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November 21    Scripture

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Easton's Bible Dictionary

 

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Passover
        the name given to the chief of the three great historical annual
        festivals of the Jews. It was kept in remembrance of the Lord's
        passing over the houses of the Israelites (Ex. 12:13) when the
        first born of all the Egyptians were destroyed. It is called
        also the "feast of unleavened bread" (Ex. 23:15; Mark 14:1; Acts
        12:3), because during its celebration no leavened bread was to
        be eaten or even kept in the household (Ex. 12:15). The word
        afterwards came to denote the lamb that was slain at the feast
        (Mark 14:12-14; 1 Cor. 5:7).
        A detailed account of the institution of this feast is given
        in Ex. 12 and 13. It was afterwards incorporated in the
        ceremonial law (Lev. 23:4-8) as one of the great festivals of
        the nation. In after times many changes seem to have taken place
        as to the mode of its celebration as compared with its first
        celebration (comp. Deut. 16:2, 5, 6; 2 Chr. 30:16; Lev.
        23:10-14; Num. 9:10, 11; 28:16-24). Again, the use of wine (Luke
        22:17, 20), of sauce with the bitter herbs (John 13:26), and the
        service of praise were introduced.
        There is recorded only one celebration of this feast between
        the Exodus and the entrance into Canaan, namely, that mentioned
        in Num. 9:5. (See JOSIAH ¯T0002116.) It was primarily a
        commemorative ordinance, reminding the children of Israel of
        their deliverance out of Egypt; but it was, no doubt, also a
        type of the great deliverance wrought by the Messiah for all his
        people from the doom of death on account of sin, and from the
        bondage of sin itself, a worse than Egyptian bondage (1 Cor.
        5:7; John 1:29; 19:32-36; 1 Pet. 1:19; Gal. 4:4, 5). The
        appearance of Jerusalem on the occasion of the Passover in the
        time of our Lord is thus fittingly described: "The city itself
        and the neighbourhood became more and more crowded as the feast
        approached, the narrow streets and dark arched bazaars showing
        the same throng of men of all nations as when Jesus had first
        visited Jerusalem as a boy. Even the temple offered a strange
        sight at this season, for in parts of the outer courts a wide
        space was covered with pens for sheep, goats, and cattle to be
        used for offerings. Sellers shouted the merits of their beasts,
        sheep bleated, oxen lowed. Sellers of doves also had a place set
        apart for them. Potters offered a choice from huge stacks of
        clay dishes and ovens for roasting and eating the Passover lamb.
        Booths for wine, oil, salt, and all else needed for sacrifices
        invited customers. Persons going to and from the city shortened
        their journey by crossing the temple grounds, often carrying
        burdens...Stalls to change foreign money into the shekel of the
        temple, which alone could be paid to the priests, were numerous,
        the whole confusion making the sanctuary like a noisy market"
        (Geikie's Life of Christ).
Bibliography Information
Easton, Matthew George. M.A., D.D., "Definition for 'Passover' Eastons Bible Dictionary".
bible-history.com - Eastons; 1897.

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