Passover Is Almost Here. What Should We Be Doing Till Then? THE PURGE!

I wrote the blog linked below during a previous Passover. Please make sure to read or reread it first, as we will now build upon it. Click the bold title below:

Happy Passover & Feast of Unleavened Bread

So… as you saw in the blog above, we went through the first half of 1 Corinthians 5. Now, let’s take a look at what we should be doing in response to the last half—especially as we prepare to celebrate The Feast this year:

“In the letter that I wrote you I told you not to associate with immoral people. Now I did not mean pagans who are immoral or greedy or are thieves, or who worship idols. To avoid them you would have to get out of the world completely. What I meant was that you should not associate with a person who calls himself a believer but is immoral or greedy or worships idols or is a slanderer or a drunkard or a thief. Don’t even sit down to eat with such a person. After all, it is none of my business to judge outsiders. God (YAH) will judge them. BUT should you not judge THE MEMBERS OF YOUR OWN FELLOWSHIP? As the scripture says, “Remove the evil person from your group.””‬‬

1 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭GNTD

Family, as we read above, it is not enough to simply remove all the physical leaven (yeast) from our homes and diets—though doing so serves as a powerful reminder. We must also fervently and intentionally focus on purging the spiritual leaven—which is sin—from our hearts and lives. But that’s not all… As followers of YAH and as a body of believers in the Messiah, we must also remove wicked individuals from our fellowships, assemblies, and congregations.

Here are just a few of the many verses that command us to purge wickedness and the wicked from among us:

“The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and the hand of all the people last. So you SHALL PURGE the evil from your midst. “And the man who acts arrogantly, so as not to listen to the priest who stands to serve there before יהוה (YAH) your Elohim, or to the judge, that man shall die. So you SHALL PURGE the evil from Yisra’ĕl.”‬‬

Deḇarim (Deuteronomy)‬ ‭17‬:‭7‬, ‭12‬ ‭TS2009

“then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother. Thus you SHALL PURGE the evil from your midst.”

Deḇarim (Deuteronomy)‬ ‭19‬:‭19‬ ‭TS2009‬‬

“Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones. Thus you SHALL PURGE the evil from your midst. And let all Yisra’ĕl hear, and fear.”‬‬

Deḇarim (Deuteronomy)‬ ‭21‬:‭21‬ ‭TS2009

“When a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman. Thus you SHALL PURGE the evil from Yisra’ĕl.”

Deḇarim (Deuteronomy)‬ ‭22‬:‭22‬ ‭TS2009‬‬

I know, I know… We are not in our land right now, so we cannot carry out complete judgment or execution as described above while living in these lands of our captivity. However, we can purge the wicked from among us. We must remove unrighteousness from our assemblies after diligently proving, addressing, and rebuking sin according to the Torah (Instructions). We see how we are commanded in the verses and chapters listed above, as well as in the verses below:

“Rebuke publicly all those who commit sins, so that the rest may be afraid.”

1 Timothy‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬ ‭GNTD‬‬

We do best when we rebuke sin from among US before it spreads further within OUR households and assemblies. If we address and correct these matters early—purging out the sin from OUR bodies, OUR homes, and OUR fellowships—before it grows and corrupts the whole body of Messiah (like yeast does to dough), then we are truly doing a good work!

Lastly, let us remember these verses:

“Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light. (It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.) And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed;”‬‬

Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭GNTD

“If you love others, you will never do them wrong; to love, then, is to obey the whole Law. You must do this, because you know that the time has come for you to wake up from your sleep. For the moment when WE will be saved is closer now than it was when WE first believed. The night is nearly over, day is almost here. Let US stop doing the things that belong to the dark, and let us take up weapons for fighting in the light. Let US conduct ourselves properly, as people who live in the light of day—no orgies or drunkenness, no immorality or indecency, no fighting or jealousy.”

Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭GNTD‬‬

“The Lord (YAH) says, “Shout as loud as you can! Tell My people Israel about their sins! They worship Me every day, claiming that they are eager to know My ways and obey My laws. They say they want Me to give them just laws and that they take pleasure in worshiping Me.” The people ask, “Why should we fast if the Lord (YAH) never notices? Why should we go without food if He pays no attention?” The Lord (YAH) says to them, “The truth is that at the same time you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers. Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. Do you think this kind of fasting will make Me listen to your prayers? When you fast, you make yourselves suffer; you bow your heads low like a blade of grass and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on. Is that what you call fasting? Do you think I will be pleased with that? “The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives. “THEN My favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; My presence will protect you on every side. When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond. “IF you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; IF you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, THEN the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry. Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.””

Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭GNTD‬‬

Well, that’s enough for us all to chew on as we prepare our hearts, homes, and congregations to celebrate the Feast—unleavened & free of sin! Pray for me as I pray for you, pray for all the assemblies and homes of scattered Yisrael and our companions: May the Most High YAH be pleased with the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts. HalleluYAH for being our strength and Redeemer!

And let us never forget: YAH’s final purging is coming.

Until next time, shalom ✌🏾
~Yahrahn
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Again, to download, view, and print out this year’s feast day calendar, click here: https://www.arkcommunity.org/calendar

And please ensure that you download your copy of this outstanding resource below:

And for a Feast overview:

Ways to Keep the Biblical Holidays: YAH’s Springtime Feasts