In God’s instructions to His “Church in the wilderness”(Israel–Acts 7:38) and His New Covenant Church He commands His people to hold a “holy convocation” (an assembly of people) on the Day of Passover. A holy convocation refers to God’s true saints coming together to worship Him. The weekly Sabbath involves a holy convocation as does Passover. On both occasions God’s people meet under His authority and power.

Concerning a holy convocation, Exodus 12:16,17 tells us: “And on the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation …. And you shall observe the feast of unleavened bread: for in this selfsame day (the day of Passover) I brought you out of the land of Egypt, therefore observe this day in your generations by an ordinance (law) forever.” Passover is commanded as a memorial of our being delivered from sin (Egypt). But there is more to the Passover-sin deliverance memorial. The seven Days of Unleavened Bread following Passover symbolize the TOTAL ERADICATION OF SIN FROM OUR LIVES. Seven is the Biblical symbol of perfection and completion.

The Passover celebration as commanded in Exodus 12 is symbolic of the death of the spotless lamb representing Jesus Christ our perfect Sacrifice. The blood on the doorpost served notice that those inside were putting sin behind them. The seven Days of Unleavened Bread (leaven represents sin) represents the saint’s complete eradication of sin from his/her life by keeping God’s Ten Commandments. See God’s Royal Law. At the end of the seven days we are commanded to hold a second Holy Convocation–a Sabbath. The first day and last day of the seven Days of Unleavened Bread are Sabbaths–no work can be done on those days.

Notice that Passover, which includes the Days of Unleavened Bread, was instituted BEFORE EITHER THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OR THE SACRIFICIAL LAW WERE INSTITUTED. Therefore, the celebration is binding on God’s people, as is the weekly Sabbath statute. This will be brought out in our study of the New Covenant relative to Passover in future postings. To be continued. L.J.