Article by Neal Parker
“For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this thing I did command them; Listen and obey My voice, and I will be your God and you will be My people. Walk in the whole way that I command you, that it may be well with you.” Jeremiah 7:22-23
Jeremiah states that, initially, God never spoke to the Israelites about offerings and sacrifices when the Old Covenant was made, with them. Through Jeremiah, God is talking about the generation of Israelites to whom He gave His law and with whom He made the Old Covenant. It is easily understood why no other sacrifices are given in the Old Covenant except for the Passover (Exodus 23:18). God does not mention them because He did not require them under the terms of the Old Covenant. All He wanted Israel to do was to keep the Commandments, the statutes, and the judgments that He had already given to them with one exception—the Passover, the only sacrifice that He required!
It appears that this is one reason why the New Covenant did not perpetuate the other sacrifices, even though the Old Covenant became obsolete: The sacrifices were never a part of it in the first place. In terms of Passover, the symbols changed to bread and wine, but we still keep it.
There are three reasons why Christians should keep the Passover even though it is also part of the Old Covenant. First, like the Commandments, they preceded the making of the Old Covenant. Passover was commanded in Exodus 12, enforced, and practiced before Israel ever got to Mt. Sinai. Second, it is commanded in the New Testament and shown by the example of Christ and the apostles. Third, while the Passover and the Holy Days of God, are included within the statutes of God, like the Sabbath they are to be kept in perpetuity (Leviticus 23, Numbers 9).
