Tonight we keep the Passover. Of course we all talk about the primary meaning of Passover, at Passover, so I'm not going to go into that right now. What I want to talk about here is the power of Passover through the ages.

At nearly four millennia, Passover is probably the oldest continually kept national holiday still being celebrated in the world. People often refer to Passover as a Jewish holiday, but it is literally bigger than that. The "Jews" (a name given to the Israelite tribe of Judah) represent only one tribe out of twelve, yet all of the tribes were commanded to keep the Passover. A remnant from all the various tribes, though long scattered throughout the world, still keep Passover each year.

Except for a relative handful of Biblical figures who lived before the time of the first Passover, all of our Biblical heroes looked forward to Passover each year, just as we do today. Moses, Joshua, the Judges like Gideon and Samson, King David and all his House, all of the prophets, and innumerable humble and unnamed Israelites through many centuries - all kept Passover. This is a powerful cord that binds all Israel together on that special night, down through the centuries and the millennia. To enter into Passover is to step into a sort of freeze-frame of our nation from every age. I have been keeping Passover each year for decades, having seen my hair turn from brown to white in the course of those years keeping Passovers, and I still love that feeling, as if I am sitting down at the Passover table with all of my Biblical heroes. "Moses, please pass the salt."

The very word "Passover" is pregnant with meaning for Israel and for every Israelite. It reminds us that our Creator set us free for a purpose, His purpose. We are a nation of purpose in the world. We are the chosen nation. Chosen for what? Chosen to be a continual living witness to the world of the reality and character of the living God - our God - the God of our Fathers, YHWH the God of Israel. Many other nations have come and gone but, through it all, we are still here. We still exist in the earth after so many of our own national failures because our God is a covenant-keeping God, and against all odds He has preserved us for the sake of His word to our Fathers. As a people we will not fail in our purpose. We cannot fail because He is entirely unwilling to allow us to fail. He has gone even to the outrageous extent of giving His own beloved Son as our Passover to save us, our Messiah, the Messiah of Israel.

Passover is not only a memorial of the past. It is also a guarantee for the future. Just as surely as YHWH delivered Israel out of Egypt by a mighty and outstretched arm, so also will He deliver the faithful remnant of Israel out of every corner of the world where they have been exiled, to bring us once again, as a nation under Messiah, into our own Land. This is the second Exodus, the Remnant Exodus, foretold through the mouths of all the prophets. YHWH is not done with Israel, and by His grace we will rise up to finally fulfill our destiny, to His glory. This is written in the Passover, in His Word, and in our hearts. Believe it!

Therefore behold, the days come, says YHWH, that they shall no more say,
As YHWH lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
but, As YHWH lives, who brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel
out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had driven them.
They shall dwell in their own land. 
Jeremiah 23:7-8

Eliyahu ben David
Tsiyon.Org