The Inward Journey

ENTERING INTO THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES, Part One

THE PASSOVER
By Douglas B. Clark

Why is there no record in the New Testament of a spiritual Feast of Tabernacles experience like there is of Passover and Pentecost? Some believe it is yet a future event that will soon transpire in this new, third day. But is there a spiritual dimension in the Feast of Tabernacles that we can enter into now?

The spiritual fulfillment of Passover and Pentecost were events that happened at a particular point in time and therefore we could also draw the conclusion that the Feast of Tabernacles would follow the same pattern. However, if we examine the significance of each spiritual fulfillment in light of our individual experience in Christ, then I think it is easier to see how this third feast fits into God’s plan, and how that each of the feasts reveal the progressive revelation of life of the Father in us.

The Feast of Passover

In observance of Passover, the Israelites were told to find a male lamb without blemish and to take its blood and place it on the doorpost of each of their houses. Then they were to thoroughly cook the lamb over a fire and eat it. They were to eat it that night and if anything was left over it was to be burned with fire the next morning. During this observance they were also told to keep their shoes on and to eat in haste to remind them how quickly they left Egypt.

“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. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S Passover.” Ex 12: 7-11

The Feast of Passover was to serve as a reminder of how God delivered the children of Israel from the rule of Pharaoh in Egypt; it also has a symbolic representation fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It is interesting to note several things about Passover.

1. The blood was placed on the doorway.

5. They had to do all these things in haste with their shoes on.

The Doorway
“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.” Ex 12: 7

While the Jews gathered to partake of this important feast, the true Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, was observing the Passover supper with the twelve disciples. He spoke in a symbolic language as He instructed each of them to eat the bread, representing his body that would be broken and to drink the wine, representing His blood that would be shed.

In the next few hours a chain of incredible events transpired. First Jesus is arrested. Then He is flogged. The Roman soldiers mock Him by placing a crown of thorns upon His head and a kingly robe upon His shoulders. Finally He is nailed upon the cross where in His final moments He cries out, “It is finished.” Simultaneously the veil in the temple is torn in two, signifying the end of an age. There were things set in motion that day, opening the doorway for the Kingdom of God to be established in the heart of humanity. This was the spiritual fulfillment of Passover.

Under the old covenant law, the animal sacrifice, circumcision, and the observance of holy days did not have the power to change us from within. Instead the law was a constant reminder of our separation from God. But who knew that the Law and everything that pertained to the tabernacle provided a key to understanding the realities of the spiritual life that are found in Jesus Christ? Beautiful mysteries began unfolding that day when Jesus said, “take and eat: this is my body,” and “drink from it, all of you.” (Matt 26:26-27) First is the natural, (type or shadow) followed by the spiritual (life and reality.)

In the spiritual fulfillment of Passover Jesus is the door. This is why the blood from the Passover lamb was to be placed on the doorway. Jesus said:

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10: 9

Partaking of the Sacrifice
“And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.” Ex 12: 8

This brings us to point number two. Each Israelite was told to cook the lamb over a fire and to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The blood on the doorpost symbolized the imputed righteousness we partake of as a result of His blood being shed on our behalf. However, as already mentioned, there is more to Passover then the blood on the doorpost. Each Israelite had to eat the lamb along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Can we see that once we have received the imputed righteousness of Christ that God has something more for us? His grace and mercy is revealed in the Divine ability to use obstacles in our lives as a means to accomplish His purpose in us.

Jesus Christ is not only our Savior, He is our elder brother who has forged the path for us to grow in relationship with the Father, so we might be His expression in the earth. Since leaven symbolizes the carnal mind, we can draw the conclusion that unleavened bread reveals there is nothing we can add to what God has already done.

The bitter herbs represent the suffering and hardship that is experienced from the time we leave Egypt, to the time we arrive at the Promised Land. We see this bitter herb first in the Israelites wilderness journey, second through the sufferings of the cross and third, in the suffering we experience under the corrective hand of God, as His Word, sharper then any two-edged sword, divides and separates what was born out of the soul from what was born of the Spirit.

If I have learned one thing over the past thirty years it is that He who has begun a good work will complete it. Though I have hungered to know God since I was a child, time and time again I have seen situations arise where something in me was in opposition to Him. Most of the time it has involved a desire in me to make my mark in the world; first in ministry, then in business and then in again in ministry. God has continually been faithful at dashing all my dreams to the ground. As I have partaken of the sacrifice I have also tasted the bitter herb.

How nice it would be if the imputed righteousness of Christ instantaneously overcame all the “self” in us. I have found there is a vast wilderness to cross on the way to the Promised Land and God desires to make the captain of our salvation perfect through suffering. (Heb 2:10)

I have a good friend who was once a political consultant. He has a gift for making things happen. He was also among the leadership in a strong home fellowship. First God took away the power job, after that the home fellowship folded. He then spent several years writing a book as he withdrew from society into his cocoon. After the book was done negotiations with publishers began, with none of them producing any results. Everywhere he has turned adversity has stared him down. For a long time he has held on to the hope that God would throw him a life preserver as he was going under. There in the middle of the river He felt the taste of the bitter herbs as he watched Jesus Christ standing on the shore, lifeline in hand, but refusing to throw it. Eventually my friend gave up. He quit struggling and now is coming into a peace that passes all understanding. He has partaken of the Lamb and has eaten the unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The turbulence that once was his enemy has now become his friend.

No Raw Meat
There were specific instructions regarding the preparation of the sacrificial lamb before eating it. It was not to be eaten raw, or cooked with water. God said to roast it with fire and then to eat all of it. If there was anything left over it was to be burned in the fire the next day. (Ex 12: 7-11)

Spiritually speaking, raw meat is any truth that has not been tried in the fire. In partaking of spiritual food, there is a vast difference between learning a truth and ingesting something revealed by the Holy Spirit. When God reveals His life to us it begins as a foretaste and then it must be digested. This digestive process occurs as we walk it out experientially. It starts out sweet to taste and then become bitter in our stomach. The bitterness occurs as a result of the resistance of “self” to what God is doing in us.

I have learned that “self” is very clever at providing opportunities for its survival. This is why doctrines continually pop up that appeal to “self.” In the 1980’s I heard so much teaching about how we are “Kings Kids” and need to start acting like it. This teaching said that Jesus suffered in our place so we would not have to suffer. Therefore, He died not only to supply our needs, but our wants too! According to those who propagated this teaching, all you had to do is follow a formula of giving financially into their ministry and God would bless your giving and multiply it back to you a hundred-fold. I have heard them say, “The Lord shows me that there are ten people here tonight that are to give a sacrificial offering of ten thousand dollars each. If you do this God is going to bless you beyond your wildest dreams.” This is a fleshly lie! It would be more honest to send people to the nearest convenience store and tell them to buy a lottery ticket as a means of receiving financial blessing! This kind of teaching is raw meat that hasn’t been processed in the fire. It is popular because it appeals to the flesh and it has nothing whatsoever to do with dying to self and allowing the life of the Father to have preeminence in us. Both those who propagate such lies and those who believe them are guilty of trying to find another way into the Kingdom other than the cross. If we emphasize the grace of God without acknowledging the refining fire, the truth we embrace is like raw meat.

The spiritual truths foreshadowed by the feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, reveal the path of our spiritual progression as we mature in our walk with God. It is like being invited to a progressive dinner. First we start with an appetizer of forgiveness of sins and imputed righteousness. Then we are taken to a new place where we are given a power meal of the Holy Spirit and tasty, yeast raised bread. After that we travel a great distance to reach the location for the third course. It is one of those hidden away places that not too many folk know about. The décor is simple with individual booths garnered with the fruit of the earth and a portion of the fall harvest. Along the way some of the folk complain about experiencing indigestion, but I know it is worth the travel and worth the wait. God has saved the best meal for last!

Come taste and see that the Lord is good. But please realize that what He reveals to us must be cooked in the fire. Isn’t that what Paul implied when he said: “Every man’s work will be revealed by fire to see what sort it is.” (I Cor 3:13) When God speaks something to us He is faithful to allow the necessary situations to burn that truth into our heart.

Prepared Without Water
“Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.” Ex 12:9

The Israelites were told not to use water when cooking the lamb. Water can symbolize cleansing as in water baptism or foot washing, but it also represents the Holy Spirit. The most common example of this is when Jesus was talking to the woman at the well when He told her about the living water that would spring up within us as a well that would never run dry. (Joh 4:14) All things that God allows to transpire in our lives are for the purpose of establishing His well of living water within us and teaching us how to drink from it.

How many times have we cried out for the water of the Holy Spirit while in the midst of tribulation yet received nothing? This experience is by design. During those moments when the heavens become still and the river of God runs dry, all that is in us that is not of Him rises to the surface. The one thing that “self” refuses to do is be still.

For many years during my tribulation times I would try to pray and instead of experiencing His sweet presence all I encountered was emotional turmoil. It was a difficult phenomena to understand. Why would it hurt to pray? I have come to realize that every time I tried to pray that I was accessing the part of my inner man that was burning in the fire. I could feel the agonizing pain of a slow death as all my ambitions were roasting away. Though I cried for water upon my tongue I received nothing. Through this I have learned to trust that God is working all things after the council of His own will. (Eph 11:1) And I have learned to dare not judge after outward appearances. For nothing is as it appears while in the fire.

Once the fire has accomplished what God has purposed for it there comes a time of refreshing where we once again taste the living water of the Holy Spirit.

Eating in Haste
“And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S Passover.” Ex 12:11

Nutritionists will tell you to not eat in haste. They point out it is much better for our health to eat slowly and in a relaxed atmosphere. So why is God telling the Israelites to eat in haste? He wanted the Israelites to remember that immediately after being delivered from Egypt, they started their wilderness journey toward the Promised Land. That is why they had their shoes on.

God wants us to embark on our journey. We cannot linger at the door of Passover. We must go through the door and we must eat of the Lamb that is cooked on the fire without water and we must not add our own ideas to what God gives us, but eat unleavened bread and the bitter herbs. We must partake of Feast of Passover in haste, because God wants to deliver us from the bondage of servitude to our earthly desires and take us on a spiritual journey to know Him. The sustenance we acquire from eating the spiritual Passover Lamb will give us the strength needed to begin our journey into God’s Kingdom. As we pass through the door the living water of the Holy Spirit awaits us to be our guide through the wilderness and into the Promised Land of His rest.

To be continued…

Douglas B. Clark
doug@theinwardjourney.net
PO Box 431
Niles, MI 49120