Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

Just When Should We Keep "The Night to Be Much Observed"?

Far from being an “Old Testament” ritual law, the “Night to be Much Observed” has deep spiritual meaning today for true Christians. But why does YEHOVAH God command us to observe this night? What did this night picture for ancient Israel -- and what is its true meaning for the Ecclesia (Church) today?

Moreover, just how are we to actually “observe” this night?

As most in YEHOVAH’s Ecclesia know, the Night to be Much Observed is the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and commemorates Israel’s exodus from Egypt. As we will also see, this special “night” was foreshadowed in Genesis 15 when YEHOVAH God ratified His covenant with Abraham.

For true Christians, the Night to be Much Observed is an occasion to truly rejoice as we acknowledge YEHOVAH God for His personal intervention in our lives -- in leading us out of spiritual bondage to this world, out of “spiritual Egypt.”

The “Night to be Much Observed” Foreshadowed

In order to really understand the Night to be Much Observed, we need look first at its historical background -- because this night was foretold even before the nation of Israel came into existence. In the book of Exodus, YEHOVAH God gave this command to the children of Israel:

“Now the sojourning of the children of Israel in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years, and it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, it was even on that very same day, all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed to the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This is that night of the LORD to be observed by all the children of Israel in their generations” (Exodus 12:40-42).

Indeed, after 400 years in captivity (Genesis 15:13), Israel was delivered. And as we will see, Israel’s deliverance occurred just as YEHOVAH had promised. In fact, both the Passover and the Night to be Much Observed were foreshadowed in a vital covenant that YEHOVAH God made with Abraham. YEHOVAH specially chose Abraham to be party to His covenant because he obeyed YEHOVAH’s voice and kept His commandments and His laws (Genesis 26:5).

The story begins in Genesis, the fifteenth chapter:

“After these things the Word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Fear not, Abram, I am your shield and your exceedingly great reward.’ And Abram said, ‘LORD God, what will You give me since I go childless, and the heir of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘Behold, You have given no seed to me; and lo, one [a servant] born in my house is my heir.’ And, behold, the Word of the LORD came to him saying, ‘This man shall not be your heir; but he that shall come forth out of your own loins shall be your heir’ ” (Genesis 15:1-4).

YEHOVAH God promised Abraham that an heir -- physical offspring -- would come from his own loins. However, the birth of Isaac (Genesis 21:3) was only the beginning of the fulfillment of this promise. The birth of Yeshua the Messiah was the ultimate fulfillment -- Galatians 3:16:

"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your seed,' who is Christ."

Then, YEHOVAH God took Abraham outside -- on the night of the fourteenth of Nisan -- and said,

“Look now toward heavens and number the stars -- if you are able to count them… so shall your seed be” (Genesis 15:5).

On a physical level, this promise would be fulfilled through the nation of Israel; spiritually, it will yet be fulfilled as YEHOVAH brings “many sons [of Israel] unto glory” (Hebrews 2:10) through the promised Seed, the Messiah (Galatians 3:16). YEHOVAH told Abraham in Genesis 22:17-18 that,

“in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore. And your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in your seed [descendants of Abraham] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Later, during the daytime portion of the fourteenth, YEHOVAH God told Abraham to prepare a special covenant sacrifice in which He was going to confirm His covenant with Abraham.

“And He said to him, ‘Take Me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’ And he took all these to himself, and divided them in the middle, and laid each piece opposite the other; but he did not divided the birds. And when the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away” (Genesis 15:9-11).

Known historically as a “covenant between the parts,” the parties to such a ritual would both pass between the parts of severed animals. In so doing, they were stating that if one (or both) of them broke the covenant agreement, they should likewise be put to death (see Jeremiah 34:18-20).

Notice what is happening here in Genesis 15. It's not Abram that is making a covenant with YEHOVAH God. It's not Abram who is passing between the pieces of the slaughtered animals and taking upon himself the self-maledictory oath to keep YEHOVAH's covenant. Abraham doesn't even walk through the pieces at all -- in fact -- it seems he had actually fallen asleep (verse 12). YEHOVAH God is the One who passes between the pieces, in the form of “a smoking oven and a burning torch.”

YEHOVAH is the One who takes upon Himself the self-maledictory oath: “May I become like these animals if I do not make good on My promise.” It's amazing what is happening here. YEHOVAH God puts His own Name on the line as He swears a solemn oath to Abram. And the outcome is so certain that, for the first time, the promise that YEHOVAH God had made to Abram is put in the past tense. We read in Genesis 15:18, “On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, 'To your descendants I have given this land. . .'”

One question might arise here: Didn't YEHOVAH God already promise to give the land to Abram and his descendants? Why the need for this formal ceremony? It might help to give an illustration, though it's far from a perfect one: Think of a father, who had acquired at some point in his life a very special car; and this father had promised his son many times over that one day he would give the car to him. Well, it's one thing for the father to make that promise, but it's another thing for him to actually deed over that car. To legally deed over the car to his son, there's a process that must take place. So, imagine that the father comes to his son one day and says: “Today, I'm deeding the car over to you.” He signs the back of the title; he submits the ownership documents; he fills out the application forms and pays the fees. And after that, the ownership of the car transfers in such a way that it now belongs legally to his son.

At that point, the father could no longer legally take the car back as his own -- even if he wanted to. This is what YEHOVAH God is doing here for Abram in Genesis 15. He had been making promises to him, but now it's as though He's actually “putting it in writing.” Here in this passage, it's as though the LORD is saying: “Abram, while you were sleeping, I went ahead and officially deeded over the land to you. I put it in writing. It's a done deal now. It's yours.”

It's the same for those of us of Israel. YEHOVAH God has given us promises, He's put them in writing, and He will never go back on them. The reason He will continue to lead and guide us, and the reason He'll never cast us away, and the reason He'll do a thousand other things He's promised to do, is that He has bound himself by solemn oath to fulfill His promises to us. His own Name is on the line. As a believer, you will fall again and again. But YEHOVAH God will never cast you away. You are secure in your Savior. The LORD has put His promises to you in writing, and He has sealed them with the blood of His first-born Son, Yeshua the Messiah.

The next verse in Genesis 15 has deep spiritual meaning. “And it came to pass, as the sun was going down, that a deep sleep fell upon Abram. And, behold, a horror of great darkness fell upon him” (Genesis 15:12). This is symbolic of the death of the Messiah. At the exact same time on Nisan 14 in 31 AD -- as the daytime portion was ending and the sun was going down -- the Messiah died and was sealed in the tomb. Then, at sunset, the 15th began.

The account now continues:

“And He said to Abram, ‘You must surely know that your seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, (and shall serve them and they shall afflict them) four hundred years. And also I will judge that nation whom they shall serve. And afterward they shall come out with great substance. And you shall go to your fathers in peace. You shall be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full’ ” (Genesis 15:13-16).

Here, YEHOVAH God tells Abraham that his offspring would someday become captives in a strange land -- but that he would deliver them in accordance to the covenant promises. Notice that this promise of deliverance was made at or just after sunset -- which would have been the beginning of the 15th of Nisan, which would later become the Night to be Much Observed.

Now notice verse 17: “And it came to pass -- when the sun went down and it was dark -- behold, a smoking oven and a burning torch passed between those pieces.” While Abraham was in a deep sleep, YEHOVAH God alone passed between the parts of the animals -- pictured here by the burning torch.

This passage shows that YEHOVAH God ratified and sealed His covenant with Abraham by passing between the parts of the sacrificial animals. The covenant included a maledictory oath -- that is, one that requires a curse (death) on those who violate the agreement.

Notice:

“According to covenantal law, a covenant does not become valid until it has been sealed with a blood sacrifice. The bloody carcasses of the sacrificial animals represent the symbolic death of the one confirming the covenant. By passing between these carcasses, the one who is ratifying the covenant is swearing by an oath that if he fails to perform the terms of the covenant, he will die, and his blood will be spilled on the ground in the same manner as the animals of the covenant sacrifice. Once ratified by this maledictory oath, the terms of the covenant cannot be changed -- neither by adding to them nor diminishing from them” (The Christian Passover, page 270, Fred R. Coulter).

Of course, YEHOVAH God never violated the covenant He made with Abraham because (1) He cannot die and (2) He has always kept His word. Israel is the guilty party, having repeatedly broken YEHOVAH’s covenant. Yet, to guarantee the total fulfillment of this all-important covenant, the Messiah qualified to pay the penalty in our place with his blood.

Now look again at Exodus 12:40-42:

“Now the sojourning of the children of Israel in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, it was even on that very same day...” [the very day YEHOVAH God made this covenant with Abraham] “...all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed to the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This is that night of the LORD to be observed by all the children of Israel in their generations.”

On the “selfsame” night that YEHOVAH God had ratified His covenant with Abraham some 430 years earlier, He kept His promise to Abraham -- the children of Israel departed from Rameses on the 15th day of Nisan, just as YEHOVAH God had planned.

Physical Israel -- Delivered out of Bondage in Egypt

As captives in Egypt, the children of Israel faced a bitter, hard bondage. Their taskmasters ruled with rigor and harshness. In desperation they turned to YEHOVAH God, crying out for deliverance. “And it came to pass after many days the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage” (Exodus 2:23).

YEHOVAH heard their cry! “And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” (Exodus 2:24). Later, in Exodus 6:5-6, YEHOVAH says,

“...I have remembered My covenant [with Abraham]. Therefore say to the children of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rescue you out of their bondage. And I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments.’ ”

When YEHOVAH God makes a promise, He keeps it.

YEHOVAH God put His plan into effect and called Moses to lead the children of Israel out from the land of Egypt. From the burning bush, YEHOVAH told Moses:

“I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, to bring them up out of that land, to a good land, a large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:7- 8).

As He promised, YEHOVAH provided a way for the Israelites to be delivered from their affliction and bondage in Egypt.

YEHOVAH also instructed Moses to prepare the children of Israel for their journey out of Egypt. Following the Passover on the 14th of Nisan -- which forced Pharaoh to free YEHOVAH’s people --  the exodus was to be on the nighttime portion of the 15th. That day would also become the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. “And you shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread [beginning on the 15th]; for in this very same day I have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall keep this day in your generations as a law forever” (Exodus 12:17).

As Israel left Egypt, that night became the “Night to be Much Observed” as commanded by YEHOVAH God: “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, it was even on that very same day, all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed to the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This is that night of the LORD to be observed by all of the children of Israel in their generations” (Exodus 12:41-42).

Notice what the New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible declares concerning the Passover,

"[Heb. pesah from pasah (to pass over, in sense of sparing)...] The 1st of the 3 annual festivals at which all the men were required to appear at the sanctuary...known also as the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex. 23:15; Deut. 16:16). It was instituted in Egypt to commemorate the culminating event in the redemption of the Israelites (Ex. 12:1,14,42; 23:15; Deut. 16:1,3). That night was to be much observed unto the LORD, when He smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, but passed over the houses of the Israelites where the blood had been sprinkled....The festival began on the 14th of Abib at evening, that is, in the beginning of the 15th day, with the sacrificial meal (Lev. 23:5-6). A lamb or kid was slain between the evenings, that is, toward sunset (Ex. 12:6; Deut. 16:6; cf. between the 9th and 11th hours" (article "Passover," p. 705).

The children of Israel were the recipients of YEHOVAH’s physical covenantal promises. Yet, YEHOVAH also made spiritual promises to Abraham -- which are being fulfilled through the New Covenant in Yeshua the Messiah. Because we of Israel are Abraham’s seed, we are “heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29) -- the spiritual promises of the New Covenant.

Spiritual Israel -- Delivered from Satan and his Evil World

For YEHOVAH’s Ecclesia (physical and spiritual Israel), the “Night to be Much Observed” pictures our “exodus” from sin and being in bondage to this world -- both typed by Egypt. “And Moses said to the people, ‘Remember this day in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for the LORD brought you out from this place by the strength of His hand. There shall be no leavened bread eaten’ ” (Exodus 13:3).

Recall that YEHOVAH God had promised Abraham that “in your seed [descendants of Abraham] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). The spiritual blessings of salvation only apply today to YEHOVAH’s true Ecclesia -- but they will ultimately include all of Israel. Only YEHOVAH’s Ecclesia today is being delivered from its bondage to Satan and his evil world -- typed by Pharaoh and Egypt.

Being heirs of the promise allows those of us of Israel -- through the sacrifice of the Messiah, our “Passover” (I Corinthians 5:7) -- to be set free from sin, the “yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). This is being accomplished through the promises of the New Covenant, which was sealed by the blood of the Messiah. When one accepts YEHOVAH's calling and believes on the Messiah, he or she becomes an heir to the promises given to Abraham by YEHOVAH God.

The Night to be Much Observed pictures our release from sin and bondage. On this night, we should reflect on the incredible truth that YEHOVAH God has called us out of this world and is leading us into His kingdom. In his final recorded prayer, the Messiah spoke these words, which are part of the New Covenant:

“I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world, but for those [of Israel] whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. All Mine are Yours, and all Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but these are [still] in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, those whom You have given Me, so that they may be one, even as We are one” (John 17:9-11).

Our calling under the New Covenant means that though we are in the world, we are not of the world. Continuing: “I have given them Your words, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You would take them out of the world, but that You would keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in Your truth; Your Word is the truth” (John 17:14-17).

Our profound calling ensures our place in the coming Kingdom of YEHOVAH God, if we are faithful and obedient to the end. It is the perfect sacrifice of the Messiah that delivers us from death and bondage to Satan’s world. Paul wrote, “[The Father] Who has personally rescued us from the power of darkness and has transferred us unto the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13).

Paul also writes: “Grace and peace be to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, in order that he might deliver us from the present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:3-4).

YEHOVAH God provided a Savior, the Messiah our Passover Lamb (I Corinthians 5:7), who took on the sins of Israel (I John 2:2) -- just as pictured in Genesis 15.

The Ecclesia -- On a Journey to the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God

Just as the children of Israel left Egypt for the Promised Land, we have spiritually left this world and all that it has to offer, and are continuing on our journey to the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God. Indeed, YEHOVAH has called us out of this world -- and we must obey the will of YEHOVAH God just as Abraham did. “And the LORD said to Abram, ‘Get out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house into a land that I will show you’ ” (Genesis 12:1). Abraham “sojourned in the land of promise…waiting for the city with the foundations of which God is the Architect and Builder” (Hebrews 11:9-10).

So must we. Our eyes must always be focused on the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God.

Each year at Passover, we renew our covenant with YEHOVAH God the Father and His Messiah. This renewal helps us to stay focused on our ongoing “exodus” from this world, pictured by the Night to be Much Observed. Meanwhile, we look forward to the glorious Kingdom of YEHOVAH God where we will reign with the Father and the Messiah forever here on this earth!

How to Keep the Night to be Much Observed

Over the years the Worldwide Church of God and others claimed that the Passover is NOT a "Feast" day of YEHOVAH God? How could they say such a thing? Where did they go astray? The Word of YEHOVAH God is explicitly clear. All through this passage of Scripture, the context is the Passover celebration, the eating of the lamb, the celebrating of YEHOVAH's passing over the children of Israel when He smites the Egyptians and their pagan gods! After discussing nothing else but this magnificent "Passover" day, YEHOVAH says, "THIS DAY shall be unto you...a FEAST" -- not some other day, or some other celebration (Exodus 12:14).

For years I had trouble with this verse, as I read it, wondering how in the world the Worldwide Church of God could say it does not refer to the Passover! What was their problem? Simple: They put the Passover a night early, and therefore they had to invent another separate feast, which they called "The Night To Be Much Observed," not realizing that the "night to be much observed" was actually the PASSOVER itself!

The reason they put it a night early is because they claimed that the "Lord's Supper" -- pictured in Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, Luke 22:14, and John 13 -- referred to the Passover service. However, nothing could be further from the truth! This gathering was the Messiah's last meal with his disciples -- a farewell meal if you will. The reason we know this is because the bread used at this meal was LEAVENED!

Generally, whenever UNLEAVENED bread is meant, this word is preceded by the Greek word for "unleavened," which is azumos, meaning "unleavened, uncorrupted." But in the three synoptic gospel accounts of the last supper of the Messiah and his disciples, Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, Luke 22:19, the writers always use ONLY THE WORD ARTOS, meaning BREAD -- without the modifying word azumos to designate "unleavened." Therefore, the clear indication is that at the last supper the Messiah used normal LEAVENED BREAD, when he blessed and broke it, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body"! 

It is very interesting, therefore, to notice that when the Messiah sat down at dinner, at that final meal with his disciples, "as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it [many Greek copies have, "gave thanks"], and brake it, and gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body" (Matthew 26:26). This same word is used in Matthew 4:3-4, "man does not live by bread alone," in Matthew 6:11, "our daily bread," and Matthew 16:12,"the leaven of bread," etc. This word (artos) is almost always used of LEAVENED BREAD! 

But even more interesting is the fact that the Judahite custom of that time has dictated that unleavened bread was not to be eaten during the days before the feast of Unleavened Bread, so that the Feast would be set apart as distinct and real. For unleavened bread to have been eaten before the Festival would have diminished its importance during the Feast itself! Therefore, if the Messiah and his disciples had eaten "unleavened bread" on the night of Nisan 14, they would have violated Judahite custom and practice.

Furthermore, at this final dinner or banquet, there is no mention of lamb being eaten -- which would have been necessary if this were the Passover. The gospel accounts would hardly have neglected to mention such an important feature.

Let's notice two things here: Although the Messiah used the dinner on the night after the 13th of Nisan had ended to give his disciples new understanding of the bread and wine -- the very night he was "betrayed" by Judas Iscariot -- he never commanded us to observe that night as a "memorial forever"! 

Instead, as the apostle Paul shows, we are to partake of this special symbolical bread and wine ceremony "often" during the year! He said specifically, "as oft as ye drink it," and "as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup." This language implies it would be something we should do often during the year, because every time we do it, "we show the Lord's death till he comes." It is a spiritual reminder of the sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah for our sins. It is something we should do often, therefore, to keep us in the right attitude! This same expression "as often as" is used also in Revelation 11 where the apostle John writes that the "two witnesses" will smite the earth with plagues "as often as they will" (Revelation 11:6). It literally means often -- the precise number of time is not given, because it is left up to the Ecclesia, and assembly, to decide those matters for themselves!

The Passover was to be slain on the 14th, before sunset. It was then to be eaten on the 15th, during the night (Exodus 12:8), "in haste." It was commanded to be a FEAST -- a memorial forever! Although the 14th of Nisan itself was not a "holy day," the Passover feast was actually eaten on the "First Day of Unleavened Bread," at night, which is a HOLYDAY of YEHOVAH God!

This special occasion is to be observed after sundown on the nighttime portion of Nisan 15. “It is a night to be much observed to the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This is that night of the LORD to be observed by all the children of Israel in their generations” (Exodus 12:42). Also: “And they [the children of Israel] set from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the next day after the Passover day, the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians” (Numbers 33:3).

Since the evening of the fifteenth begins the Feast of Unleavened Bread, it is good and proper to commemorate the Night to be Much Observed with a Sabbath-type meal with the addition of lamb to represent our Passover Lamb -- the Messiah. The evening should be opened with prayer. If a large number of people are present, a Seder would be appropriate.

A word to the wise: Don't forget that YEHOVAH's Feasts and Sabbath days are determined by His lunar-solar calendar, NOT by the present-day Jewish calendar! The New Moon days are the beginnings of YEHOVAH's months, and the Sabbath days and Feasts are numbered from them.

For Christians, the Night to be Much Observed is an occasion to truly rejoice before YEHOVAH God as we acknowledge His personal intervention in our lives in leading us out of spiritual bondage to this world -- out of “spiritual Egypt.” On this night, we can reflect on its significance -- and share in the reading and discussion of various biblical passages appropriate for the occasion.

We should all use this special occasion to worship YEHOVAH God, to honor Him, and to rejoice in His love, grace and mercy!