Beit Or ~ The House Of Light

The Passover story has been told by many Hebrews and Gentiles for thousands of years; though the emphasis has always been about the great Exodus from Egypt. There is more to Passover than just the Israelites coming out from Egypt. The story is not about the nation of Israel, but it is a universal story that should be told in every church, synagogue, and temple. The story should concern all of us- every religion, denomination, and people.

The story did not begin in Egypt, but in Babylon. The Lord planted a garden in Babylon which we know as the “Garden of Eden”. “Eden” means one thing in only one language; in the Hebrew language, “Eden” means the “garden of delight”. Everything was perfect in the garden. God gave the keys of the garden to Adam and said it is yours to manage- this is your home. But there is one stipulation in this offer to Adam, while he was to enjoy every herb and the fruit of every tree; except the “tree of good and evil”, which he was neither to eat of it nor to touch it.

The bible goes on to tell that Eve was influenced by greed- that she could be as God. The lusting of her eyes broke God’s trust with man for which the penalty of disobedience was death.

When the law of trust was broken, Adam and Eve lost their “Heavenly aura”, and they became naked for the first time since creation. As a result they covered their nudity with fig leaves. When God’s evening visitation with Adam and Eve was to take place as it had for many years before, Adam did not show up for his date. As a side note- the evening visitation speaks of the evening oblation that takes place at 3:00 PM.

So the Lord called Adam’s name and Adam answered, “I am here”.

“Where,” asked the Lord.

“Here, hiding in the bushes,” Adam responded.

And the Lord asked Adam, “why are you hiding?”

“Because I am naked,” answered Adam.

“Why are you naked,” asked the Lord. “Did you eat of the tree I commanded you not to eat?”

The story goes that Adam blamed the woman, and she blamed the serpent. We all know how the blame game goes.

The Lord wanted to teach Adam and Eve a lesson they would never forget. God wanted them to tell the story to every nation under the sun- but what is that story?

The story is the Passover story. The first original Passover began in the garden with two people, a man and a woman. Because of their disobedience to God, the whole human race was affected; and death was passed on to every person starting from Adam on down to every man, woman, and child even till today.

The sin that was committed in the garden cannot be covered with anything but blood. Not fig leaves or cotton fabric could cover sin- only skin taken from a kosher animal. That animal was a ram. The Sheep provides our covering with its wool, milk for our thirst, and meat for our hunger. The ram also provides us with the horns that can hold oil, sound the alarm for festivals and the advance of the enemy. The fat of the ram provides us with fuel for cooking and for warmth.

The first Passover was given as an ordinance to all men since the first man was not identified as a Hebrew or Gentile. He was identified as earth (Adam). He sinned for all of us and therefore the Passover is to be taught and celebrated by all men around the world.

But why celebrate? We celebrate because Adam had within him not only Eve, but the seed of the whole human race. His sin affected all of us and the Lord commanded Adam to bring unto him his favorite pet. It happened to be a young ram and so the Lord took a knife and cut the throat of this innocent animal. As the blood of the animal was gushing out, Adam and Eve witnessed for the first time in their lives death. Death is the penalty for sin.

That was the first Passover. Pesach (Passover) in the Hebrew means to “pass over” somebody or something. In this case it was God who passed over Adam and Eve. They were supposed to die after their disobedience to God. But an alternative was found to extend the lives of these two so they could procreate and populate the earth. In doing so, it tells the story of the fall of man and the price of restitution and salvation.

The Lord acted as the High Priest in the Garden. The ram was only the beginning for the deaths of millions of animals who would give their lives for the sins of men, but they were merely shadows of the Lord having to offer himself as a sacrifice. In doing so He put an end to the slaughter of millions of animals that could not eliminate the sins of man, but only cover them. The Lord offered to die once and for all mankind to allow an exit away from sin and a free ticket for salvation for anyone who is willing to live by the commandments of our God.

The reason the Lord met with Adam in the afternoon was to teach us what was about to take place. He offered the ram in the evening oblation. That was the time Yeshua (Correct pronunciation in Hebrew for Jesus) died on the tree two-thousand years ago. His life was taken exactly at the time when Israel offered their evening sacrifice for Pesach. It is through His death He paid our debt.

Yeshua is our ram. He provides us with covering, quenches our thirst, and satisfies our hunger. The oil of his Horn is always full for us, so we are never left in the dark. With the fat we have the fuel for our knowledge and the warmth of His promise. Substituted for a ram He gave his life through obedience to the voice of His Father who is His shepherd.

This story of the Pesach is a celebration because a solution for eternal death was found. By telling the story and practicing the Feast of the Passover, we celebrate the goodness of our God who sent His only begotten Son to die in our place, and pay our debt in full; by giving us a clean slate to start with the newness of life in the Messiah Yeshua.

By Rabbi Isaac Levy