A HEBREW MONUMENT -THE PASSOVER- I. Introduction. A. The Jews were in need of many physical items to remind them of duty. 1. Some were used properly and helped them. 2. Others were used to promote idolatry. B. The objective was to remind them of several things. 1. How God had helped them. 2. To teach their children. 3. To keep them in remembrance. C. One method: feasts. D. One important feast: passover. II. Body. A. Why a passover for the Hebrews? 1. Recount Egyptian bondage. 2. The cry of the slaves to God. 3. The leadership of Moses. 4. The events preceding the feast. B. The night of the passover. 1. Culminating plague: death of firstborn. 2. The escape provided: blood on lintels & doorposts. a. God provides escape for his people: I Corinthians 10:13. b. Must claim to obtain. c. Means provided may not always please the affected disciple. 3. Prepare the lamb and eat it in haste. Exodus 12:8. C. Hence...a memorial: Exodus 12:14. 1. Must have a particular lamb. a. No substitutes. b. Note: Exodus 12:5-6. c. If household too small: Exodus 12:4. 2. Must be prepared a certain way. a. Could not alter methods of preparing. b. Note: Exodus 12:8-9. 3. Eaten in a specific manner. a. As God prescribed: Exodus 12:11. b. Even..all to be consumed. D. This feast was an opportunity every year to: 1. Remind each of deliverance: Exodus 12:17. 2. To instruct the coming generation: Exodus 12:26-27. 3. Imagine the effect of neglect. 4. Can you think of any more suitable way to remember? 5. Think: every year...every week? E. This feast was a memorial to the passing over of the Lord. 1. They needed that reminding. 2. Do we need reminding?...over...and over? 3. It caused them to be conscious of the past; mindful of the present; and contemplate the future. 4. Their feast would become a means of our under- standing what God has done at present. F. There were other feasts they observed: Leviticus 23:37-38. 1. They were to keep all of them: on the terms given by Jehovah. 2. This would help to keep them faithful: neglect would cause them to stray. 3. What the Lord offers through the New Testament is a means of keeping us in remembrance of our dependence upon Jehovah. G. We have a passover: I Corinthians 5:7. 1. Christ was the lamb. 2. Truth is the unleavened bread. 3. Each week we remember the death of our lamb. 4. We are no stronger than our willingness to keep that passover. III. Conclusion. A. We must remember Christ. B. We must meet the requirements of His feast.-jy