Passover?

     It always comes as a surprise to me when this week's scheduled Sabbath reading portion comes up. This Sabbath's reading is titled Bo, meaning "enter".  The reason that it surprises me is because the portion deals with the Passover as covered in Ex. Ch. 10 through 13, but the reading portion doesn't coincide with the time of Passover, which this year doesn't occur until the fourth week of April which is three months away! This leads me to think that there is perhaps even more information to add to our understanding of Passover for us to consider. Perhaps we may start trying to figure out the mystery by looking at the complete meaning of the Hebrew word, Bo, the title of this Sabbath's reading, as it is used in various places in scripture. Bo means: "to go in, enter, come, come in, bring, come upon, attack, bring in, carry in, bring against, bring upon, bring to pass, besiege, a bride entering the house of a husband, to bring or enter into judgment, to be fulfilled/accomplished especially of prophecies, of a sign given by a prophet, to and from war- used of a king or other military leader, to carry with oneself". That's a lot of meaning for a little word. To add to our understanding of Bo, the Hebrew letters used to write the word are beth, vaw, aleph, which can mean, "the house or family joined (by a nail or tent peg) to the Lord". 

    In our Sabbath reading portion, the house that was to be entered into by God's prophet, Moses, was Pharaoh's house. The Word of God with which Moses was to enter Pharaoh's house was: "Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My (aleph-tav, or Alpha and Omega in Greek, referring to Jesus. See Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13) people go, that they may serve Me. Or else, if you refuse (ma'en - unwilling to obey/refuse to acknowledge a marriage contract) ...tomorrow I will bring (bo - see above) locusts into your territory (gebul/gabal - to set bounds, border, to twist as a rope, measured line of boundary)." (Ex. 10:1-4). 

     The plagues grew more severe as Pharaoh (paro - "great house") refused to acknowledge the (marriage) covenant between the LORD (YHWH: "Behold the hand, behold the nail") and His (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) people. The one mentioned above, locusts, was the eighth plague or judgment. The ninth plague would be deep, impenetrable darkness, and the tenth plague would be death of the firstborn. As Pharaoh continued to refuse the command of the LORD, Moses warned the Israelites that they must apply the blood of a perfect lamb upon the doorposts and lintels of their houses. None of the Israelites were to go out of the door of his house until morning (Ex. 12:22). As the angel of death passed across the land of Egypt, striking all firstborn and executing judgment upon the gods of Egypt, if the LORD saw the blood on the doorpost, He would "pass over" that house, and not allow the destroyer to enter (Ex. 12:12-13, 23).

     We can see here, according to Hebrew word meanings, that the LORD's marriage contract with His (aleph-tav) people was not being acknowledged and was actually impeded by Pharaoh. We see the interesting meaning of bo as stated above: the connection between the entrance of the bride into the husband's home, and the entrance into judgment, in this case judgment against Pharaoh, his territory, and the gods of Egypt based upon Pharaoh's refusal to acknowledge the marriage contract between the LORD and His (aleph-tav) people. The blood of the Lamb, which was Jesus (Jn. 1:29-34), on the doorposts of the Israelites saved the Israelites from the judgment of death of the firstborn, but also became the fixed boundary line and witness of the division set between the LORD's (aleph-tav) people, and the territory of Egypt under Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt.

     The moment of change came to Egypt that even the most powerful king in the world at the time, Pharaoh, could not prevent: "And it came to pass at midnight (hesi + layil - divide, cut in two, split in two, two parts, divided by an arrow, be cut off/finished + night as opposed to day, by night, spiral/winding staircase that folds back upon itself) that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night...and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead." (Ex. 12:29-30). "Midnight" in the above verse signals a sharp division between day and night, just as Paul remarked upon the division or separation between the children of day/light and the children of night/darkness, writing: "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day (of the Lord's return) should overtake you as a thief (in the night). You are all sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness." (1 Thess. 5:3-5). The "midnight" moment of change is also mentioned as the moment of the Bridegroom's (Jesus Christ/Messiah) marriage. Those who were prepared for the Bridegroom's return went in (bo) with the Bridegroom to the wedding "and the door was shut". Those who did not enter in (bo) at that time, were denied entrance and forever divided/separated from those who had entered in (bo) with the Groom (Mt. 25:1-13). 

     In another example of this separation or division, Isaiah  wrote the Word of the LORD, saying: "Come, my people, enter (bo) your chambers (heder/hadar - hidden private inner room, bridal chamber/concealing curtain, enclose), and shut your doors behind you; Hide (haba/habab - withdraw, secrete/love fervently, cherish with warm affection, warm with the breath) yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation (za'am - anger, rage, God's displeasure with sin is completed) is past (abar - pass over, pass by, pass away, take away). For the LORD comes out of His place to punish (paqad - punish, visit, ruler, governor, oversight, judgment, be called to account) the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) blood, and will no more cover her slain (haraq - kill, slay, murder, destroy, smite with deadly intent)." (Isa. 26:20-21, see also Rev. 18:4-5, 20, 23-24).

     The indignation of the LORD is to deal with those who have the iniquity of the murder of the (aleph-tav) blood on their hands- those who have murdered the believers in Christ for their faith. They refused to recognize the blood boundary line that the LORD had provided of His own blood for those who believe on His name. Not only does the LORD come to punish or call into account, that iniquity, but the meaning of the word in Hebrew also includes to rule or govern, as Jesus Christ will rule and reign upon His return.  Again, we see the connection to "the wedding" as His people enter that private wedding chamber for protection, in the same way that the Israelites remained behind their doors marked with the blood of the Passover Lamb. In the Book of Revelation, immediately following the marriage of the Lamb (Jesus and His wife the Bride of Christ, Rev. 19:6-9), we read of the return of Christ to judge, make war and to rule (Rev. 19:11-16).

     As for Pharaoh, after the plague killed the first born of Egypt, Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said: "Rise, go out from among (tavek - middle, among, within, separate, to sever, a bisection, mid[night], be divided) my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go serve the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD as you have said (dabar). Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said (dabar), and be gone; and bless me also." (Ex. 12:31-32). Pharaoh would shortly change his mind again and send his army to chase after the Israelites to bring them back, but his efforts would fail, and the Israelites would be miraculously delivered.

     As I consider why the LORD would assign a Sabbath study on the Passover so far outside of the time of Passover, which is one of the appointed Feasts of the LORD, I can only answer with the connection I found between separating/dividing, boundaries, the blood of the Lamb, judgment, marriage covenant with the LORD, and the return of Christ to judge and govern. This may be only part of the picture, and there may be more discoveries to be found on another day.

     If you would like to know more about these things, you can pray with me: "Father, You have given the blood of Your Son, the Lamb of God, Jesus, to separate me from Your anger and judgment. Your Word has called me to come into (bo) the marriage supper with Jesus, and into (bo) the Wedding Chamber, where the door is shut. As You have separated me, by Your Word, Jesus, and by the Holy Spirit, keep me from leaving that wedding chamber that You have provided. Prepare me for the future Passover season with an understanding of the separating power and purpose of the set boundary line of the blood of the Lamb in my life and walk. I ask these things in the name of Jesus. AMEN."