At Twilight Time

As the temperatures rise, I’ve developed a certain appreciation for the end of the day when the sun is going down. As evening draws on, the air gets a little cooler, the cool of the evening, maybe a light breeze.

Especially, those hot Texas days that are coming when even a couple of degrees cooler standing in the shadows is refreshing.

Sitting out on the back deck or patio, or evening walks

Just after the sun sets it starts to get quiet. You can still see the sunlit sky above the horizon. Often that’s when you see the most spectacular colors. And things seem to start to settle just a bit. They calm down just a bit. The street lights sense the impending darkness and start to turn on. When they first came out, we called them “electric eyes”. Now they’re photosensors. Either way, street lights and the devices in people’s yards that sense the changes in lighting begin turning on.

Maybe that’s why they call it nightfall, as night just begins to fall, things calm down. The birds and the people begin to settle in for the night. This period of time, between sundown and night we call dusk or my preference, twilight.

 

Twilight in the Old Testament

 

Twilight, a compound word combining two syllables, “twi-“ and “-light”. When you think of the syllable “twi” it might make you think of two as in twin. While it does convey a sense of two, it more precisely conveys a sense of “tween”, as in “between,” twi-light, the light between two events.

In Hebrew, there’s a phase that describes twilight perfectly. That phrase is “ben ha arbayim”.  And that phase will be the focus of our study today.

“Ben ha arbayim” is an interesting expression. And that is exactly what it is, an expression. You won’t find it in Strong’s Concordance. Strongs only translates words not expressions or phrases. In fact, in each of the eleven instances where the expression “ben ha arbayim” is used in the Bible, Strongs and the King James get it wrong and translate it as “erev”, at even.

 

Pronounced “beyn”, it means “between”

“ha” an article meaning “the” and

“arbayim”-

Arbayim is a bit more complex. It derives from the same root as the word “erev” (H6153) which is often translated as “even”, “evening”, “dusk”, or “eventide”.

Delving into the root, we find the word “arab” (H6150). Yes, that arab. It’s where we get the word Arabia. It means to grow dusky or dark, to become evening.

By adding the suffix “im” to “arbayim”, it becomes plural, “two darknesses or evenings.”

When translated to English, the phrase means, “between the (two) evenings” or just “between the evenings”. It describes twilight perfectly. The first darkness or evening occurs after the sun has just dropped fully below the horizon, we call this sunset. The word “erev” is used to describe sunset, when the sun touches the horizon to when it has dropped completely below the horizon. It is stated more precisely as “ba erev”, at sunset. That is the first evening. The second evening is when it gets totally dark. One evening when the sun has set and the second evening when it becomes totally dark.

During, this period of time it is still light out for another 30 minutes or so to maybe as long as an hour depending on location and time of year.

We view the sun setting as marking the end of the day and it does, yet the day isn’t over by our reckoning until midnight. But more importantly, in God’s view it marks the beginning of a new day.

Between the evenings is the time between when the sun has set below the horizon, no longer visible, and before total darkness. It is dusk or twilight time at the beginning of the day on God’s calendar.

Between the (Two) Evenings – “ben ha arbayim”

 

There are only eleven instances of the phrase “ben ha arbayim” in the Bible. So, we’re going to review each one. And if I do this correctly, we will see it has an important connection to the Passover.

Of the eleven times the phase “ben ha arbayim” is used in the Old Testament the King James translation somehow missed all eleven, choosing instead to translate it as “at even” or “evening”.

 

Passover killing the lamb in Egypt

Exo 12:1-8 KJV

(1)  And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

(2)  This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

(3)  Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

(4)  And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

(5)  Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

(6)  And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. [at sunset, ba erev]

(7)  And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. (at home)

(8)  And they shall eat the flesh in that night, [layelâh] roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

This has led to some confusion as to whether the lamb was to be killed at sunset on the 14th or the night before on the 13th just after sunset.

We are blessed to have Robert Young’s Literal Translation, the YLT, as it shows us when ben ha arbayim appears in the Hebrew and translates it correctly. First published in 1862, the Literal Translation is, as the name implies, a very literal translation of the original Hebrew and Greek texts.

 

Exo 12:6 YLT 

(6)  'And it hath become a charge to you, until the fourteenth day of this month, and the whole assembly of the company of Israel have slaughtered it between the evenings; [at twilight, ben ha arbayim]

(8)  'And they have eaten the flesh in this night, [layelâh] roast with fire; with unleavened things and bitters they do eat it;

 

For it to be killed at ben ha arbayim which occurs after sunset and to still be on the 14th, it would have to be killed after sunset the day before at the beginning of the 14th.

 

Passover Keeping

We will now look at a few passages instructing us in keeping the Passover.

Lev 23:4-6 KJV

(4)  These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

(5)  In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.

(6)  And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

This too has caused some confusion as to when to keep the Passover. In the fourteenth day at even has been interpreted by some to mean at the end of the 14th at sunset causing them to incorrectly keep the Passover on the 15th combining the 14th with the Feast of Unleavened starting the 15th. However, Young makes this passage plain by properly translating ben ha arbayim.

 

 

Lev 23:4-6 YLT 

(4)  'These are appointed seasons of Jehovah, holy convocations, which ye proclaim in their appointed seasons:

(5)  in the first month, on the fourteenth of the month, between the evenings, [at twilight, ben ha arbayim] is the passover to Jehovah;

(6)  and on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast of unleavened things to Jehovah; seven days unleavened things ye do eat;

 

Now, if it’s got to be on the fourteenth day of the month, when is ben ha arbayim on the fourteenth? Between the two evenings at the start of the fourteenth, which is after sunset on the thirteenth. If it were at sunset at the end of the fourteenth, it would actually be on the fifteenth.

The children of Israel are to continue to keep the Passover.

 

Num 9:1-5 KJV

(1)  And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

(2)  Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.

(3)  In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, [ba erev] ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.

(4)  And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.

(5)  And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even [ba erev] in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

 

What does Young’s Literal Translation say?

Num 9:3-5 YLT 

(3)  in the fourteenth day of this month between the evenings [at twilight, ben ha arbayim at the beginning of the 14th] ye prepare it in its appointed season; according to all its statutes, and according to all its ordinances ye prepare it.'

(4)  And Moses speaketh unto the sons of Israel to prepare the passover,

(5)  and they prepare the passover in the first month , on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings, [at twilight, ben ha arbayim] in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that Jehovah hath commanded Moses, so have the sons of Israel done.

 

 

Someone who couldn’t make the Passover ceremony when it was originally scheduled because he had been in contact with a dead body and was defiled, or was travelling, provision was made to keep it in the second month of the year.

 

Num 9:10-11 KJV

(10)  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD.

(11)  The fourteenth day of the second month at even [ba erev] they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

 

 

Num 9:10-11 YLT 

(10)  'Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, Though any man is unclean by a body or in a distant journey (of you or of your generations), yet he hath prepared a passover to Jehovah;

(11)  in the second month, on the fourteenth day, between the evenings [at twilight, ben ha arbayim] they prepare it; with unleavened and bitter things they eat it;

This is very clear.

 

Daily sacrifices and offerings

Now we have a few passages with instructions on carrying out daily sacrifices and offerings.

Exo 29:38-41 KJV

(38)  Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.

(39)  The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even: [ba erev]

Now it’s unfortunate the morning is mentioned first as it causes confusion that the morning one comes first, when actually the evening sacrifice comes first being at the beginning of the day.

(40)  And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.

(41)  And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, [ba erev] and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

 

Exo 29:39, 41 YLT 

(39)  the one lamb thou dost prepare in the morning, and the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings; [at twilight, ben ha arbayim]

(41)  'And the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings; [at twilight, ben ha arbayim] according to the present of the morning, and according to its libation, thou dost prepare for it, for sweet fragrance, a fire-offering, to Jehovah: —

 

He doesn’t correct the order but plainly says one occurs at ben ha arbayim, the beginning of the day.

 

Num 28:1-4, 8 KJV

(1)  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

(2)  Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season.

(3)  And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering.

(4)  The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even; [ba erev]

(8)  And the other lamb shalt thou offer at even: [ba erev] as the meat offering of the morning, and as the drink offering thereof, thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

 

Same issue. I can see how over time day after day it would seem that the first offering is done in the morning and the second is done at the end of the day. Young makes it clear though.

 

Num 28:4, 8 YLT 

(4)  the one lamb thou preparest in the morning, and the second lamb thou preparest between the evenings; [at twilight, ben ha arbayim]

 

(8)  'And the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings; [at twilight, ben ha arbayim] as the present of the morning, and as its libation thou preparest—a fire-offering, a sweet fragrance to Jehovah.

 

As we’ve learned ben ha arbayim, twilight, begins the day.

 

Lighting the Temple Lamps

And we have one passage regarding lighting the temple lamps.

 

Exo 30:7-8 KJV

(7)  And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.

(8)  And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, [ba erev] he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.

 

Exo 30:8 YLT 

(8)  and in Aaron's causing the lamps to go up between the evenings, [at twilight, ben ha arbayim] he doth perfume it; a continual perfume before Jehovah to your generations.

 

The Jews have mistakenly interpreted the evening to begin at the ninth hour, 3:00 pm in the afternoon and some even as early as right after noon when the sun begins its traverse towards going down. Traditions of men. Why would Aaron light the lamps during the daylight at 3:00 pm in the afternoon?

When do you turn the lights on at your house? In the middle of the afternoon or when it starts to get dark?

 

Proof of the Quails

 

Exo 16:1-3, 8-13 KJV

(1)  And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

(2)  And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

(3)  And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

(8)  And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening [ba erev] flesh to eat, and in the morning [boqer] bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

(9)  And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.

(10)  And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

(11)  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

(12)  I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even [ba erev] ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning [boqer] ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

(13)  And it came to pass, that at even [ba erev] the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

 

Exo 16:6-8 YLT

(6)  And Moses saith—Aaron also—unto all the sons of Israel, 'Evening— [ba erev] and ye have known that Jehovah hath brought you out from the land of Egypt;

(7)  and morning—and ye have seen the honour of Jehovah, in His hearing your murmurings against Jehovah, and what are we, that ye murmur against us?'

(8)  And Moses saith, 'In Jehovah's giving to you in the evening [ba erev]  flesh to eat, and bread in the morning to satiety—in Jehovah's hearing your murmurings, which ye are murmuring against Him, and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against Jehovah.'

 

Notice he says, “evening” in both places. In the evening at sunset [ba erev] you will know it is the Lord Jehovah (v. 6 when you see the quails arrive) and (v. 8) when Jehovah gives you the quail in the evening at sunset [ba erev]. Young properly translates both of these as the evening sunset.

 

Exo 16:11-14 YLT

(11)  And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

(12)  'I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel; speak unto them, saying, Between the evenings ye eat flesh, and in the morning ye are satisfied with bread, and ye have known that I am Jehovah your God.'

(13)  And it cometh to pass in the evening, [ba erev]  that the quail cometh up, and covereth the camp, and in the morning there hath been the lying of dew round about the camp,

(14)  and the lying of the dew goeth up, and lo, on the face of the wilderness a thin, bare thing, thin as hoar-frost on the earth.

 

Take careful note as to when it says, God will give them quails at sunset and when God says they will eat the quails at twilight, between the evenings.

Verses 6, 8, and 13 talk about when God will give them the quails, when they will arrive in the camp. Both the King James and Youngs correctly say “at even” or “evening”, [ba erev] is when they will witness the quails falling all over the camp. The quail come up, they arrive at sunset.

Only verse 12 says when they will eat the quails. The King James says, “at even ye shall eat flesh” and Youngs says, “between the evenings ye eat flesh”. Once again the King James gets it wrong while Young gets it correct. They will begin to eat the quails between the evenings, at twilight, ben ha arbayim after sunset!

You can’t eat the quail before they arrive! They have to arrive at sunset before you can eat them after sunset at twilight. This proves once again that when God said to kill the lambs between the evenings, He meant after sunset the thirteenth at the beginning of the fourteenth. (Exo 12:6)

Why could they not eat the quail until after sunset?

 

Proof of the Manna

 

Notice what it says in the verses regarding the manna.

 

Exo 16:4-5, 8, 12-17 KJV

(4)  Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

(5)  And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

(8)  And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

(12)  I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

 

Exo 16:12 YLT

(12)  'I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel; speak unto them, saying, Between the evenings ye eat flesh, and in the morning ye are satisfied with bread, and ye have known that I am Jehovah your God.'

At twilight you shall eat flesh and that morning you shall eat bread (manna)

 

 

Exo 16:13-17 KJV

(13)  And it came to pass, that at even [at sunset] the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

(14)  And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

(15)  And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

(16)  This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

(17)  And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

 

This was the first day they gathered manna. It was the first of the six days that they would gather it.

 

Exo 16:22-23 KJV

(22)  And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

(23)  And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

 

Exo 16:25-30 KJV

(25)  And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.

(26)  Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

(27)  And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

(28)  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

(29)  See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.

(30)  So the people rested on the seventh day.

 

The seventh day, the 22^nd day of the second month, one week after the quail was a Sabbath.

And that means one week earlier, the 15^th day of the second month had to be a Sabbath also.

They couldn’t eat the quail until after sunset, beginning at twilight, because that day was the Sabbath! God wouldn’t let them violate the Sabbath by slaughtering and roasting quail over an open fire on the Sabbath.

Some may say, “Yeah, but I thought they arrived in the wilderness of Sin on the 15^th. They wouldn’t have been traveling on the 15^th, right?”

 

What day does it say they arrive in the wilderness of Sin? Verse one.

 

Exo 16:1-2 KJV

(1)  And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

(2)  And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

 

This is some unfortunate phrasing as it ignores a very important Hebrew accent mark, the atnah. The atnah is used to express division of thoughts in the Hebrew text. In other words, the atnah divides the verse into two units of thought, similar to the semicolon in English.

The word Sinai has an atnah attached to it in the Hebrew and as such requires a full pause separating it’s thought from the next portion of the text.

More proper phraseology would be read like this –

And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai; [full pause] And on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt, the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

In other words, they didn’t arrive on the 15^th on a Sabbath day. The 15^th was the day they murmured about not having anything to eat.

We know this has to be true because of the proof of the manna. The manna began the very next day after the 15^th, on the 16^th, the first day of the week and ended seven days later on the following Sabbath the 22^nd.

If the 22^nd was a Sabbath, the 15^th had to be a Sabbath!

 

The Selfsame Day

Now, what day did they depart Egypt? Numbers chapter thirty-three.

 

Num 33:3 KJV

(3)  And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.

It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD. (Exo 12:42)

Why am I pointing this out?

The Passover lambs were killed on the 14th of Nisan, the evening before on the 13th after sunset, between the two evenings. They ate the Passover lamb that night and burned the leftovers so nothing remained until morning. (Exo 12:10)

At midnight that same night the Lord passed over and spared their firstborn but killed the firstborn of Egypt. They did not go out of their houses until sunrise of the 14th. (Exo 12:22) They had no idea how long it would take for the firstborn of Egypt to be killed so the only command they had was to not go out of their houses until morning. No way they were going out! Once they saw the sunrise, they knew it was okay.

After sunrise during the Passover day, they began spoiling the Egyptians. (Exo 12:36)

The tribes of Israel then gathered in Rameses. After sunset of the 14th, they departed. It was the 15th of Nisan a Night to be Much Observed! (Exo 12:42)

Notice the days of the week on the calendar. The 14th of Nisan was a Wednesday. Christ was crucified also on a Wednesday some 1230 years later. He was laid to rest in His grave just before sunset. The night the Israelites left Egypt free from bondage in Egypt was the selfsame night we were freed from the bondage of sin and death.

A Night to be Much Observed!

 

Why is This Important?

Our study of the difference between “ba erev – at sunset” and “ben ha arbayim – between the (two) evenings proves that we are keeping the Passover on the correct day, the 14^th of Nisan, after sunset on the 13^th.

Our God is a God of order and precision. When we see evidence of His faithfulness we know we can trust Him and our faith grows.

 

Conclusion

I wish you all an enjoyable Night to be Much Observed when you go out with a high hand. I hope from now on you will always remember twilight time as an important time for the Israel of God.

It’s a wonderful time of transition to a new day.

And according the Platters 1958 #1 hit single entitled, “Twilight Time” it’s a wonderful time to rendezvous with your darling and fall in love again in the afterglow of day together at last at twilight time.

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The Selfsame Day

Introduction

Where were you when the world stopped turning that on September day?

These words were penned by country superstar Alan Jackson a month after the events of September 11^th, 2001 on the Sunday morning of October 21^st. He first performed the song at the 35^th Annual Country Music Awards show just two weeks later on November 7^th.

We can all picture where we were, what we were doing, who we were with, how we felt.

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?

Watching those planes hit the towers in New York and the Pentagon in DC, and one crashing in a field in Pennsylvania, and the emotions we felt changed how we’ve viewed the world ever since.

Still to this day we refer to “September 11^th” without including the year, “2001” and we all know exactly what date we’re referring to. It’s hard to believe this September will be 19 years ago.

Some dates stick in our minds more than others because of the traumatic events that occurred, especially if we were there. Many of us can remember where we were and what we were doing when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dealey Plaza in Dallas, TX.

We remember, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” Neil Armstrong’s famous words when he stepped foot on the moon on July 20^th, 1969. We may no longer remember the actual date but we remember being glued to the TV with our family to watch this dramatic, historic moment.

Other dates were taught to us as a matter of history. July 4^th, 1776 American Independence Day. December 7^th, 1941, a date that will live in infamy.

However, if we’re not taught the events of the past and their significance, they can fade over time. If we don’t pass on our experiences and the meaning of things that happened in times past to our children, they become just dates in a history book to be memorized by rote and regurgitated onto a test paper. If we don’t regularly rehearse them, they become just a date in the deep recesses of our minds or forgotten altogether.

For instance, the year 1066 is stuck in my mind as a significant date but I don’t know why, until I Googled it recently. It was supposedly, according to some scholars, the most significant date in history especially to England.

The Nation of Israel experienced some dramatic historical moments too. One in particular is of such great significance that God reminds us continually over and over throughout the Bible –

“I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt.”

This event occurred on a Night that is to Be Much Observed, a night of great historical significance. (1462 B.C.) Interestingly, it occurred on the exact day, the selfsame day as a previous remarkable event that took place 430 years earlier (1892 B.C.) as proof of God’s faithfulness.

Yet another most significant event occurred again on the selfsame day some 1,492 years after the exodus! (30 A.D) And it is the most significant event of all!

Today we’re going to rehearse these events and why God reminds us repeatedly to remember.

The split-sermon today is entitled – The Selfsame Day

Our Heavenly Father is a God of order. He’s likes things organized. He likes structure. He likes precision. He likes things to be just so. The sun, the moon, and the stars are one huge clock and guidance system. Perfectly timed, and perfectly pointing travelers towards their destinations.

God is involved in what happens here on Earth and also when it happens.

Ecclesiastes chapter 3 tells us –

there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

Like now. Be sure to stay at least 6 feet apart and wash your hands!

Everything has a season, a time according to God’s purpose.

Though events, taken individually, may seem like they’re occurring randomly, in the grander scheme they are not, but are precisely in time with God’s plan and purpose.

Our God is a God of order.

God taught the Israelites his Way of order and discipline in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. He introduced them to the weekly Sabbath and Holy Days.

The Holy Days are in a certain order and sequence and come around every year. God has made appointments with us, sacred appointments, that He expects us to observe and attend. His instructions are very precise and they recur every year on the exact same day on the Hebrew calendar.

We recently observed the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. Both are planned and carried out according to very explicit instructions.

When Jesus Christ initiated the New Covenant, he did so in a very precise manner and instructed us to observe it for a memorial throughout our generations.

God cares for his people and he marks His calendar with significant dates regarding them. Today we will examine one of those dates, one with deep spiritual meaning, one that is to be much remembered.

When the Nation of Israel was enslaved in Egypt under hard bondage, God heard their cry and remembered His people Israel.

Exo 2:23-25 KJV

(23)  And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

(24)  And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

(25)  And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

God had respect unto them. He began to regard his people Israel. He took notice of them. He began to concern himself with them. The time had come.

We all know what happened next. God called Moses to lead them out of Egypt. They witnessed God call down the 10 plagues on Egypt causing Pharaoh to release the slaves – water to blood, frogs, lice, flies, livestock killed, boils, hail & fire, locusts, darkness, and culminating at Passover in the death of the firstborn of Egypt. Extremely dramatic events, traumatic events they wouldn’t soon forget, or so you’d think.

 

And Moses led them through the desert, God parted the waters of the Red Sea and took them to

Mount Horeb where God delivered His Ten Commandments. The Cecil B. Demille classic movie, The Ten Commandments, does a pretty good job of depicting these events, though not entirely biblically accurate.

God told them to always remember and never forget what had happened and who it was that rescued them from slavery in Egypt.

Exo 12:14, 17 KJV

(14)  And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

(17)  And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

Exo 12:40-42, 51 KJV

(40)  Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

(41)  And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

(42)  It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

(51)  And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

The selfsame day as what? An event that took place on the same day, the exact same day, the selfsame day 430 years before to the very day.

Israel was the keep this date as a memorial; a feast to the LORD throughout their generations, even forever.

What happened 430 years ago that God made such a big deal out of it?

Contracts and Covenants

Contracts are agreements between two parties that state how they will conduct themselves in their business dealings with each other. Covenants have provisions within the contracts stating the conditions of the agreement, the “if thens” and what happens if they are violated.

They used to speak of “cutting a covenant” because they literally cut a calf in half and walked between the two halves to ratify their commitment to the agreement they had just made. This was to signify that they should be treated in like manner if they violated their part of the covenant, meaning that if they did not keep their half of the agreement, they were pledging to sacrifice their own blood just as the animals they were passing through. In other words, they were pledging their own lives if the covenant was not kept.

This was a very serious agreement!

This describes when King Zedekiah had made such a covenant with the people of Jerusalem to free their slaves and servants. The people had agreed to the terms in the house of the LORD then walked through the parts of the divided calf and freed their slaves. But afterwards, they violated that covenant by taking the slaves back. God was not pleased.

Jer 34:18-20 KJV

(18)  And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof,

(19)  The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;

(20)  I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.

Adam Clarke says this about cutting a covenant –

When they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof - This was the ancient and most solemn way of making a covenant.

1. A calf as sacrifice was offered to God to secure his approbation and support.

2. The victim was then exactly divided from the nose to the rump; the spinal marrow being divided longitudinally, in the most careful manner, that the half of it might remain on each side.

3. These divided parts were laid opposite to each other, a passage being left between them.

4. The contracting parties entered this passage at each end, met in the middle, and there took the covenant oath; adjudging themselves to death should they break this covenant.

A Maledictory Oath

God made such a covenant with Abram after he returned from rescuing his nephew Lot. Let’s read of this extraordinary covenantal event –

Gen 15:1-21 KJV  After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.  (2)  And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?  (3)  And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.  (4)  And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.  (5)  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.  (6)  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.  (7)  And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.  (8)  And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?  (9)  And he said unto him, Take me an 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.  (10)  And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.  (11)  And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.  (12)  And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.  (13)  And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;  (14)  And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.  (15)  And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.  (16)  But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.  (17)  And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.  (18)  In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:  (19)  The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,  (20)  And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,  (21)  And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

However, notice that God and Abram didn’t both pass between the severed animal parts meeting in the middle. Abram was in a deep sleep. Only God passed through making this a unilateral contract with Abram. It was a unilateral promise, a one-sided promise that God would fulfill or else God himself would pay the penalty.

Only God passed through the covenant sacrifices. He essentially swore by his own self that the covenant would be kept. His promises were sealed by God’s very own nature and character. God went on to confirm his covenant with Abraham again and with Isaac, and with Jacob later named Israel.

Gen 22:16-18 KJV

(16)  And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

(17)  That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

(18)  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

God fulfills everything at His appointed time. He fulfilled the promises that he had given to Abraham in the selfsame day that he had established the covenant - the 15th day of the first month.  Four hundred and thirty years later, to the very same day, the children of Israel left Egypt, beginning their journey to the Promised Land. And 40 years after that they entered the Promised Land and observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for the first time on the selfsame day in Canaan and ate manna no more.

The New Covenant

The Nation of Israel could not keep their part of the bargain of the old covenant though they swore, “All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.” Throughout their history they vacillated between being obedient and being idolatrous. The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. It got so bad that God had to remove them from the land. The northern ten tribes were taken captive by Assyria and carried off to become known as “The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel” in 722 B.C. And the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin were taken captive in 586 B.C. and carried off to Babylon. The covenant was broken by all twelve tribes of Israel. They became so idolatrous that God had no choice but to punish them and remove them from the land.

Yet God was faithful.

Heb 8:7-9 KJV

(7)  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

(8)  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

(9)  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

God began regarding them back in Exo 2:25 where we read but he could regard them no longer because they had gone too far. They had forgotten the Law of God. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (Hos 4:6)

But God had pledged his own blood if all elements of the covenant were not kept forever. The house of Israel and the house of Judah did not continue in the covenant they had sworn, “all that the Lord hath said, we will do”. Though it was through no fault of his own, God had sworn the covenant oath by his own self, a unilateral maledictory oath.

Before a new covenant could be made, the terms of the old covenant had to be satisfied.

The terms and conditions had to be met. God had to die.

Worthy is the Lamb That Was Slain

God made a maledictory oath pledging his own life if the covenant was not kept. God kept his part of the covenant but man was never able to keep his part. Nevertheless, it was God out of his love and compassion for man, who took responsibility for the failed covenant.

In the form of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, he gave his own life thus fulfilling the maledictory oath, his body lying in the grave on the selfsame day.

Heb 9:15-17 NASB

(15)  For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

(16)  For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.

(17)  For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.

God went on to fulfill the other provisos of the covenant blessings of Abraham. His seed did become as the sand of the sea and will become as the stars of heaven. And through them all the nations of the earth have been blessed. For a deeper understanding how this happened study our booklet, The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy.

Why would God fulfill the death pledge of the maledictory oath? And after doing so, why would he continue to honor the blessing therein?

Heb 6:17-20 KJV

(17)  Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

(18)  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

(19)  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

(20)  Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

God fulfilled completely his oath to show us the immutability of his counsel and to give us strong consolation knowing that God has not and will not lie and will keep his promises. He did it for us. That we might have hope knowing his character that we can put our faith and trust in him.

God keeps his promises.

There’s an individual in this story who ties it all together. We just read his name in verse 20 of Hebrews 6, Melchisidec! Who was this Melchisidec and what part does he play in our study of the selfsame day?

Heb 7:1-3 KJV

(1)  For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

(2)  To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

(3)  Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

This person was without father, without mother, without children, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God.

Let’s read about this meeting he had with Abraham.

Gen 14:17-20 KJV

(17)  And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.

(18)  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

(19)  And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

(20)  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

This Melchizedek was indeed someone of great importance. He was the King of Salem and he was the priest of the most high God. A king and a priest. Notice the symbols he brought out. He brought forth bread and wine. These are Passover symbols. This took place at the time of the Passover.

Turn the page to chapter 15 –

Verse 1 says, “the word of the Lord” came to Abram. Who is the Word of the Lord?

Gen 15:17 KJV  And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

Who was it that passed through the parts invoking the maledictory oath?

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psa 119:105)

For our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:29)

For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. (Deu 4:24 KJV)

So, who was this Melchisedec? I think we know!

It says in Gen. 15:1 that “the word of the Lord” came to Abram. Who’s the Word of the Lord? Christ!

Who was the Lord God of the Old Testament who made the covenant by maledictory oath to Abram, pledging his own death if the covenant failed? Christ!

Who led the Israelites out of the land of Egypt on the selfsame day? That rock was Christ!

Who fulfilled the gruesome edicts of the failure of that covenant on the cross at Golgotha and his body lied in the grave on the selfsame day? Christ!

Who loved us so much that even though it wasn’t His fault the old covenant failed, He still kept the oath He swore? Christ!

Who simultaneously instituted the new covenant of our salvation? Christ!

Who was this Melchisedec who met Abram after he rescued his nephew Lot? Christ!

Jesus Christ, the King of Salem, the Priest of the Most High God!

Who was dead but is now alive for evermore!

Rev 1:18 KJV  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Conclusion

Children need structure. They need stability. They need reassurance. They need to know their parents care for them. They need to know they care about their needs; they care about their wellbeing.

They need to be constantly reminded that we’re here for them. The children of God are no different.

Sometimes we get what Lee Strobel calls “Spiritual Amnesia”.

He says, “Spiritual amnesia is when we get so worried and nervous and anxiety ridden over our future because we’ve forgotten God’s track record of helping us in our past.”

We need to remind ourselves from time to time what God has done for us.

The Night To Be Much Observed is such a time. It is different from all other nights. It is a very significant time. It is not just a chance to get together with our brethren and share a nice meal.

It is the selfsame day God made his covenant with Abram by maledictory oath pledging his own life.

It is the selfsame day Abram experienced the horror of great darkness.

It is the selfsame day our Lord experienced the same horror of the darkness of death in the tomb.

It is the selfsame day when God brought Israel out of Egypt.

It is the selfsame day our Lord brought us out of the spiritual bondage to sin and death.

It is the selfsame day when Joshua and the Israelites observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for the first time in the Promised Land.

It is the selfsame day our Lord satisfied the terms of the Old Covenant by His blood, and by His blood initiated the New Covenant of our salvation.

It is a day unlike any other day. It is a day with deep spiritual meaning. It is a day that marks the beginning of God’s watchful care over his people Israel.

If we aren’t careful to remember the true significance of the Night to Be Much Observed and teach it to our children, we risk it going the way of the 4^th of July and Memorial Day. Just another day to get together with family and friends to grill hamburgers and hot dogs and drink beer.

The Night to Be Much Observed is not just a night when we go out with a high hand and celebrate with our brothers and sisters in Christ and share our favorite unleavened baked goods. It is a night to remember these dramatic, traumatic historical events in times past that occurred on the selfsame day.

And not just these only.

Why is this night different from all other nights? Because it is a night we remember God’s watchful care over us. We take time to reflect and meditate on the times when we were anxious, when we were in trouble, when we cried out to God and God heard our cry and cared for us and comforted us.

We remember the times we prayed to the Almighty Sovereign Ruler and Creator of the Universe and He heard our prayer. And we teach our children the stories of times that God intervened on our behalf.

Book of Remembrance

God has a Book of Remembrance that he uses to record all the times we have thought about Him and spoken of Him.

Mal 3:16 KJV  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

I might make a suggestion that each of us start a Book of Remembrance of our own to record all the times that God has revealed himself to us, to record all the times that God has been faithful to us, to record all the times that God has come through for us lest we forget and become anxious and fearful in times to come.

And when we pause to remember these things, we know that God will intervene on our behalf again. We remember how He cared for us then and are comforted by that now. We know that no matter what happens He cares for us because we remember how He cared for us then.

So, the Night to Be Much Observed, the selfsame day, is a night filled with much to remember. A night of deep spiritual significance, lest we forget all that God has done for us.

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