within.
CONVINCED OR NOT? For those of you that remain believing that the night to be observed is during the beginning evening hours of the 15th day, I will now ask you several questions. If this is the case, why isn't there one single scripture that states that we are to do such and such on the night of the 15th other than 1) eat unleavened bread, 2) don't possess any leavening in our dwelling places, and 3) refrain from servile work? If this is such a prominent night - the night of the 15th, surely more would be written about it. I'll provide examples: during King Hezekiah's day, absolutely nothing is mentioned in 2Chronicles 30 when they performed the Passover and seven days of Unleavened Bread. This is also true of 2Chronicles 35 during King Josiah's day. They found the book of the law, became excited and performed the Passover and seven days of Unleavened Bread. Nothing is recorded about some type of special service for the night of the 15th day.
If YHWH wanted some type of special service performed during the night of the 15th so that we could specifically recall it, He surely would have recorded the instructions for us. There are none. And, what about the new testament? Nothing is mentioned there-within either. For example: the women who followed Joseph to the burial tomb, saw where Messiah was buried, but afterward nothing is mentioned that they then went to keep the Passover. Or, nothing is mentioned that they left to observe the night to be much remembered. Nothing is mentioned anywhere!
Again; if YHWH wanted some type of special service performed during the night of the 15th, He surely would have recorded the instructions for us. There are none.
CONCLUSION The day/night to be observed and remembered is the 14th of Abib - Passover day/night. Passover is not during the evening hours of the 15th, nor are the evening hours of the 15th a special time period set-apart from the rest as like the night of the 14th is. Some people think that the night hours of the 15th are a special time apart from the rest and they perform a ritual every year. They have a big meal with others. No where in scripture is this commanded. These false doctrines were born from a misunderstanding of scripture. |