“In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover. 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.”
-Leviticus 23:5-6
Last weekend, as part of our journey to celebrate biblical feasts, our family observed Passover. I did not expect to find myself so emotionally moved by the experience…but I was! As we read through the Scriptures and discussed the symbolism of each verse, each act, and each food, we discovered Christ in each part of it!
WHY didn’t we do this sooner?!
“…Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten…Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.”
-Exodus 13:3, 7
We began by searching our quarters, our home, for leaven. Being that we are not Jewish, this was more about teaching our children principles, and not about the regulations. With a candle to light our way (“I am the Light of the World”), we searched every room in our home (see upper left photo). Traditionally, this is done with a wooden spoon and a feather –think: dustpan & broom – so that you do not come in contact with the leaven. We did not have a feather handy, so we substituted a long-handled paintbrush. We collected the bits of bread into a paper bag and tied it closed with a bit of twine, sealing it off.
The leaven represents the sin in our lives, revealed by the Light of the World. It must be removed, so we can be restored to the Father!
The next morning we burned the bag of leaven. (lower left photo)
Just as only Christ can remove our sin, the fire burned away the leaven from our homes.
Our Seder dinner was a joy for our family. With family in town, we were able to celebrate this special time together. Each food on the Seder plate (bottom right photo) represented a part of the Exodus story:
- Maror, or bitter herbs (horseradish) to represent the bitterness and harshness of the slavery the Hebrews endured in Egypt
- Charoset, (chopped apples, spices, and nuts)symbolizing the mortar used to build the storehouses
- Karpas, a vegetable (italian parsley), like the hyssop dipped in blood, to be dipped in salt water, for the tears shed in pain by the slaves
- Z’roa, a roasted lamb shank bone (we used a chicken neck) for the sacrificial lamb
- Beitzah, a hard-boiled egg, symbolizing the festival sacrifice in the temple in Jerusalem, and a sign of mourning at the temple’s destruction
We also had our 4 glasses of wine (grape juice), matzoh bread, and other traditional elements. (For more info, you can find lots of information here.)
The atmosphere in our home was one of anticipation…What does this mean? Why are we doing this? Our telling of the story, going through the traditional order, was…long. My 10 year old son finally put his down on the table, listening, but no longer able to participate. I kept getting choked up when it was my turn to read God’s Word…Thankfully, my husband carried us through, and our meal was delicious!
Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, our sacrificial Lamb to die for our sins, so that we may be saved from death by the covering of His Blood. Thank you for saving Your People and providing for their every need…then…and now! May we always be ready for where you will lead us.
In Jesus’ Holy Name,
Amen!
