It is a sacrifice
Avoda, or Avodah
עֲבוֹדָה
literally means: work, worship, and service.
The word for work in Hebrew, avodah, is the same used for prayer.
Sometimes spelled with a b instead of a v: Abodah;
as the letters b bet and v vet in Hebrew are interchangeable
Avodah connotes service.
(It is also the word for slavery, which is involuntary service.)
The various usages of this Hebrew word found first in Genesis 2:15 tell us that YaHoVeH/God’s original design and desire is; that our work and our worship
would be a seamless way of living.
In some verses the word avodah means work, as in to work in the field and to do common labor.
Work is not only a necessary part of life, it is a form of service to the world, to the rest of humanity, and to YaHoVeH/God. We are meant to be of service, to be partners/coworkers with God in the ongoing creation of the world.
Strong’s Hebrew: 5656. עֲבֹדָה (abodah) — labor, service
Exodus 12:24 – 28
24 you are to observe this thing for it is a statute to and your sons forever –to the age. 25 It will be/come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord/Adonai will give you, just as He spoken/promised, that you shall keep this service/avodah. 26 And it shall be/come to pass, when your sons/children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?/ What is this Avodah you have?’ 27 that you shall say, ‘It is a sacrifice of Pesach to Adonai/the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the sons/children of Israel in Egypt/Mitzrayim when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people bowed their heads down and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
The annual sacrifice of Pesach/Passover commemorates the night that the children of Israel/Yisrael were reborn; and it is the service/avodah that the nation is commanded to keep each year forever.
Jesus/Yeshua and all the New Testament authors celebrated them.
Notably, there is not one word in the New Testament suggesting that the church/ecclesia/called out ones, should stop honoring these Appointed Times/Moedim.
moe-eh-DEEM. מוֹעֲדִים
These special times are also referred to as
mikra’ei kodesh
(מִקְרָאֵי קדֶשׁ),
“times in which holiness is proclaimed” (Lev. 23:2).
Passover/Pesach is the name of the celebration of the release of the children of Israel/Yisrael from Egyptian/Mitzrayim bondage. It is celebrated with a Meal/feast called Seder.
It is also called the Haggadah/the telling; as the history of their deliverance is recounted during the meal.
It is a matter of historical fact that in the year 196AD the celebration of Passover was replaced with the worship of Ishtar, the Babylonian and Syrian fertility goddess.
The name Ishtar was written in Greek as Istar because there is no ‘sh’ sound in the Greek language; because the Greek and Latin letters for I are pronounced EE, Istar became Easter when spelled with English letters.
The celebration of Ishtar brought with it eggs and rabbits, symbols of reproduction. This was done on purpose to separate from Hebrew/ Jewish roots and to make it easier for heathens to become ‘Christian’ by letting them retain the pagan customs. This was satans attempt to replace Messiah’s fulfillment of Passover as the Lamb of God, with the pagan-based Easter.
The great dispute, known as the Easter Controversy began in the 2nd century A.D. This is when Roman Bishops and Emperors sought to unite their entire kingdom empire, the eastern Asiatics (Israel and surrounding areas) with the western Roman churches (Italy and surrounding areas) for the purpose of celebrating EASTER their replacement of Passover, on the exact same day of the week. This plan was not fully successful until Emperor Constantine called for it, at the Council of Nicaea A.D. 321-325.
He ordered all Churches to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday. The ancient Church had celebrated the Resurrection correctly during the Passover [Nisan 14], which could fall on any day of the week, but the Churches near Rome (later known as Roman Catholic), had abandoned the practice because they hated the Jews, and fixed the date to the first Sunday after the first full moon of Spring. Our ‘Christmas’ was substituted for the Roman winter solstice celebration of the Roman god Saturn.
This information may shock many believers that this is true and it does not take much effort to check this out through research and to read that in Matthew 26:17 Luke 22:15 and John 13 there is no mention of Easter. Nor did Jesus/Yeshua ever tell us to celebrate His birthday! It’s a tradition of men and has sadly become commercialized with all the wrong emphasis. Jesus/Yeshua never said, I will celebrate Easter with you.
He said I have looked forward to eat this Passover Seder with you. So the question remains why are we referring to this appointed time of the Lord as Easter unless we are still pagans/ idolaters? It’s a subtle deception of the enemy and certainly something to think about!
3 John1:4 says . I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my [spiritual] children are living [their lives] in the truth.
The Truth is Yeshua/Jesus Himself.
He is the Way, the Truth and the Life; we must follow Him not traditions of men and doctrines of demons. Religious traditions are spoken of in several places.
Paul said in Acts 17:22
So Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus [Mars Hill meeting place], said: Men of Athens, I perceive in every way [on every hand and with every turn I make] that you are most religious or very reverent to demons.
He said to them, All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. Colossians 2:8 Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men
Jesus said, further,
“full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”
That is precisely what the millions are doing today.
The traditions and doctrines of men make the Word of God of none effect. The traditions of men.
“Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” (Mark 7:13 KJV)
The commandments of men.
“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men…” (Mark 7:9 ESV)
Matthew 15:9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’
Paul wrote to Timothy,
‘Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will depart from the faith; giving heed to seducing and deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons (1 Tim. 4:1; ‘doctrines of devils’ – KJV
A doctrine is a teaching or a set of principles. The “doctrines of demons,” then, are things that demons teach; a set of beliefs or a teaching which demons try to propagate throughout the church for the purpose of deceiving the believers. Since demons are not visible (and if they were, we would hardly invite them to speak in church), they must take a deceptive route to get their false message heard.
1 Timothy 4:1, the ungodly teachings of Satan. Those who follow the doctrines of demons “will fall away from the faith.”
Coming back to the Pesach/Passover…
As a nation the Israelites were enslaved and repressed and cried out not knowing if that cry would be heard. The God of Israel did hear their cries and answered with miracles signs and with a deliverer.
That night was the end of Israel’s oppression and slavery and their houses were delivered.
This is why at the first spring Appointed Time of the Lord/Moedim, it is customary for the children to ask
‘why will tonight be different from all other nights?’
It is because Israel was set free as a new nation,
it is a night of celebration
of deliverance
of freedom and of salvation.
להציל – to rescue.
The root of להציל is נ.צ.ל meaning deliverance
חילוץ – extrication, release, rescue, evacuation
לְהַצִיל. More Hebrew words for rescue.
verb לְהַצִיל. save, salvage, deliver.
verb לְחַלֵץ. extricate, deliver, remove, disengage, salvage.
Strong’s Hebrew: 3468. יֵ֫שַׁע (yesha) — deliverance, rescue
להציל rescue
שחרור release
This account in the Bible was specific to God’s chosen people and as we are grafted in by His grace, it is also inclusive of all of us.
So at this time we will remember what He did for us so long ago, how in one night
He changed our lives forever.
We will remember His glory His power and His redemption.
At this season specifically we will remember how by the shedding of innocent blood we were set free.
At Passover/Pesach, let us recall how
Adonai/YeHoVeH saved Israel/Yisrael יִשְׂרָאֵל
and each one of us once and for all.
Yehoshua.
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-ho-shoo’-ah)
Definition: “the LORD is salvation”
Strong’s Hebrew: 3091. יְהוֹשׁ֫וּעַ (Yehoshua)
This night is only the beginning as Israel was released,
so are we released to begin our true journey,
our halak, our walk along the way;
because, we are returning home;
our final destination in the heavenlies.
Strong’s Hebrew: 1980. הָלַך (halak) — to go, come, walk
Strong’s Hebrew: 4109. מַהֲלָך (mahalak) — a walk, journey …
Our deliverance has come, however, the path laid out before us by Adonai/YeHoVeH is still to be completed and how we walk along the WAY, will determine how our lives will unfold.
Will we follow His commands and inherit the promises or,
will we go astray and wander away from those promises and His peace/shalom?
We were oppressed by and enslaved to sin and we too cried out, not knowing if anyone would respond. Our Heavenly father heard our cries and answered with the most miraculous sign of the ages.
At Passover/Pesach, we too are reborn
because the shedding of the innocent blood of our deliverer Messiah Yeshua, Who was and is,
according to John/Yochanan 1:29
the lamb of God who is taking away the sin of the world.
How?
By obedience to His Heavenly Father’s will
and this was to fulfill His prophetic destiny
prophesied in the TaNaKH/Old Testament Scriptures.
(remember at the time he was on the earth there were no New Testament writings).
Obedience is the Lambs’ blood on your doorpost…
since our Heavenly Fathers’ sovereign purposes are fixed according to the counsel of His own good pleasure.
His obedience demanded a sacrifice and the shedding of innocent blood.
To redeem us and restore the way to the Father.
Everything He did was to glorify the Father. He only spoke and did what He was told to do and say. His blood was the perfect price paid, and still speaks today, crying mercy/ forgiveness for each one of us.
רחמים. Mercy, compassion, womb – רַחֲמִים
Ra-chem: give or have mercy pity,
compassion is the imperative form
commanding or requesting something from others.
Strong’s Hebrew: 7349. רַחוּם (rachum) — compassionate
The Korban principle from Leviticus 17 states: when a person sins against the Lord he or she deserves to die. The accuser/ satan comes before God and makes a case for the person soul however god allows the death of a sacrificial victim to take the place of the sinner.
The guilty person leans his hands on the head of the animal and says this: I deserve to die instead of this innocent animal (an ox, sheep or goat;) but the Lord mercifully accepts the death of this innocent one in my stead.
When God sees the shed blood, or the ascending smoke of the sacrifice, He forgives the sinner based on his faith and repentance.
Strong’s Hebrew: 7133. קָרְבָן (qorban) — oblation
the korban (קָרְבָּן qorbān), also spelled qorban or corban, is any of a variety of sacrificial offerings described and commanded in the Torah.
The plural form is korbanot, korbanoth or korbans.
A korban was a kosher animal sacrifice, such as a bull, sheep, goat, or a dove that underwent shechita
(Jewish Ritual Slaughter).
The Hebrew word korban comes from the root korav meaning to come close, specifically to come close to God. The offerings/ korbanot were meant to bring someone who was far from God back into close fellowship once again.
Hebrews 9:22 without the shedding of blood there is no remission.
The substitutionary shedding of blood,
the life for life principle, is essential to the true
at one ment with the Lord God.
As we consider
פסח Passover/Pesach,
Unleavened Bread/CHag HaMatzot
סעודת לחם לא מבושל
(Unleavened bread is a flatbread that consists of no rising agents known as Matzah. Strong’s Hebrew: 4682. מַצָּה (matstsah))
and First Fruits/Resurrection
חג השברים הראשונים
Strong’s Hebrew: 1061. בִּכּוּרִים (bikkurim) — first fruits
this week, let’s remember
the power of Jesus/Yeshua’s blood.
He opened up His own body to be the perfect sacrifice for sins by his shed blood we have complete atonement before the Lord.
The Levitical system of animal sacrifices
was meant to foreshadow
the true and abiding sacrifice of Jesus/Yeshua,
as the means of our reconciliation with God
and if they are not merely covered
they are taken entirely away. Hebrews 9:24
He is not dead He is alive.
We were dead in our sins…
and only the blood of the sinless lamb of God/YaHoVeH can take away our guilt and make us alive to God, in and through Him.
The Lamb’s blood must be applied and remain on the doorpost of our hearts.
There is no other way and we must be mindful of what we are celebrating and why, and not just thoughtlessly join in with religious traditions of men and doctrines of demons.
We are to be making certain that we are not named among Revelation 2’s seven churches and in particular the one at Ephesus; who were guilty of the sins of the Nicolaitans.
Their doctrines compromised with worldly ways, amounting to idolatry, materialism and tolerance of immorality.
Passover/Pesach reminds us…
we are new again,
we are set free
and it also draws to our attention that our salvation is only the beginning.
It is up to us how we will walk the path that is laid out before us.
It is up to our free will whether we wander off that path and misuse our salvation.
What will we choose?
His way or our way?
Will we follow His commands and walk in the ways of our savior?
What is this Avodah you have?
For there is hope – ki yesh tikvah
because
It is a sacrifice of Passover/Pesach
to YeHoVeH the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Israel.
Thank you Father/Avinu for the Pesach/Passover sacrifice of Your Son Jesus/Yeshua.
It is by His Blood that we have been PASSed OVER.
Strengthen us to walk in the path You have set for us and to follow Your commands.
פסח Pesach Passover 2021 begins Saturday, March 27
at sunset and ends Sunday, April 4 at nightfall.
For those new to the site, below is a list of links for more on the Spring Appointed Times of the Lord.
https://www.minimannamoments.com/more-than-one-palm/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/what-did-john-see-that-we-missed/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/palm-sunday-nisan-the-appointed-time-of-the-lamb/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/not-passing-over-passover-week/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/first-fruits/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-lot-can-happen-in-a-week/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/even-more-can-happen-in-and-around-the-same-week/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-secrets-of-the-seder-plate/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/unleavened-bread-matzot-week/
Copy and paste the link below in your browser for youtube to watch ‘The Passion.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ho4tUQiYtg