1 Corinthians 5Deliver A Christian To Satan?; OSAS, Once

Saved Always Saved; Christ Is Able; Christ Our Passover Sacrificed; 3 Days And 3 Nights;

Should Christians Refuse Service To Sinners?; Christians In The World; Do Not Judge;

Backslidden

The hills of today's photo are found in Migdal, a town located located in northern Israel and just a short drive from the Sea of Galilee. In the winter, the landscape turns lush and filled with greenery, making the land of Israel even more beautiful!

BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave KooyersValley Bible FellowshipBox 433Boonville CA 95415http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org

(707) 895-2325God bless you as you examine His Word,Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge.

Matthew 10:8 …Freely you received, freely give.

1 Corinthians 5:1,“reported commonly”

• NAU 1 Corinthians 5:1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife.

• KJV 1 Corinthians 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you…

• David Hocking and J Vernon McGee both referred to “common knowledge”

• It seems this fornication did not require investigation, it was commonly known.

• David Hocking says incest was illegal under first century Roman law.

1 Corinthians 5:3, Do Not Judge

• NAU 1 Corinthians 5:3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.

• Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge so that you will not be judged.

• Augustine said, “If two friends ask you to judge a dispute, don’t accept, because you will lose one friend; on the other hand, if two strangers come with the same request, accept because you will gain one friend.”

1 Corinthians 5:5, Deliver To Satan

• NAU 1 Corinthians 5:5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

• “Satan watcheth for those vessels that sail without a convoy.” George Swinnock

• Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling together…• 1 Chronicles 21:1 Then Satan stood up against Israel and

moved David to number Israel.• KJV 1 John 5:16 …There is a sin unto death…• NAU Jeremiah 14:11 So the LORD said to me, "Do not pray

for the welfare of this people. [Jer. 7:16, 11:14, 15:1, Exodus 32:10]

1 Corinthians 5:5, Deliver To Satan

• Satan said in Job 1:11 "But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face." 12 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD… 2:6 So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life."

• NAU 1 Timothy 1:19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered over to Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.

1 Corinthians 5:5, Satan, Church• NAU Matthew 18:9 "If your eye causes you to stumble,

pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell…

• 15 "And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17 "And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer.

1 Corinthians 5:5, OSAS

• NAU 1 Corinthians 5:5 …so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

• Even a Christian who has been delivered to Satan, and his flesh destroyed, will be saved.

• NAU 2 Corinthians 5:5 …God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

• NAU Ephesians 1:13 …you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

• NAU Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…

1 Corinthians 5:5, OSAS, He Is Able

• It is not my ability, but my response to God's ability, that counts. Corrie ten Boom

• 2 Timothy 1:12 …I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

• Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

• Romans 14:4…the Lord is able to make him stand.• NAU Romans 16:25 Now to Him who is able to

establish you…

1 Corinthians 5:5, OSAS, He Is Able

• NAU Jude 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

• He Is Able, Romans 14:4 Ephesians 3:20 Galatians 3:3 1 Thessalonians 5:24 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Philippians 1:6, 3:20 -21 2 Timothy 1:12, Hebrews 7:25, Jude 1:1+24

1 Corinthians 5:6

• NAU 1 Corinthians 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?

• A reference to the Jewish Passover “Betty Katcamma”[spelling], the seeking out of the last speck of yeast (that the mother left hidden) and the removal of it with a feather.

1 Corinthians 5:7, Jesus Fulfilled Our Offerings And Sacrifices

• NAU 1 Corinthians 5:7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.

John 1:29 …”Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

1 Corinthians 5:7, Keep The Passover?

• The NAS uses “Passover” 79 X’s, and 28 of those X’s are in the NT, only 2 in epistles (Heb. 11:28)

• 1 Corinthians 5:8 Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

• Exodus 12:14 …you [Israel] ,shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance.

• Moses, in, Hebrews 11:28 By faith he kept the Passover….

• Mark 14:1-16 …The disciples went …and they prepared the Passover.

• Matthew 26: 2-19, Luke 2:41, 22:1-15, John 2:13, 6:4, 19:14

1 Corinthians 5:7, Jesus Fulfilled Our Offerings And Sacrifices

• Trespass (guilt) offerings Isaiah 53:7• Peace offerings Jeremiah 31:31–37• Free will offering Psalm 40:8• Passover sacrifice 1 Corinthians 5:7• Sin offering 2 Corinthians 5:21• Our response; Hebrews 13:12-13, Romans

12:1, 1 Corinthians 6:20, Philippians 2:17, Galatians 2:20, 1 Samuel 15:22, Hosea 6:6, Mark 12:33

What Is Passover?• God commanded it to be kept in remembrance of

the Lord's passing over the houses of the Israelites when the Jews were saved, but all the first born of Egypt died.

• Lev 23:5-14 The Lord's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins…This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.

Christ and the Passover sacrifice

• NAU Exodus 12:21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay the Passover lamb. 22 "You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.

• NAU John 10:9 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

Numbers 28:16, Passover Proof Lies In Egyptian Hieroglyphs, The Berean Call

• “Pharaoh's papyrus scrolls may not seem the most reliable sources for investigating the story of the Israelite's Exodus, but Egyptologist Galit Dayan has found in them much compelling evidence to support the historicity of the biblical tale....Dayan, who earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and is the wife of Jacob Dayan, Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles, told the group that linguistic evidence reveals an ancient and deeply involved Jewish presence in Egypt that eventually disappears. To illustrate, she drew remarkable parallels between the language of Egyptian papyrus (hieroglyphs), the haggadah and the Bible, all of which contain references to the Exodus story. In piecing together these manuscripts, Dayan framed an Exodus narrative based on

Numbers 28:16, Passover Proof Lies In Egyptian Hieroglyphs, The Berean Call

• facts of Egyptian history and language to prove her theory that a mass Exodus did occur and that it happened during the reign of Ramses II. In each of the Egyptian manuscripts Dayan discussed, the same familiar characters are mentioned: Moses ("an Egyptian name"), Pharaoh, the Red Sea/Sea of Reeds ("Yam Suf" in Hebrew), Hebrews, Israelites and the presence of slaves in Egypt. In one manuscript, known as the Ipuwer papyrus, there is an eerie description of chaos in Egypt: "Plague is throughout the land," Dayan's translation reads, "blood is everywhere - the river is blood ... and the hail smote every herd of the field ... the land is without light and there is a thick darkness throughout the land ... the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt - from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the prison. ..."

Numbers 28:16, Passover Proof Lies In Egyptian Hieroglyphs, The Berean Call

• So far, evidence of the Exodus exists only as pieces of a puzzle. These fragments of history, Dayan admits, appear within different manuscripts written at different times. "People today are still looking for the one piece, the one story - the Egyptian haggadah - that will include all the elements of the story together," she said. There are Jews who accept the historicity of the Israelite Exodus from Egypt as an indisputable fact of the Jewish story and for whom its legitimacy cannot be questioned. But within scholarly and scientific circles, whether the Exodus actually occurred is still an issue of serious inquiry and debate. Dayan represents a voice in the middle, sensitive to the Jewish story and also

Numbers 28:16, Passover Proof Lies In Egyptian Hieroglyphs, The Berean Call

• aware of the facts.Of course, there are those who disagree. Among them is Sinai's Rabbi David Wolpe, who led a Q-and-A discussion following Dayan's lecture. Wolpe famously disputed the historicity of the Exodus in a 2001 sermon. Did Dayan's presentation change Wolpe's mind - even a little?

• "Not at all," Wolpe said during the discussion. "But not because it doesn't convince me that there's evidence that makes the story plausible, because I think there is. ... The reason that modern scholars dispute the historicity of the Exodus doesn't have anything to do with the first two parts of the story [slavery in Egypt, the journey through the desert]; it has to do with the third part [when they arrive in the land]. ..."

• http://www.jewishjournal.com/passover/article/passover_proof_lies_in_egyptian_hieroglyphs_20100324• The Berean Call

1 Cor. 5:7, Christ Our Passover• gracethrufaith.com says, “…Around midnight, after their

hasty meal, the destroying angel passed through Egypt and the firstborn of man and animal perished. The angel passed over homes where the doorposts had been painted with lamb’s blood, sparing the people huddled trembling within. They weren’t spared because they were Jewish, or because they had eaten lamb for dinner. They were spared because they had the faith to paint their doorposts with blood. They were saved by faith through the blood of the lamb.

• Many years later, when the Passover Seder had become a traditional celebration, it became common for the participants to dip a finger into their wine glass to collect a drop of wine which they then let fall onto their plate. They do this for each of the 10 plagues of Egypt, each time saying, “We are saved by the blood of the lamb….”

1 Cor. 5:7, 3 Days And 3 Nights• gracethrufaith.com says, “… The two disciples

who met the Lord on the road to Emmaus that Sunday (Resurrection Day) help us to confirm this sequence (Luke 24:13-35). At first they thought the Lord must have been a very recent visitor to the area when He asked them to explain why they were so sad. In the course of the discussion they indicated it was the third day since the crucifixion. It being Sunday, the previous day, Saturday, would have been the 2nd day since it happened, and Friday would have been the first day since, making Thursday the day it happened….”

1 Cor. 5:7, Christ Our PassoverFull article is after “THE END” slide

• gracethrufaith.com says, “… By His death, He freed His people from their slavery to sin, defeating Heaven’s most powerful adversary without an army, without a single casualty among His own, by the power of His sacrificial life. Billions of former slaves will walk out of this world one day soon, receiving wealth beyond measure. The sick will be healed, the lame will walk, and the weak will be made strong. Not a single one will be left behind. It’s the ultimate fulfillment of the Passover Prophecy. Shabbat Shalom. May the peace of the Sabbath rest upon you, and may the Grace of our Lord Jesus abide within you, both now and forever more. 04-12-14

• http://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/holidays-and-holy-days/the-passover-history-and-prophecy/?….”

The History Of The Passover Sedergracethrufaith.com

• Q. When and why did Jewish rabbis start celebrating the Passover Seder…?

• A. The Passover meal consists only of lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs (Exodus 12:8) and is to be eaten after the sundown that marks the beginning of the 14th of Nisan. It’s to be eaten in haste as if preparing to leave in a hurry (Exodus 12:11).

• The word seder means order in Hebrew and is a more leisurely commemorative meal during which all the events of Passover are retold in a specific order. It typically lasts several hours and is eaten on the 15th of Nisan based on the Lord’s instructions in Exodus 12:14. The Passover festival was not celebrated during the 40 years the Israelites spent in the wilderness. According to Joshua 5:10-12 Passover and the Feast of Unleavened bread were first commemorated when the Israelites were camped outside Jericho after entering the promised land. This was also as the Lord had instructed (Exodus 12:25). Passover is claimed to be the world’s oldest continually celebrated religious observance.

• http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/the-history-of-the-passover-seder/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

What Is Passover?• Passover the name given to the chief of the three great

celebrations, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Passover is often called the "feast of unleavened bread."

• Matt 26:17 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"

• Mark 14:1 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away…

• Mark 14:12 …the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb…

• Luke 22:1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover…

1 Corinthians 5:9, Should Christians refuse service to sinners?

• NAU 1 Corinthians 5:9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.

1 Corinthians 5:9, Should Christians refuse service to sinners?

• Martin Luther said, “Away with those who want an entirely pure church! That is plainly the same thing as wanting no church at all.”

1 Corinthians 5:9, Should Christians refuse service to sinners?

• They are sinners, of course they sin! We are Christ’s ambassadors to them with the good news of salvation.

• NAU Matthew 9:10 Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.

• NAU Romans 14:22 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

To Serve, Or Not To Serve, Christian Business in a Political World, By Jeff Laird

• “Should a Christian business owner refuse service to someone, on the grounds that they don’t approve of that person’s sin? Or should they serve anyway, as an opportunity to witness? It’s hard to believe the US court system actually had to consider whether or not a citizen has the right to make such decisions, let alone tell them they don’t. But for a believer, moral concerns come before legal ones. What does the Bible say about this dilemma?

• There’s no way to make a blanket statement on this issue that would apply to all believers in all situations. The Bible gives us clear instructions on how we’re supposed to live, and guidelines for how to interact with others. But how we apply these has a lot to do with the specific circumstances we find ourselves in. One lesson God intended us to learn through the Law (Romans 7:4-6) is that true obedience means continual submission to the Holy Spirit, not just black-and-white rules and regulations (Luke 9:23).

• The only way for the unbelieving world to hear the Gospel is if we live it out, and proclaim it (Romans 10:14). Totally avoiding everybody who rejects Christ or lives in sin would require us to live on a different planet (1 Corinthians 5:9-11). We can’t be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-15) unless we engage. Light has to shine into darkness in order to be meaningful, and salt has to get into the food in order change its flavor. “Tolerance” literally means “putting up with” something one does not like; it does not require approval or support. So, there’s a good argument to be made that Christians ought to be as (literally) tolerant as we can, in order for our loving character to be as visible as possible (Matthew 5:16).

• Serving someone coffee, selling them a car, or even renting them a hotel room require no personal expression. It’s reasonable to say most business transactions suggest no particular moral agreement. In those cases, the best approach, both legally and morally, is probably to tolerate, witness, and interact. Part of the price of living in a free society is being exposed to those with whom we disagree; a principle that is meant to work both ways, and to protect those on both sides of an issue.

• On the other hand, some dealings do imply a level of moral or social agreement, because they involve a direct form of expression. Musical performance, specialized foods, artwork, photography, and so forth require a person to directly invest their creativity and expression. In those cases, a Christian has a much stronger moral case to refuse involvement with persons blatantly in rebellion against God. We literally cannot avoid tolerating sin to some extent, without moving to Mars. But at some point, interaction looks like endorsement, and even tolerance becomes inappropriate (1 Corinthians 5:1-7; John 7:24). We are specifically told in the Bible not to violate our Spirit-led conscience (Romans 14:22-23), but where that line falls is something each believer has to determine as the situation presents itself (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

• Legally, one would like to say the constitution prohibits forced participation in something a citizen feels is immoral. Unfortunately, the political climate in the United States is rapidly succumbing to a hostile, oppressive attempt to force Christians to do just that. It appears that believers will be forced, more and more frequently, to choose between spiritual success and secular success. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use every tool at our disposal to stand up for what we believe in. The Apostle Paul was not afraid to exercise his legal rights as a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37-38; Acts 21:39).

• One tool we have available, and unfortunately don’t use often enough, is plain old logic and critical thinking. In particular, we should note that turnabout is not only fair play, it’s inevitable. Gallows built for ideas a person dislikes can just as easily be repurposed and used on them, something I’ve openly warned LGBT activists to consider. If we accept the idea that “non-discrimination” means people have to directly participate in things they find morally objectionable, what does that make of freedom?

• For example, some applaud the idea that a Christian baker or photographer should be forced to serve a same-sex commitment ceremony, or suffer legal consequences. But the exact same legal principle, applied in the same way, could force a Muslim caterer to serve pork at a barbecue. Or, force a gay baker to make a “hate cake” for a group like Westboro. Or, force a gay photographer to take pictures for men celebrating their faith-based “recovery” from homosexual to heterosexual orientation.

• Most homosexuals I know would find that last example especially noxious. But that’s the point: all of the people in those examples should have the right to say, “I choose not to participate in that.” And so should a Christian photographer who doesn’t want to participate in a same-sex ceremony.

• Everyone pushing “totalitarian tolerance” needs to think carefully about what it really means. If you create a society where “tolerance” means forced participation, how is that freedom? How long before the same blade swings back the other way? Make no mistake, this kind of legal stance cuts both ways. Everything’s happy on the quiet side of the cannon, but don’t be so naïve as to think the government, or society, won’t ever turn your own tactics on you, given the chance.

• While there are no easy answers for believers, there are steps we ought to take. Spiritually, we need to demonstrate Christian love and righteousness, exemplifying how truth and love can coexist, and putting our critics to shame (1 Peter 3:15-16). That means discipleship and a purposeful, committed faith. Socially, we need to be aware of our rights, involved in choosing our leaders (1 Samuel 12:13-25; Proverbs 28:12, Proverbs 29:2), and vocal about protecting our faith against those who would slander it (Proverbs 14:34). That means voting, education, and communication.

• Like it or not, discrimination, unfair dealings, and even full-blown persecution are not just a possibility for Christians, but something we should expect (Luke 21:12-19). It’s easy to be cavalier about this kind of decision, when it’s other people who have to choose. When it suddenly becomes a “me” instead of a “they”, we can only pray to make the Godly choice, rather than the worldly one.

• Image Credit: Stephanie Kilgast; Creative Commons

1 Corinthians 5:9-11, In The World

• Should we shop at grocery stores who sell beer, tobacco, birth control products? What about doing business with companies run by homosexuals, or that promote abortion?

• Or rent a house to an unmarried or homosexual couple?

• NAU Luke 20:22 "Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”… 25 And He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s…

1 Cor. 5:12-13, Judge With Righteous Judgment

• 1 Cor. 5:12-13 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

• NAU John 7:24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

• John 12:47-48, 21:21, 1 Cor. 6:2-3 James 4:11 Romans 14:10

1 Cor. 5:12-13,

1 Corinthians 5:12 Two Kinds of Churches

• Mike Gendron on Facebook, “Two Kinds of Churches - In many areas of our country it is difficult, if not impossible to find church that is faithful to God’s Word. Worldliness has replaced sound doctrine in many churches. Many Christians are submitting their minds to religious leaders without testing the veracity of their teachings with Scripture. Moral absolutes have been abandoned under the banner of tolerance and relativism. As a result many professing Christians cannot discern the difference between a true and false gospel or the difference between a true and false Christ. Tragically, they have become like the religious leaders of Jesus' day, who could identify weather patterns, but could not discern truth from error (Matt. 16:1-3).”

So, in closing;

THE END

Christ our Passover, by Jack Kelley• The Passover: History And Prophecy

http://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/holidays-and-holy-days/the-passover-history-and-prophecy/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29• Saturday, April 12th, 2014Feasts of Israel• Featured, Holidays, Israel, Prophecy• A Bible Study by Jack Kelley• The Feasts of Israel have both a historical and a prophetic fulfillment. In this study we’ll review the account of Passover, the world’s oldest continuously celebrated Holy Day, from these two perspectives.• First, here’s the background. God had promised the land of Canaan to Abraham. But before Abraham could actually take possession, the Canaanite people still had 400 years to decide if they were going to repent of their pagan ways and return to God. He already knew they weren’t going to decide in His

favor and He would have to evict them, but He was committed to giving them the 400 years first. So it would actually be Abraham’s descendants who would take possession of the land. In the interim, God said, they would migrate to Egypt and eventually become enslaved there. When the 400 years were up, God would bring them back to give them the land and would also give them the wealth of Egypt, as compensation for their time of slavery. (Genesis 15:13-21)

• To make sure there was no confusion about this, God repeated His promise to both Isaac ( Genesis 26:2-3) and Jacob (Genesis 28:10-15), Abraham’s son and grandson.• When the time came, God called Moses to be the deliverer of the Jewish people ( Exodus 3) and appointed his brother Aaron to help him bring Abraham’s descendants back to the Promised Land ( Exodus 4:14-17). But when they approached Pharaoh, he flatly refused to let the people go ( Exodus 5:1-3).

After nine judgments that nearly destroyed Egypt (Exodus 7:14-10:29), God told Moses and Aaron how to prepare the people so they could protect themselves from the 10th and final judgment, the death of the firstborn.• The Historical Fulfillment• The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they

must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. (Exod. 12:1-5)

• From the dawn of the Age of Man until that time, the month to which the Lord referred had been the 7th month, called Nisan. In the announcement above He basically ordered a 6 month shift in their calendar. The 7th month was now the 1st. Because of their dependence on agricultural cycles, the Israelites retained their original calendar, with it’s Fall beginning, and super-imposed this new calendar over it. From then on they had a religious calendar, beginning in the Spring, and an agricultural calendar, beginning in the Fall. (That’s why Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, comes in the Fall.)

• Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire-head, legs and inner parts. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover. (Exod. 12:6-11)

• Until the 14th means through the end of the 13th, just like a present marked “do not open until Christmas” can’t be opened until the 24th is over. Also, Jewish days begin at sunset in line with the Biblical account of Creation, “There was evening and there was morning…” (Genesis 1:5, etc.). As the sun was setting on the 13th, the Lambs were to be slaughtered and roasted. Some of the lamb’s blood was to be painted on the lintel and post of the door to each family’s house. Then, when the lambs were cooked, they were to be eaten in haste, along with some unleavened bread and bitter herbs (horseradish). Thus, the Passover meal was the first meal of the 14th, eaten after the sunset that marked the beginning of the day. It was a quick meal, more like a sandwich really, bearing no resemblance at all to the leisurely and sumptuous festival meals of today.

• “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn-both men and animals-and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. (Exod. 12:12-13)

• Around midnight, after their hasty meal, the destroying angel passed through Egypt and the firstborn of man and animal perished. The angel passed over homes where the doorposts had been painted with lamb’s blood, sparing the people huddled trembling within. They weren’t spared because they were Jewish, or because they had eaten lamb for dinner. They were spared because they had the faith to paint their doorposts with blood. They were saved by faith through the blood of the lamb.

• Many years later, when the Passover Seder had become a traditional celebration, it became common for the participants to dip a finger into their wine glass to collect a drop of wine which they then let fall onto their plate. They do this for each of the 10 plagues of Egypt, each time saying, “We are saved by the blood of the lamb.”

• “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD -a lasting ordinance. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat-that is all you may do.

• “Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born. Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.” (Exod. 12:14-20)

• The Feast of Unleavened Bread began on the 15th and lasted through the 21st. No yeast could be used in any food preparation, nor could any be present in the house during that time. When they settled in Israel, since the 15th was a major feast day and special sabbath, after the ceremonial “lamb sandwich” was consumed the rest of the 14th was spent in preparation because no work could be done after sundown. Any yeast found in the house was discarded, and the bulk of the food purchasing and preparation was done. This is how the 14th became known as Preparation Day ( John 19:31).

• From that day in the wilderness till this, the Lord’s Passover has been celebrated, one of the most dramatic displays of His power ever seen. During the meal they drink four special cups of wine, one each for the four promises God made to Moses from the burning bush.• “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD , and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians (First cup, Sanctification). I will free you from being slaves to them (Second cup, Deliverance). I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment (Third cup,

Redemption). I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.” (Fourth cup, Acceptance) (Exod. 6:6-7).• He freed His people from the bonds of slavery, defeating the world’s most powerful country without an army, without a single casualty among His own, by the power of His outstretched arm. Over a million former slaves walked out of Egypt the next morning carrying the wealth of their former captives, back

wages for their hard labor. The sick were healed, the lame walked, and the weak were made strong. Not a single one was left behind. This detail was overshadowed by other events of the day, but it was most likely the greatest healing miracle of all time.• Prophetic Fulfillment• In the first chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus was introduced as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Throughout His ministry people proclaimed Him as Israel’s Messiah, but only on one day did He encourage it. On the Jewish calendar, it was the 10th day of the first month. We know it as

Palm Sunday. Through out Jerusalem Passover lambs were being selected, but on the Mount of Olives The Passover Lamb was being welcomed into the city with shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Matt. 21:9)• From then until the end of the 13th He received the most aggressively intense questioning of His ministry. He was being carefully scrutinized for some defect in His teaching until finally “no one dared ask Him any more questions” ( Matt 23:46).• Sundown at the end of the 13th brought the Passover, called Preparation Day in His time. He ate an abbreviated Passover meal with His disciples, stopping at the 3rd cup, the Cup of Redemption. It was a Thursday, the 14th of the month, and before the day was over He had been arrested, tried, convicted

and executed by crucifixion. The Passover Lamb had been put to death on Passover. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed, Paul would later say (1 Cor. 5:7).• Just before He died, knowing that all had been completed and so the Scriptures would be fulfilled, He asked for a drink ( John 19:28-29). In taking the wine they offered, He drank the 4th Cup of the Passover, the Cup of Acceptance. “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.” From that day

forward, anyone who accepted His death as payment for their sins would in turn be accepted into the family of God and receive eternal life. They are saved by faith through the Blood of the Lamb.• Earlier a group of Jewish officials had asked Jesus for a miraculous sign to prove that He was who He claimed to be. He said, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the

belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matt. 12:39-40). They would get their sign but only after they had put Him to death. And it would be unmistakable. No one had ever come out of the grave in a resurrection body before.

• The day following the crucifixion would be Friday the 15th, the first Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a special Sabbath where no work could be done ( John 19:31). Knowing this, the chief priests asked Pilate to hasten the deaths of the condemned men so they could get them off their crosses before sundown. But Jesus was already dead. He had died at three o’clock and though His body was still on the cross, His spirit was already in Sheol, the abode of the dead. Day one.

• At sundown the Feast of Unleavened Bread began, and with it Night One, followed in the morning by Day Two. Saturday the 16th was the regular weekly Sabbath and again no work could be done. It began with Night Two and in the morning became Day Three. Then at sundown it was Sunday the 17th, Night Three. Three days and three nights, just as He had prophesied.

• At sunrise Sunday morning the 17th, the Feast of First Fruits was being observed at the Temple when the women came to the tomb where He’d been laid to rest ( Matt. 28:1). It was their first chance to anoint the body for burial since both Friday and Saturday had been Sabbaths. But the tomb was empty. He had risen, the First Fruits of the First Resurrection.

• The two disciples who met the Lord on the road to Emmaus that Sunday (Resurrection Day) help us to confirm this sequence ( Luke 24:13-35). At first they thought the Lord must have been a very recent visitor to the area when He asked them to explain why they were so sad. In the course of the discussion they indicated it was the third day since the crucifixion. It being Sunday, the previous day, Saturday, would have been the 2nd day since it happened, and Friday would have been the first day since, making Thursday the day it happened.

• By His death, He freed His people from their slavery to sin, defeating Heaven’s most powerful adversary without an army, without a single casualty among His own, by the power of His sacrificial life. Billions of former slaves will walk out of this world one day soon, receiving wealth beyond measure. The sick will be healed, the lame will walk, and the weak will be made strong. Not a single one will be left behind. It’s the ultimate fulfillment of the Passover Prophecy.

• Shabbat Shalom. May the peace of the Sabbath rest upon you, and may the Grace of our Lord Jesus abide within you, both now and forever more. 04-12-14• http://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/holidays-and-holy-days/the-passover-history-and-prophecy/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

To Serve, Or Not To Serve, Christian Business in a Political World, By Jeff Laird

• Should a Christian business owner refuse service to someone, on the grounds that they don’t approve of that person’s sin? Or should they serve anyway, as an opportunity to witness? It’s hard to believe the US court system actually had to consider whether or not a citizen has the right to make such decisions, let alone tell them they don’t. But for a believer, moral concerns come before legal ones. What does the Bible say about this dilemma?

• There’s no way to make a blanket statement on this issue that would apply to all believers in all situations. The Bible gives us clear instructions on how we’re supposed to live, and guidelines for how to interact with others. But how we apply these has a lot to do with the specific circumstances we find ourselves in. One lesson God intended us to learn through the Law (Romans 7:4-6) is that true obedience means continual submission to the Holy Spirit, not just black-and-white rules and regulations (Luke 9:23).

• The only way for the unbelieving world to hear the Gospel is if we live it out, and proclaim it (Romans 10:14). Totally avoiding everybody who rejects Christ or lives in sin would require us to live on a different planet (1 Corinthians 5:9-11). We can’t be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-15) unless we engage. Light has to shine into darkness in order to be meaningful, and salt has to get into the food in order change its flavor. “Tolerance” literally means “putting up with” something one does not like; it does not require approval or support. So, there’s a good argument to be made that Christians ought to be as (literally) tolerant as we can, in order for our loving character to be as visible as possible (Matthew 5:16).

• Serving someone coffee, selling them a car, or even renting them a hotel room require no personal expression. It’s reasonable to say most business transactions suggest no particular moral agreement. In those cases, the best approach, both legally and morally, is probably to tolerate, witness, and interact. Part of the price of living in a free society is being exposed to those with whom we disagree; a principle that is meant to work both ways, and to protect those on both sides of an issue.

• On the other hand, some dealings do imply a level of moral or social agreement, because they involve a direct form of expression. Musical performance, specialized foods, artwork, photography, and so forth require a person to directly invest their creativity and expression. In those cases, a Christian has a much stronger moral case to refuse involvement with persons blatantly in rebellion against God. We literally cannot avoid tolerating sin to some extent, without moving to Mars. But at some point, interaction looks like endorsement, and even tolerance becomes inappropriate (1 Corinthians 5:1-7; John 7:24). We are specifically told in the Bible not to violate our Spirit-led conscience (Romans 14:22-23), but where that line falls is something each believer has to determine as the situation presents itself (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

• Legally, one would like to say the constitution prohibits forced participation in something a citizen feels is immoral. Unfortunately, the political climate in the United States is rapidly succumbing to a hostile, oppressive attempt to force Christians to do just that. It appears that believers will be forced, more and more frequently, to choose between spiritual success and secular success. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use every tool at our disposal to stand up for what we believe in. The Apostle Paul was not afraid to exercise his legal rights as a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37-38; Acts 21:39).

• One tool we have available, and unfortunately don’t use often enough, is plain old logic and critical thinking. In particular, we should note that turnabout is not only fair play, it’s inevitable. Gallows built for ideas a person dislikes can just as easily be repurposed and used on them, something I’ve openly warned LGBT activists to consider. If we accept the idea that “non-discrimination” means people have to directly participate in things they find morally objectionable, what does that make of freedom?

• For example, some applaud the idea that a Christian baker or photographer should be forced to serve a same-sex commitment ceremony, or suffer legal consequences. But the exact same legal principle, applied in the same way, could force a Muslim caterer to serve pork at a barbecue. Or, force a gay baker to make a “hate cake” for a group like Westboro. Or, force a gay photographer to take pictures for men celebrating their faith-based “recovery” from homosexual to heterosexual orientation.

• Most homosexuals I know would find that last example especially noxious. But that’s the point: all of the people in those examples should have the right to say, “I choose not to participate in that.” And so should a Christian photographer who doesn’t want to participate in a same-sex ceremony.

• Everyone pushing “totalitarian tolerance” needs to think carefully about what it really means. If you create a society where “tolerance” means forced participation, how is that freedom? How long before the same blade swings back the other way? Make no mistake, this kind of legal stance cuts both ways. Everything’s happy on the quiet side of the cannon, but don’t be so naïve as to think the government, or society, won’t ever turn your own tactics on you, given the chance.

• While there are no easy answers for believers, there are steps we ought to take. Spiritually, we need to demonstrate Christian love and righteousness, exemplifying how truth and love can coexist, and putting our critics to shame (1 Peter 3:15-16). That means discipleship and a purposeful, committed faith. Socially, we need to be aware of our rights, involved in choosing our leaders (1 Samuel 12:13-25; Proverbs 28:12, Proverbs 29:2), and vocal about protecting our faith against those who would slander it (Proverbs 14:34). That means voting, education, and communication.

• Like it or not, discrimination, unfair dealings, and even full-blown persecution are not just a possibility for Christians, but something we should expect (Luke 21:12-19). It’s easy to be cavalier about this kind of decision, when it’s other people who have to choose. When it suddenly becomes a “me” instead of a “they”, we can only pray to make the Godly choice, rather than the worldly one.

• Image Credit: Stephanie Kilgast; Creative Commons

BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave KooyersValley Bible FellowshipBox 433Boonville CA 95415http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org

(707) 895-2325God bless you as you examine His Word,Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge.

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