The Appointed Time
Exodus 32 points us to the Mowed (appointed time, place, meeting) of the Lord. We are instructed:
To remember the “day in which we went out of Egypt” – our deliverance from bondage to sin and death represented by “Egypt” (Exo 32:3).
Not to eat anything leavenened (Exo 32:3) – keep ourselves from sin, washed in the Blood of Chris Jesus. Leaven is not even to be “seen among you in all your borders” (Exo 32:7).
While we live in the world – the “land flowing with milk and honey” – we are to serve and be bondsmen to the Lord and observe this remembrance/memorial in the month of Abib (Exo 32:5).
We are to eat “unleavened bread” for seven days, highlighting a special season of sanctification and holiness unto the Lord because on the 7th day is the Lord's “chag” a pilgrim feast (Exo 32:6). The 7th day of Unleavened Bread (21 Nisan) is also Passover Day 7.
To keep this ordinance/statute at its appointed time [mowed] from year to year (Exo 32:10).
To declare, expound and manifest to our children the reason why we observe the appointed time – “It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.” (Exo 32:8)
When our sons (children) ask us “what is this?” (Exo 32:11-16):
12 you shall devote [abar: to bring/carry over, deliver, escape] to the Lord the first offspring of every womb, and the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the Lord. 13 But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb [the Blood of Jesus], but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck [araph: destroy, behead] ; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.
Then you shall say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”
We are reminded that:
On this day [Passover] in the month of Abib, you are about to go forth (Exo 32:4).
This will be a “sign on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead” (Exo 32:9-10). The 144,000 are sealed before “it was granted to harm to earth and the sea” on their foreheads with “His name and the name of His Father”.
Revelation 2:1 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”
Revelation 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. 4 These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.
That the “the fat of My feast” – the finest and best will not “remain overnight” (endure His wrath). As the “choice first fruits” (first ripe fruits) they are brought into the house of the Lord.
Exodus 23:18 “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor is the fat [cheleb: finest, best] of My feast [chag: festival gathering, pilgrim feast] to remain overnight [luwn: lodge overnight] until morning.
19 “You shall bring the choice [reshith: beginning, chief] first fruits [bikkurim: first ripe fruits]of your soil into the house of the Lord your God.
In conclusion, the Passover and the 7-day Festival of Unleavened Bread is highlighted to us in Scripture as the appointed time which we are to observe from year to year. No man knows the day nor the hour but we will know the season.
Jesus Himself “in the night in which He was betrayed” – the night of His last supper on the first day of Unleavened Bread (Mark 14:12 [ The Last Passover ] On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover? ) – reminded us to “do this in remembrance of Me”.
1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Shalom!
Cecilia
NASB Scripture Reference:Exodus 32:13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.”
3 Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened [chamets: pungent (in taste; sour, literally–fermented, figuratively–harsh)] shall be eaten.
4 On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go forth.
5 It shall be when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall observe [abad: work, serve, be bondmen] this rite in this month.
6 For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread [matsats: sweet (because not soured or bittered with yeast)], and on the seventh day there shall be a feast [chag: festival gathering, pilgrim feast]to the Lord.
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen [raah: to see, think, view, to show self, in the sight of others] among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders.
8 You shall tell [nagad: “to front”; to manifest, declare, expound] your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder [to see, think, view: memorial, remembrance] on your forehead, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 10 Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time [mowed] from year to year.
11 “Now when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 you shall devote [abar: to bring/carry over, deliver, escape] to the Lord the first offspring of every womb, and the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the Lord. 13 But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck [araph: destroy, behead] ; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.
14 And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”
Exodus 23:14 “Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me. 15 You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time [mowed] in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.
16 Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. 17 Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord God.
18 “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor is the fat [cheleb: finest, best] of My feast [chag: festival gathering, pilgrim feast] to remain overnight [luwn: lodge overnight] until morning.
19 “You shall bring the choice [reshith: beginning, chief] first fruits [bikkurim: first ripe fruits]of your soil into the house of the Lord your God.
“You are not to boil a young goat in the milk of its mother.