This year, 22nd -30th April 2024 is the week of Passover/Pesach and Unleavened Bread/Chag Ha Mazot
This is the beginning of the Hebrew spiritual new year of 5784 which is the calendar set in by our Heavenly Father as given through Moses to the children of Israel.Ex. 6 and Lev. 23.
If you are new to the site there are several earlier posts giving details of the spring Appointed Times of the Lord. In Hebrew called The Moedim.
One of the highlights is the Pesach/Passover Seder. This is more than just delicious foods like matzah ball soup, fish and brisket. The main purpose is to retell the story of the Israelites redemption from the slavery of Egypt, this is done through the reading of the Haggadah; Hebrew for The Telling. This booklet gets its name from Exodus 13:8 where the Israelites are exhorted to“tell” their children about God and His works.
Part of the seder included in the Haggadah is asking what is termed:
The Four Questions – Mah Nishtanah מה נשתנה .
Mah nishtanah halaylah hazeh mikol halaylot.
(Pronounced: Mah Nishtanah Ha-lailah ha-zeh mee-kol ha-leilot.)
Mah Nishtanah – are the first two words in a phrase meaning:
‘Why is tonight different from all other nights?’
It is usually asked by the youngest guest at the gathering. This question may have been asked by John at the meal shared with Jesus/Yeshua and the other disciples. Then the seder leader replies by asking what differences they notice, there are variations on the questions; however, the youngest person then replies that there are four ways in which they notice a difference about this night of Pesach/Passover:
First Difference:
She-bechol halaylot anu ochlim chametz o matzah, halaylah hazeh kulo matzah?
On all other nights we eat bread or matzah, while on this night we eat only matzah.
This is because they left Egypt in haste and their dough/bread did not have time to rise, and as they carried it on their backs it became flat and baked hard in the sun.
Second Difference:
She-bechol halaylot anu ochlim she’ar yerakot, halaylah hazeh maror?
On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables and herbs, but on this night we have to eat bitter herbs.
This is as a means of recalling the bitterness of bondage and slavery in Egypt.
Third Difference:
She-bechol halaylot ain anu matbilin afilu pa’am echat, halaylah hazeh shtei pe’amim?
On all other nights we don’t dip our vegetables in salt water, but on this night we dip them twice.
The first dipping is into the dish with salt water to remind them of the bitter sadness and salty tears that were shed during their years in bondage to the Egyptians.
The second dipping is in the cheroset, the mixture of sweet fruit and nuts. This reminds them to rejoice in that the sweetness of their freedom came from their miraculous deliverance from slavery by Gods’ intervention.
On all other nights we eat while sitting upright, but on this night we eat reclining.
The fourth “question” refers to the ancient custom of eating while reclining on one elbow. It symbolizes the concept of freedom and refers to the idea that Jews would be able to have a celebratory meal while relaxing together and enjoying each others’ company. This question became part of The Four Questions after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. Originally the fourth question, mentioned in the Talmud (Mishnah Pesachim 10:4) was: “On all other nights we eat meat which has been roasted, stewed, or boiled, but on this night we eat only roasted meat.”
This original fourth question referred to the practice of sacrificing the Paschal/Passover lamb at the Temple, a practice that ceased after the Temple’s destruction. Once the sacrificial system was abandoned, the rabbis replaced the fourth question with one about reclining during the Passover seder.They also added the roasted egg as a reminder of the roasted meat they could no longer enjoy as there was no longer a Temple in Jerusalem.
Another interesting part of the traditional readings included in the Haggadah includes the parable of the four sons and/or daughters, who have differing responses to the same story.
The questions are included in the Haggadah as part of the Maggid- מַגִּיד (Hebrew for narrate,) – which is designed to satisfy the needs of four different types of people and their relationship to the Word of God/Torah.
(A maggid, also spelled as magid, is a traditional Jewish religious itinerant preacher, skilled as a narrator of Torah and religious stories; a title most commonly held by preachers who flourished in Poland and Russia during the 17th and 18th centuries.)
The Four sons/daughters are typified from scripture as:
The Wise son,…
“When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and statutes and judgments (precepts) which the LORD our God has commanded you?”
Deut. 6:20
The Wicked/Rebellious son,
who says:
‘What do you mean by this service?’ Exod. 12:26.
The Simple son /The stupid son,
“saying
‘What is this?’
and
The One Who Doesn’t Know How to Ask.
A little more on each of the 4:
The wise child,
in Hebrew chakham,
is the one who wants to know the technical details; he/she inquires about why the Israelites/Jews practice the customs of Passover/Pesach. The seder leader describes this child as wise because he/she wants to know more about the traditions of their people. The seder is for him/her, a time of education and of historical importance, helping him/her to understand who he/she is and his/her heritage. Deut. 6:20.
The wise son, or daughter, reflects a verse in Deuteronomy, not Exodus. What does this child ask?
“What are the testimonies, statutes, and ordinances that Hashem our God has commanded you?” (Deut 6:20).
In response, says the Haggadah, the father is to instruct the child regarding the laws of Pesach/Passover, down to the final detail which is that: “After the Passover offering, no dessert is to be eaten.”
The wicked child, in Hebrew rasha, is the child who excludes themselves and learns the penalty for doing so. This child is rebellious and wants no part of the Peasch/Passover traditions; and asks why the Jewish people other than him/her practice the customs of Pesach/Passover. The seder leader responds by describing this child as wicked, since he/she thinks Passover/Pesach customs are meant to be observed by other Israelites but not him/her. He/she is rebellious and is uninterested in the family history and is disrespecting the parents, wanting the blessings, but not wanting to keep the commandments of Torah, this child is a hypocrite. The harsh response is an attempt to bring the child to repentance.
The wicked son speaks up in Exodus 12:26, asking:
“What is this service to you?”
When he says to you, the father is to answer,
“It is for this that Hashem acted for me when I came out of Egypt” Exod 13:8.
The Haggadah comments: “For me, but not for him. Had he been there he would not have been redeemed.” Perhaps the rebuke will bring this son to repentance.
The simple child, in Hebrew tam,
is one who needs to know just the basics; they are somewhat bewildered by the Pesach/Passover seder, its meaning, and its format and observances. The seder leader responds by explaining to him/her about Gods’ favor toward the Israelites during their time of slavery in Egypt and why it is very important to remember Gods’ salvation with humility and gratitude.
The simple son says only, “What is this?” and the answer is simple too: “By strength of hand did Hashem bring us out from Egypt, the house of bondage. Exodus 13:14. And for the son who doesn’t know how to ask, the father initiates his instruction, as it is written, “And you shall relate to your son that day, saying ‘It is because of this that Hashem acted for me when I came out of Egypt’” Ex. 13:8.
Then the fourth son/daughter
who is the child who is unable to ask, the one who doesn’t even know enough to know what he/she needs to know or ask. In Hebrew Avudraham. This child, the – she’eilo yodea lishol, is simply told about the Passover/Pesach story in accordance with the biblical command given in Exodus 1:8 and thou shalt tell thy son….forth out of Egypt. Exod 13:8.
The story of the 4 sons/daughters is intended to commend the wise child and to encourage us to remember the Hebrew/Israelite/Jewish beginnings, the genesis of our faith. We are to study Torah and all the old Testament and respect the Hebrew/Jewish/Israelite way of life; for if we neglect this, we have failed in our responsibility to our heritage.
The children are listed in order of their intellectual capacities:
The wise child, understands the importance of their heritage and sees it as a means of preserving the knowledge of the Lord God of Israel for posterity and future generations.
the wicked child, who is also wise but whose insolence leads them to be rebellious and act wickedly;
the simple child, who has at least enough intelligence to ask; and finally
the one who does not know how to ask (Avudraham).
The Four Children: Wise, Rebellious, Simple, and Quiet
Modern day educators understand that children are individuals and learn differently from each other. In order to teach effectively, a teacher must figure out what the student wants to learn, how they learn best, where they are at emotionally, and adjust their instruction accordingly.
The educators (rabbis) in the Mishnaic period, who lived about 2,000 years ago, also understood this. Here’s what they had to say about teaching children at the seder:
The wise child asks a very detailed question. This child seems to want to know everything there is to know about the Passover seder.
The Haggadah advises the parent to answer the wise child with lots of details about Passover. In answer to “the wise son’s question,” the father explains why we keep God’s commandments. Deut. 6:20–25.
Why are so many and varied mitzvot related to the Exodus? What is so significant about this historic incident that warrants its pervading every facet of daily life?
“You may not eat after partaking of the Paschal sacrifice.” Why?
Because it is the symbol of spiritual liberation.
The offering of the paschal lamb represents our rejection of paganism with all its inherent materialism and self-indulgence. Therefore, the taste of spiritual liberty must be allowed to linger, and we are to savor it as long as it can last. There are many pleasantries that initiate desires and tempt us, and we must be aware that pleasant-tasting foods might cover up the taste of our precious spiritual freedom, and therefore must be avoided. Physical pleasures may be so seductive that we are always at risk of sacrificing our spirituality for them. We so need to be constantly reminded of the teachings of the Exodus.
The authors of the Haggadah describe the rebellious child as someone who feels excluded or who excluded themselves. Some commentators note, though, that although this child feels like an outsider they are still sitting at the table. In answer to “the wicked son’s question,” the father explains why we offer the paschal sacrifice. Exod. 12:26–27. The rebellious person, however, does not ask in order to know; their mind is closed because they have already made their decisions. They prefer earthly pleasures to spiritual strivings, and their attitude is, Who needs all this ritual anyway? This can hardly be considered a question, but is rather a statement of defiance, disrespect and rebellion.
There is little value in trying to reason with a person like this, because they do not want to listen. So to this person the leader of a modern day Haggadah might say, “There were the likes of you in Egypt, who refused to follow Moses into the desert. There were also those who did leave with Moses but relapsed into paganism with the worship of the Golden Calf. And there were those who complained about the manna, saying, ‘We wish we were back in Egypt, when we had fish, onions, garlic, and melons’. Numbers 11:5. There were those who said, ‘Let us appoint a new leader and return to Egypt’ 14:4.“Had you been there, you might have grudgingly exited from Egypt along with everyone else, but you would have willingly traded the hard-won, precious liberty for physical indulgences. You are far more interested in feeding your stomach rather than nurturing your mind. Yes, you might have left Egypt, but you would not have been redeemed. You would have maintained a slave mentality well into the life of freedom.”
We should seek to liken ourselves to the wise person, who constantly seeks to gain knowledge, so that we may always progress in our walk, growing spiritually.
The simple child asks a simple question and receives a basic answer. Sometimes we are so excited about a topic that we give our children more information than they are ready for, or are interested in. The authors of the Haggadah are reminding us not to overwhelm our children with more information than they are ready for. In answer to “the simple/stupid child’s question,” the father explains why firstborn animals are offered to God. Exod. 13:14–15.
In contrast to the wise child — who understands the value of spiritual freedom and therefore their only question is “in what way is the Exodus related to so many varied mitzvot?” — the simple child is overwhelmed by all the ritual of Passover. They do not reject it like the depraved/rebellious child, but in their bewilderment sincerely ask, “What is all this for?” and they deserve an answer.
The answer provided, that “God delivered us from the Egyptian bondage with a mighty hand,” refers not only to the coercion of Pharaoh, but to the fact that even many of the Israelites had to be coerced to leave Egypt. Scripture tells us that Moses had to convince the slaves that liberty was preferable to enslavement, and not all Israelites accepted his message. The Leader of the Haggadah would therefore explain to the simple child that even today there are many people who may adapt themselves to contentment, and whose primary goal in life is to be comfortable.
These people may reject the message of being set free from the bondage of the things that drive us physically; and that striving for spirituality, even though it may interfere with one’s comfort, is the primary goal that makes man worthy of being created in the Divine image. The simple child, because they are sufficiently aware to ask, may accept an answer and be willing to find out more about the spiritual life.
The quiet child doesn’t speak up or ask a question. Perhaps the child is too young to ask, is shy, or doesn’t have enough background knowledge to ask a question. Finally, the father explains to “the son who does not ask,” why we eat only matzot during the festival. Exod. 13:8. As for this child who is unable to ask, you must introduce the subject for them.
Perhaps the Haggadah deliberately provides caricatures of four types of children to teach us something about the care we must take when we answer questions. Each person at the seder is coming from a different place. This one is older and more experienced. That one has never been to seder before. That other one was sick and did not expect to make it to seder, but is there. That one never learned to read Hebrew, but knows French.
By telling us the story of the four children, each with a distinct question and each with a distinct answer, the Haggadah is telling us to accept each person where they are and to begin from there. The questions that are asked must be addressed, and the questions that are not asked must also be addressed.
Simple explanations encourage simple thinking; even simple questions often have complex answers, and ignorance is not the same as stupidity. And, always beginning the discussion for a child will prevent the child from learning how to ask. Too often, our categorizations of children become self-fulfilling prophesies, because of the power of our responses to influence future behavior.
There is a profound message here for our times. We are all confronted with people who scoff at the Torah, indeed the whole Bible. We often have to decide if and how to respond. The book of Proverbs teaches us that our primary responsibility is to improve the critic by our response. The central failure in the wicked child is their close-mindedness. The heart of rebellion is the utter foolishness to think that their understanding is perfect. Thus they are the complete opposite of the wise son who is wide open to the instruction of others.
Here as the Appointed week of Unleavened bread is still in progress, we should ask ourselves.
What sort of son/daughter are we?
What is wisdom and why is it important?
Each one of us contains aspects of each child; each one of us is sometimes wise and sometimes wicked, sometimes simple and sometimes silent. We are the four children. As such we ask questions and we provide answers, different answers for different needs.
Passover symbols point to a surprising and intriguing indication of God’s supernatural hand in developing Pesach/Passover observance through the ages.
The story of Passover/Pesach is a story of redemption; it is a story we are meant to make very personal to us. Looking at the ancient symbols of Passover/Pesach is an opportunity to experience the story of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua’s death, resurrection, and the promise of His return in light of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
The word for work in Hebrew, avodah, is the same used for prayer.
Sometimes spelled with a b instead of a v: Abodah;
as the letters b bet and v vet in Hebrew are interchangeable
Avodah connotes service.
(It is also the word for slavery, which is involuntary service.)
The various usages of this Hebrew word found first in Genesis 2:15 tell us that YaHoVeH/God’s original design and desire is; that our work and our worship
would be a seamless way of living.
In some verses the word avodah means work, as in to work in the field and to do common labor.
Work is not only a necessary part of life, it is a form of service to the world, to the rest of humanity, and to YaHoVeH/God. We are meant to be of service, to be partners/coworkers with God in the ongoing creation of the world.
24 you are to observe this thing for it is a statute to and your sons forever –to the age. 25 It will be/come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord/Adonai will give you, just as He spoken/promised, that you shall keep this service/avodah. 26 And it shall be/come to pass, when your sons/children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?/ What is this Avodah you have?’ 27 that you shall say, ‘It is a sacrifice of Pesach to Adonai/the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the sons/children of Israel in Egypt/Mitzrayim when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people bowed their heads down and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
The annual sacrifice of Pesach/Passover commemorates the night that the children of Israel/Yisrael were reborn; and it is the service/avodah that the nation is commanded to keep each year forever.
Jesus/Yeshua and all the New Testament authors celebrated them.
Notably, there is not one word in the New Testament suggesting that the church/ecclesia/called out ones, should stop honoring these Appointed Times/Moedim.
moe-eh-DEEM. מוֹעֲדִים
These special times are also referred to as
mikra’ei kodesh
(מִקְרָאֵי קדֶשׁ),
“times in which holiness is proclaimed” (Lev. 23:2).
Passover/Pesach is the name of the celebration of the release of the children of Israel/Yisrael from Egyptian/Mitzrayim bondage. It is celebrated with a Meal/feast called Seder.
It is also called the Haggadah/the telling; as the history of their deliverance is recounted during the meal.
It is a matter of historical fact that in the year 196AD the celebration of Passover was replaced with the worship of Ishtar, the Babylonian and Syrian fertility goddess.
The name Ishtar was written in Greek as Istar because there is no ‘sh’ sound in the Greek language; because the Greek and Latin letters for I are pronounced EE, Istar became Easter when spelled with English letters.
The celebration of Ishtar brought with it eggs and rabbits, symbols of reproduction. This was done on purpose to separate from Hebrew/ Jewish roots and to make it easier for heathens to become ‘Christian’ by letting them retain the pagan customs. This was satans attempt to replace Messiah’s fulfillment of Passover as the Lamb of God, with the pagan-based Easter.
The great dispute, known as the Easter Controversy began in the 2nd century A.D. This is when Roman Bishops and Emperors sought to unite their entire kingdom empire, the eastern Asiatics (Israel and surrounding areas) with the western Roman churches (Italy and surrounding areas) for the purpose of celebrating EASTER their replacement of Passover, on the exact same day of the week. This plan was not fully successful until Emperor Constantine called for it, at the Council of Nicaea A.D. 321-325.
He ordered all Churches to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday. The ancient Church had celebrated the Resurrection correctly during the Passover [Nisan 14], which could fall on any day of the week, but the Churches near Rome (later known as Roman Catholic), had abandoned the practice because they hated the Jews, and fixed the date to the first Sunday after the first full moon of Spring. Our ‘Christmas’ was substituted for the Roman winter solstice celebration of the Roman god Saturn.
This information may shock many believers that this is true and it does not take much effort to check this out through research and to read that in Matthew 26:17 Luke 22:15 and John 13 there is no mention of Easter. Nor did Jesus/Yeshua ever tell us to celebrate His birthday! It’s a tradition of men and has sadly become commercialized with all the wrong emphasis. Jesus/Yeshua never said, I will celebrate Easter with you.
He said I have looked forward to eat this Passover Seder with you. So the question remains why are we referring to this appointed time of the Lord as Easter unless we are still pagans/ idolaters? It’s a subtle deception of the enemy and certainly something to think about!
3 John1:4 says . I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my [spiritual] children are living [their lives] in the truth.
The Truth is Yeshua/Jesus Himself.
He is the Way, the Truth and the Life; we must follow Him not traditions of men and doctrines of demons. Religious traditions are spoken of in several places.
Paul said in Acts 17:22
So Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus [Mars Hill meeting place], said: Men of Athens, I perceive in every way [on every hand and with every turn I make] that you are most religious or very reverent to demons.
He said to them, All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. Colossians 2:8 Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men
Jesus said, further,
“full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”
That is precisely what the millions are doing today.
The traditions and doctrines of men make the Word of God of none effect. The traditions of men.
“Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” (Mark 7:13 KJV)
The commandments of men.
“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men…” (Mark 7:9 ESV)
Matthew 15:9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’
Paul wrote to Timothy,
‘Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will depart from the faith; giving heed to seducing and deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons (1 Tim. 4:1; ‘doctrines of devils’ – KJV
A doctrine is a teaching or a set of principles. The “doctrines of demons,” then, are things that demons teach; a set of beliefs or a teaching which demons try to propagate throughout the church for the purpose of deceiving the believers. Since demons are not visible (and if they were, we would hardly invite them to speak in church), they must take a deceptive route to get their false message heard.
1 Timothy 4:1, the ungodly teachings of Satan. Those who follow the doctrines of demons “will fall away from the faith.”
Coming back to the Pesach/Passover…
As a nation the Israelites were enslaved and repressed and cried out not knowing if that cry would be heard. The God of Israel did hear their cries and answered with miracles signs and with a deliverer.
That night was the end of Israel’s oppression and slavery and their houses were delivered.
This is why at the first spring Appointed Time of the Lord/Moedim, it is customary for the children to ask
‘why will tonight be different from all other nights?’
It is because Israel was set free as a new nation,
Our deliverance has come, however, the path laid out before us by Adonai/YeHoVeH is still to be completed and how we walk along the WAY, will determine how our lives will unfold.
Will we follow His commands and inherit the promises or,
will we go astray and wander away from those promises and His peace/shalom?
We were oppressed by and enslaved to sin and we too cried out, not knowing if anyone would respond. Our Heavenly father heard our cries and answered with the most miraculous sign of the ages.
At Passover/Pesach, we too are reborn
because the shedding of the innocent blood of our deliverer Messiah Yeshua, Who was and is,
according to John/Yochanan 1:29
the lamb of God who is taking away the sin of the world.
How?
By obedience to His Heavenly Father’s will
and this was to fulfill His prophetic destiny
prophesied in the TaNaKH/Old Testament Scriptures.
(remember at the time he was on the earth there were no New Testament writings).
Obedience is the Lambs’ blood on your doorpost…
since our Heavenly Fathers’ sovereign purposes are fixed according to the counsel of His own good pleasure.
His obedience demanded a sacrifice and the shedding of innocent blood.
To redeem us and restore the way to the Father.
Everything He did was to glorify the Father. He only spoke and did what He was told to do and say. His blood was the perfect price paid, and still speaks today, crying mercy/ forgiveness for each one of us.
The Korban principle from Leviticus 17 states: when a person sins against the Lord he or she deserves to die. The accuser/ satan comes before God and makes a case for the person soul however god allows the death of a sacrificial victim to take the place of the sinner.
The guilty person leans his hands on the head of the animal and says this: I deserve to die instead of this innocent animal (an ox, sheep or goat;) but the Lord mercifully accepts the death of this innocent one in my stead.
When God sees the shed blood, or the ascending smoke of the sacrifice, He forgives the sinner based on his faith and repentance.
the korban (קָרְבָּן qorbān), also spelled qorban or corban, is any of a variety of sacrificial offerings described and commanded in the Torah.
The plural form is korbanot, korbanoth or korbans.
A korban was a kosher animal sacrifice, such as a bull, sheep, goat, or a dove that underwent shechita
(Jewish Ritual Slaughter).
The Hebrew word korban comes from the root korav meaning to come close, specifically to come close to God. The offerings/ korbanot were meant to bring someone who was far from God back into close fellowship once again.
Hebrews 9:22 without the shedding of blood there is no remission.
The substitutionary shedding of blood,
the life for life principle, is essential to the true
He opened up His own body to be the perfect sacrifice for sins by his shed blood we have complete atonement before the Lord.
The Levitical system of animal sacrifices
was meant to foreshadow
the true and abiding sacrifice of Jesus/Yeshua,
as the means of our reconciliation with God
and if they are not merely covered
they are taken entirely away.Hebrews 9:24
He is not dead He is alive.
We were dead in our sins…
and only the blood of the sinless lamb of God/YaHoVeH can take away our guilt and make us alive to God, in and through Him.
The Lamb’s blood must be applied and remain on the doorpost of our hearts.
There is no other way and we must be mindful of what we are celebrating and why, and not just thoughtlessly join in with religious traditions of men and doctrines of demons.
We are to be making certain that we are not named among Revelation 2’s seven churches and in particular the one at Ephesus; who were guilty of the sins of the Nicolaitans.
Their doctrines compromised with worldly ways, amounting to idolatry, materialism and tolerance of immorality.
Passover/Pesach reminds us…
we are new again,
we are set free
and it also draws to our attention that our salvation is only the beginning.
It is up to us how we will walk the path that is laid out before us.
It is up to our free will whether we wander off that path and misuse our salvation.
What will we choose?
His way or our way?
Will we follow His commands and walk in the ways of our savior?
What is this Avodah you have?
For there is hope – ki yesh tikvah
because
It is a sacrifice of Passover/Pesach
to YeHoVeH the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Israel.
Thank you Father/Avinu for the Pesach/Passover sacrifice of Your Son Jesus/Yeshua.
It is by His Blood that we have been PASSed OVER.
Strengthen us to walk in the path You have set for us and to follow Your commands.
פסח Pesach Passover 2021 begins Saturday, March 27
at sunset and ends Sunday, April 4 at nightfall.
For those new to the site, below is a list of links for more on the Spring Appointed Times of the Lord.
Copy and paste the link below in your browser for youtube to watch ‘The Passion.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ho4tUQiYtg
Amazing Love ! How can it be ,
That thou, my God shouldst die for me!
His true Shalom/Peace
rest upon each one in Jesus/Yeshuas’ Name.
‘Mishpachah’ ‘Family’
משפחה
Mish-pa-KHa
you are greatly loved and prayed for daily..
this Pesach/Passover,
make sure you are secure in the knowledge you are saved…
NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
Most Christian believers know what is meant by ‘taking communion’, or ‘the Lord’s supper’ or ‘the breaking of bread and drinking of wine’.
However what is not always taught is that it is rooted in, and has its’ origins in, the Passover meal of the Israelites PesachSeder.
Also called Pesah, Pesakh – פֶּסַח and pronounced Pay-sak.
Seder סֵדֶר
pronounced SEE-dur-(seyder);
Seder is a Hebrew root word meaning order/arrangement..the same root from which the word siddur comes, meaning: prayer book.
Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nisan
(late March or early April in the Gregorian calendar).
Passover is celebrated for seven days in Israel.
In the same way Israelites have celebrated Passover as a celebration of freedom observed by Jews everywhere.
The name derives from the story of the angel of death passing over the homes of Hebrews; when the 10th plague, the death of the first-born children, came upon the Egyptians.
However many are not aware of how it is connected and integral to the Lords supper/ communion. This is because many have not yet accepted Yeshua as Messiah. They are not aware of the implications of, and the messianic secrets revealed in the Seder and in the order sequence of the Meal itself.
It is not a sumptuous 5+ course-style banquet, but contains symbols of remembrance of the miracles that the Lord performed for the children of Israel as they were leaving Egypt.
The telling of the Passover story.
The Maggid – מטיף – Hebrew: maggīdh – literally, narrator, messenger, is the highlight of the Seder.
The Seder, which follows a carefully prescribed series of steps, includes a dinner of highly symbolic foods that are prepared on a Seder plate.
There are different versions and some have 14 steps and some 15.
The Sages designed the Passover Seder as 15 steps to make a participant enormously successful and the key to unlocking the code is that Passover is the time when each Jew embarks on a personal journey from slavery to freedom.
The Haggadah, which is pronounced ha-gah-da, is a small book that is used at the Passover table each year.
The Haggadah – הַגָּדָה – means: The telling.
And it’s a fulfillment of the mitzvah – מִצְוָה, to each Israelite.
mitzvah – מִצְוָה
The first use is in Genesis 26:5 where God says that Abraham has “obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments (מִצְוֹתַי mitzvotai), my statutes, and my laws”.
The charge to tell your son, of the Hebrews liberation from slavery in Egypt; as described in the Book of Exodus in the Torah.
“And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the LORD did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.” Ex. 13:8).
Ha Laḥma Anya
מָא הָאלַחְ עַנְיָא
‘This is the bread of affliction‘…
(literally: Behold the poor bread)
are the opening words of a declaration in Aramaic, designating the matzah as the bread of affliction and inviting the needy to join the meal.
Ha lachma anya, d’akhla avatana b’ar’a d’mitzrayim.
This is the bread of affliction, which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt.
It ends with:
This year we are here, next year may we be in the Land of Israel. This year we are slaves, next year may we be free men.
The Haggadah – הַגָּדָה – telling;
The purpose of the Haggadah
Ve-higgadta le-vinkha –
And thou shalt tell thy son,
Ex. 13:8,
The outlines of the steps of the Passover Seder.
1Kaddesh (Sanctifcation):The word is derived from the Hebrew root Qof-Dalet-Shin, meaning holy.
Kiddush: (Blessing over wine) Blessed are You, O Lord our God, (Ruler/King or) Sovereign of the universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.
This is a blessing over wine in honor of the holiday.
The first cup, the Kiddush, of wine is drunk, and a second cup is poured.
The 4 cups of wine, known in Hebrew as arba kosot.
2Urechatz (Washing), A washing of the hands without a blessing, in preparation for eating the Karpas.
3 Karpas (Vegetable): A vegetable (usually parsley) is dipped in salt water and eaten. The vegetable symbolizes the lowly origins of the Jewish people; the salt water symbolizes the tears shed as a result of our slavery. Parsley is a good vegetable to use for this purpose, because when you shake off the salt water, it looks like tears.
4Yachatz (Breaking): One of the three matzahs on the table is broken.
Part is returned to the pile, the other part is set aside for the Afikomen.
Matzot that have been placed in a white bag called a matzah tosh are taken out and shown to everyone.
The leader then says.
This Is the lechem oni – the bread of affliction – which our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt.
All who are hungry – let them come and eat. All who are needy – let them come and celebrate Passover with us.
Very significant of Jesus/Yeshuas’ declaration “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35) To eat these promises is to eat this living bread and live forever (John 6:51).
5 Maggid (The Story): A retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the first Passover. This begins with the youngest person asking The Four Questions, a set of questions about the proceedings designed to encourage participation in the seder. The Four Questions are also known as Mah Nishtanah. (Why is it different?), which are the first words of the
MahNishtanah, are the first two words in a phrase meaning Why is tonight different from all other nights? usually asked by the youngest guest. Then the seder leader replies by asking what differences they notice. There are variations on the questions, however the youngest person then replies that there are four ways in which they notice a difference about Passover:
On all other nights we eat bread or matzah, while on this night we eat only matzah?
She-bechol halaylot anu ochlim chametz o matzah, halaylah hazeh kulo matzah?
On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables and herbs, but on this night we have to eat bitter herbs?
She-bechol halaylot anu ochlim she’ar yerakot, halaylah hazeh maror?
On all other nights we don’t dip our vegetables in salt water, but on this night we dip them twice?
She-bechol halaylot ain anu matbilin afilu pa’am echat, halaylah hazeh shtei pe’amim?
On all other nights we eat while sitting upright, but on this night we eat reclining?
The fourth “question” refers to the ancient custom of eating while reclining on one elbow. It symbolizes the concept of freedom and refers to the idea that Jews would be able to have a celebratory meal while relaxing together and enjoying each others’ company.
This question became part of The Four Questions after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. Originally the fourth question, mentioned in the Talmud (Mishnah Pesachim 10:4) was: “On all other nights we eat meat which has been roasted, stewed, or boiled, but on this night we eat only roasted meat.”
This original question referred to the practice of sacrificing the Paschal lamb at the Temple, a practice that ceased after the Temple’s destruction. Once the sacrificial system was abandoned the rabbis replaced the fourth question with one about reclining during the Passover seder.
6 Rachtzah (Washing): A second washing of the hands, this time with a blessing, in preparation for eating the matzah.
7Motzi Matzah (Blessings over Grain Products and Matzah): The ha-motzi blessing, a generic blessing for bread or grain products used as a meal, is recited over the matzah. A blessing specific to matzah is recited, and a bit of matzah is eaten.
8Maror (Bitter Herbs): A blessing is recited over a bitter vegetable (usually raw horseradish; sometimes romaine lettuce), and it is eaten. This symbolizes the bitterness of slavery. The maror is eaten with charoses, a mixture of apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine, which symbolizes the mortar used by the Jews in building during their slavery
9Korech (Sandwich): some maror on a piece of matzah is eaten with some charose. The sandwich used to include a piece of the paschal offering (Lamb). As there are no more animal sacrifice, so there is no paschal offering included.
10Shulchan Orech (Dinner): is a simple meal, gefilte fish and matzah ball soup are traditionally eaten.
11Tzafun (Dessert):The piece of matzah set aside earlier is eaten as “dessert,” the last food of the meal. Different families have different traditions relating to the afikomen. Some have the children hide it, while the parents have to either find it or ransom it back. Others have the parents hide it. The idea is to keep the children awake and attentive throughout the pre-meal proceedings, waiting for this part.
12Barech (Grace): The third cup of wine is poured, (the Ge’ullah – Redemption) and grace after meals is recited. This is similar to the grace that would be said on any Sabbath. At the end, a blessing is said over the third cup and it is drunk. The fourth cup is poured, including a cup set aside for the prophet Elijah, who is supposed to herald the Messiah, and is supposed to come on Passover to do this. The door is opened for a while at this point (supposedly for Elijah, but historically because Jews were accused of nonsense like putting the blood of Christian babies in matzah, and we wanted to show our Christian neighbors that we weren’t doing anything unseemly).
13Hallel (Song):Several psalms are recited. Yehallelukha Adonai Eloheinu al Kol Ma’asekha (“All Thy works shall praise Thee”) is a benediction of praise, or Nishmat Kol Ḥai (“The breath of all that lives”), is the Nishmat hymn – Birkat ha-Shir.
A blessing is recited over the last cup of wine and it is drunk.
14Nirtzah (Closing): A simple statement that the seder has been completed, with a wish that next year, Pesach may celebrated in Jerusalem meaning that the Messiah will come within the next year.
For believers in Messiah it is the fulfillment of the Passover lamb by His own sacrifice.
So all the elements have a particular and specific meaning to them and are significant for both the original and spiritually fulfilled Passover thousands of years apart.
The Mysterious hidden Afikomen אפיקומן ; pronounced: ah-fi-co-men.
During the 4th part of the seder meal (called Yachatz – divide), a plate of unleavened bread is lifted up.
On it are three pieces of matzah stacked On top of each other.
The Seder leader takes the middle piece, calls out “Yachatz,” and breaks it in half.
Splitting the matzah is a memorial to the splitting of the sea.
These various understandings of Yachatz underscore that both slavery and salvationare within the broken matzah, thereby highlighting the central theme that salvation can instantly emerge from the most abject situations of suffering.
“lehecm oni”, (“Poor Man’s Bread”), the Gemarah in Maseches Pesachim (115b) derives that the matzah of seder night must be broken: “ma darko shel ani beprusa…just as a poor person eats a broken piece of a loaf, so too matzah must be eaten as a broken piece”.
Afikomen אפיקומן means:
That which comes after!
At the Passover seder table, three matzahs are placed in a stack, inside a special bag called a matzah tosh.
Before it is broken the following is said.
This is the bread of brokenness……
These 3 are said to represent Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The middle one representing Isaac, is broken to recall how he was offered himself in sacrifice in obedience to the will of his father! The binding of Isaac is a clear picture of how Jesus/Yeshua yielded Himself to be sacrificed by God, His Father.
Consider how the Akedah provides a prophetic picture of the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God – SEH haELOHIM, who takes away the sins of the world. John 1:29.
Both Isaac and Jesus were born miraculously,
both were only begotten son’s,
both were to be sacrificed by their fathers of Mount Moriah;
both were to be resurrected on the third day. (Genesis 22:5; Hebrews 11:17 – 19).
Both willingly took up the means of his execution, both demonstrate that one life can be sacrificed for another –the ram for Isaac and Jesus for all mankind.
Another tradition is that the three matzot represent the people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, respectively. This raises some questions; why would the priests be depicted as broken in this case? Isn’t Jesus/Yeshua the high priest of our confession? (Hebrews 3:1) Didn’t He provide eternal redemption by means of shedding His Blood in the Holy of Holies made without hands? (Hebrews 9:11–12; 10:11–12, 21–23).
Why would the symbolism of the broken priests included in the Passover Seder? Didn’t the prophet Isaiah in chapter 53 foretell that the Messiah would be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and by His stripes we are healed?
Could it be a reference to a broken corrupt system that Messiah came to heal in more ways than one?
In the Hebrew mindset the middle of something is it’s heart. LEV. When the middle matzah is broken it’s a reminder to all believers of how the Fathers’ heart must have been broken to see the pain that Jesus/Yeshua endured by taking our sins upon Him at the cross. We looked previously at the matzah and the stripes and the holes in it and their significance.
Remembering that like the unleavened bread, He was pure without any trace of leaven in it, as His body was without any sin. This is the LEV, the HEART of the Passover message It is the LEV – HEART of the gospel.
The larger piece of this matzah is called the afikomen. The smaller half is returned to its place between the other two matzahs, and the larger half is placed in a bag,
or wrapped in a cloth,
and then it is set aside to be eaten as a dessert after the meal. It is in commemoration of the paschal sacrifice. Set aside so it does not get mixed up with the other pieces on the table.
In ancient biblical times, the Passover sacrifice used to be the last thing consumed during the Passover seder during the First and Second Temple eras. The afikomen is a substitute for the Passover sacrifice according to the Mishnah in Pesahim 119a.
The practice of hiding the afikomen was instituted during the Middle Ages by Jewish families to make the seder more entertaining and exciting for children, who can become antsy when sitting through a long ritual meal.
The Afikomen has been part of the Passover since the second Temple times that would’ve been part of the Passover service during the time of Yeshua. The Greek word used in the New Testament is aphikomenos it is a participle that means he is coming that has definite messianic nuances.
Was it symbolic of a divine Trinity?
This is certainly possible as an image of hashilush hakodesh – the three fold/ triune nature of God; having the focus on the broken middle piece of the matzah, which is a picture of suffering Messiah Yeshua Ha Mashiach.
When we consider that this piece is taken and wrapped up and carefully hidden from view only to be discovered at the end of the Passover seder by little children.
This surely is the image of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus/Yeshua from the dead. It is only after partaking of the lamb of God who was slain for our transgressions and sins; do we understand and take hold of the reward given to those to seek for Him.
If so, then that which pointed to the second part of the trinity, is broken and it is even given a name – called by Afikomen.
It was saving the best until last and to be looked forward to, as something special and to be rejoiced over when found and consumed! (Very symbolic!)
The broken matzah wrapped in a cloth or napkin, was also as a remembrance of the way the Israelites left Egypt with their soon-to-be matzahs, as described in the Torah:
‘The people picked up their dough when it was not yet leavened, their leftovers bound in their garments on their shoulders.’
Depending on the family, either the leader usually the head of the household in the group hides the afikomen during the meal or the children at the table “steal” the afikomen and hide it. Not every family ascribes to the ‘stealing’ part so as not to encourage stealing as being acceptable behavior.
If the seder leader hid the afikomen the children at the table must search for it and bring it back. They receive a reward (usually candy, money or a small gift) when they bring it back to the table. Likewise, if the children “stole” the afikomen, the seder leader ransoms it back from them with a reward so that the seder can continue.
This ransom or reward is indicative of Mark 10:45.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Yeshua/Jesus is recorded in Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45 referring to Himself as “a ransom for many,”
When it is found they remove the cloth wrapped around it revealing the broken Afikomen. Once the afikomen is returned to the seder table, each guest receives a small portion at least the size of an olive.
This is done after the meal and normal deserts have been eaten so that the last taste of the meal is matzah.
After the broken afikomen is eaten, the Birkas haMazon (grace after meals) is recited and the seder is concluded.
It is only at this point that the Passover is complete!
Although the afikoman represents the Israelites liberation from Egyptian exile.
That redemption, however, was not a complete one, as they are still awaiting the final redemption with the coming of Moshiach.
Setting aside or hiding the larger half of the matzah reminds us that the best, the real redemption, is yet to come, still hidden in the future.
The symbolism is clear as they all would have understood the references to the broken matzah was the action taken by Jesus/Yeshua as He sat with His disciples, taking the middle piece he broke it and said;
This is My Body broken for you.
Then it was wrapped in cloth just as His broken body would be wrapped in a burial cloth not many hours later.
The broken matzah was hidden away just as His body was placed in the tomb hidden from view. Messiah has been hidden from His people for over 2,000 years and many have not found Him yet…
As before stated, the Passover Seder cannot be complete without finding Afikomen and and returned to the table so each guest can eat a piece of it. So Israel as a nation cannot find its completion without the Messiah. This signifies that the Jewish people will search for their missing Messiah, their Afikomen and they will fulfill their destiny as He is revealed to them.
Afikomen is actually a Greek word which as mentioned earlier means that which comes after.
Hebrew: אֲפִיקוֹמָן, based on Greek epikomon [ἐπὶ κῶμον] or epikomion [ἐπικώμιον], meaning “that which comes after” or “dessert”) is a half-piece of matzo which is broken in two during the early stages of the Passover Seder and set aside to be eaten as a dessert after the meal. a word that comes from the Greek word for “dessert.”
It is so called not because it is sweet, but because it is the last item of food eaten at the Passover seder meal.
Zechariah 12:10 Luke 22:19; Romans 11: 25-26.
Messiah is not among His people at this point BUT.. He will be, because…
He is the Afikomen,
the One who comes after,
and He WILL come again.
Similarly as with Passover, so it is with all to whom He comes.
Only in His coming can we find our completion.
When He is found – He is the missing piece/peace/shalom; and He is the one broken for us. The Afikomen of our lives.
The conclusion,
the completion,
for we are complete in Him.
The matzah is the bread of communion, some call it the Eucharist from the Greek word Eucharista. It is in the scripture, however, it has nothing to do with the bread.
Psalm 136, Luke 22:14–23, 1Timothy 6:6–8. It is what He spoke over the bread.
Eucharista means to give thanks or say a blessing and it is what has been the traditional Hebrew Blessing for millennia. The confusion maybe because Jesus/Yeshua said it over the bread and it isnot the bread itself; then tradition, doctrine and dogma take over and we miss the truth of the root meaning.
The Israelites have said this Hebrew Blessing/ Eucharista for a long time and it is called the MOTZI.
HaMotzi Pronounced: ha-MOE-tzee
The traditional HaMotzi blessing is recited before eating bread (or bread stuffs) and is one of the most frequently said of the Hebrew blessings, used for Shabbat, holidays, and other occasions:
That bread was unleavened bread. Unleavened bread is any of a wide variety of breads which are prepared without raising or leavening agents; (ingredients that cause flour to rise); such as yeast, baking soda, baking powder and beaten egg whites.
Known as Matzah within the Jewish community–it represents a symbolic element with great importance. Unleavened breads are generally flat breads; however, not all flat breads are unleavened.
Round Matzah bread for Passover
This is probably what Jesus/Yeshua would have said over the unleavened bread.
Hamotzi (Blessing over bread)
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, (Ruler/King or) Sovereign of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
This is an indication that the emphasis is not the bread itself that is the most important it is the blessing of thanks that is.
Luke 12:15, for one’s lifedoes notconsistin the abundance of his possessions.
God is the author and preserver of man’s life; goods are not. But of the place and position and fullness of the giver in the life of the receiving believer. What is important is how much thanks we give for what we have. Spiritual poverty is worse than physical poverty.
In Messiah we are rich and prosperous spiritually because the bread, the Afikomen that He spoke the Eucharista over was the symbol of His suffering and death and He knew it and still gave thanks for it, knowing what He was about to go through.
The Powersecrets of the Eucharista is in it’s meaning for Thanksgiving and those who give thanks in all things, bring the power of God into a curse and turn it into a blessing. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1Timothy 6:6 -8
The hidden Afikoman of eucharista is Messiah the blessing of the one….
who returned from the tomb, and will soon return to us again, the Afikomen will return to complete our Passover seder….the blessing of that which comes after.
Please Do Not leave this page without the surety in your heart that this Passover you have
Messiah our Passover Lamb, our Tamid in your life and heart as the days draw ever closer to the end of the age..Open the Dalet of your heart and let the King of Glory in..
Make sure Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
NOT CERTAIN?
YOU CAN BE..
Its all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and very precious in His sight.
He longs to give you the Shalom He paid the ultimate price for..
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
Where We Are Right Now As The Appointed Times Of The Spring Feasts Continue To Unfold…
Coming to the end of the week of the Feast Of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMotzi)
Chag HaMatzot חג שמח
From 14th Nisan and at evening, that is, between 3:00 pm to sundown, and continues through Nisan 15. Strictly speaking, then, Passover always begins on Nisan 14 and is followed immediately by The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMotzi) and continues through and beyond Nisan 15 for 7 days and includes First Fruits within that week.
Here is a brief summary of the feasts of
Nisan 14 = Thursday sundown the first day, which is the start of Passover and also the day of the Seder. Jesus/Yeshua was arrested and the mock trial was held, (also called Maundy Thursday which remembers when Jesus/Yeshua washed the feet of the disciples.
The next morning was the crucifixion and that afternoon was called Preparation Day (as they were preparing for the weekly Sabbath). Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried.
Nisan 15th, which was the Friday sundown and a weekly Sabbath day began the second day. It is also the first day of Unleavened Bread and Jesus was in the tomb the entire day.
Nissan 16 began the third day at Saturday sundown, during the night Jesus/Yeshua was resurrected.
Passover is the celebration of the release of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage and celebrated with a meal called Seder, which means ‘order’ and tells the story, (or Haggadah which means ‘the telling’), of the miraculous deliverance. Jesus and all the disciples and New Testament/Brit Chadashah authors celebrated Passover.
First: Seder is the name of the Passover meal and includes what we call and understand as communion,
it puts Paul’s writing of one Corinthians 11:17–26 into perspective.
Second. Unleavened bread begins 15th Nissan the day after Passover. (Nissan also spelled Nisan.)
In Exodus 12:15-20 God instructed the Jews to eat unleavened bread for seven days, beginning on the first day of Passover, from Nisan 15 through Nisan 22. Chag HaMatzot therefore represents a Holy week spent without leaven in our lives, a time to ‘clean house,’ removing and sweeping away all signs of sin.
It’s a picture of our deliverance from the corrupting influences of the world in response to the redemption of the LORD (Matt. 16:12; Mark 8:14-15; Luke 12:1; Rom. 6:13-22; 1 Cor. 5:6-8).
To the Christian, the Festival of Unleavened Bread is a celebration of what Jesus, the true Passover Lamb has done for us, in that He has delivered us from bondage to sin and it’s penalty by His blood. Paul told the congregation, -“You are in fact, unleavened”, that is, without sin because the blood of the Lamb has washed them all away.
The prophetic and symbolic lesson of ridding your life of the leaven of Egypt is that you get rid of sin and replace it with purity and humility. Upon redemption, we are to become a sanctified, “unleavened people.”
Chag HaMatzot, or the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when no Chametz may be eaten or possessed for a full seven days: Chametz is considered a corrupting influence, a hidden uncleanness that manipulates purer elements. Like the influence of a lump of leaven in a batch of dough, ‘spiritual’ leaven functions as an evil impulse within us that corrupts and sours our soul. As such chametz is considered a metaphor of sin which we are commanded to put away from us. The removal of chametz is a metaphor of our sanctification.
We are to undergo our own inward ‘bedikat chametz’ and become a ‘new lump’ that is untainted by the sour and rotting influences of our past life. Since the Mashiach has been sacrificed as our Passover lamb, we are a new creation made unleavened by the power of Holy Spirit. Therefore we put away from us the old nature – the yetzer ha’ra – and purge from us the old leaven of Egypt, (a type for sin), that inwardly cankers us and makes us sick.
(Yetzer also spelled Yetser means the evil inclination.) )
For our souls sake we should walk in the truth of the love of God without hypocrisy.
But what is the connection with Jesus/Yeshua?
First, unleavened bread is a picture of His holiness, purity and sinlessness. His life and sacrifice was ‘unleavened’ without the taint of the curse of death, and therefore He was considered ‘a lamb without spot or blemish’ for the ultimate Passover sacrifice (1Pet.1:19).
Moreover, after He was buried, Yeshua did not suffer the natural process of corruption (i.e., decomposition of the body). His body did not “return to dust” which was the very curse given to Adam and Eve in Gen.3:19; Psalm 16:10. As the last Adam (Adam haSheni), His death ‘killed the power of death’ by putting away sin through the sacrifice of Himself (Heb 9:26).
Jesus was resurrected during Unleavened Bread on FirstFruits.
Thirdly: First Fruits. According to Deuteronomy 8:8, Barley was the harvest. Then according to the Scripture in Leviticus 23:15, verse 6 puts the second feast on the next night: “On the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread unto the Lord; seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.”
The Confusion over the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover being called Unleavened Bread occurs because amongst the Israelites, the first day that they ate unleavened bread was on the Passover feast. So while Leviticus 23 mentions that the Feast of Unleavened Bread started on the 15th day, they interchanged the day of Passover as the first day of Unleavened Bread.
Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying and to him, where will thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover? Matthew 26:17 Also called the day of unleavened bread
After two days was the feast of the Passover, and of another wrote: and the chief priests and scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. Mark 14:1
Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. Luke 22:1
The feast of the first fruits Leviticus 23:10–14
The Unleavened Bread was due to the haste of their departure from Egypt and it had no time to rise. As leaven represents sin so unleaved was again the sinless sacrifice.
Leaven or yeast in the Bible symbolized sin and evil. Unleavened bread, eaten over a period of time, symbolized a holy walk, as with the Lord. Unleavened bread, in the B’rit Chadashah [New Testament] is, of course representative of the Body of our Lord.
He is described as ‘the Bread of Life’ (Lechem haChayim).He was born in Bethlehem, which, in Hebrew, means, ‘House of Bread’ (Bet Lechem).
Unleavened Bread is called the “bread of affliction” (i.e., lechem oni, literally, “bread of humiliation” or “bread of humility”) it is not “of affliction” because it is unleavened but it is unleavened because it had been born out of affliction. In other words, since the Israelites had no time to prepare their bread on account of their affliction, the bread had no time to rise.
~
The matzah, then, is not so much the remembrance of bondage as of the deliverance from bondage, and that which had originally been of affliction now became, on account of God’s deliverance, the token of freedom.
Partaking of this bread means humbly identifying with the suffering and afflictions that Yeshua performed on your behalf... As the prophet Isaiah wrote about the Messiah, our Suffering Servant
Look at the matzah and see that it is covered in small holes,
“They shall look upon me whom they’ve pierced,”
He was pierced for our sorrows which includes our grief sadness and broken hearts
See the dark brown areas that resemble bruises. He was bruised for our iniquities sins and transgressions
He was sinless and pure, without any leaven, as His body was without any sin.
Finally see how it is striped: “By His stripes we are healed”.
~
There is the Passover custom of burying, hiding and then resurrecting the second of three pieces of matzot (the middle piece), which represents the Gospel and is called (Afikomen).
To the Israelite, the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread commemorates being delivered from bondage to Egypt
for the purpose of worshipping God, as they left so quickly their dough didn’t have time to rise/leaven.
The elements of wine and unleavened bread are the original root and beginning of what we call our communion and are part of a weekly service for the Christian congregations. It is rooted in the weekly Sabbath service held in synagogues worldwide where the remembrance of the exodus is recalled for the Jewish population that has not yet accepted Jesus/Yeshua as their Messiah.
For Messianic Jews those who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah Yeshua, they now have a full revelation of His sacrificial atonement.
Leaven and the Sacrifice of Yeshua
Traditionally ‘the leaven package’ is burned at the time of morning prayer on Nisan 14 during the Bi’ur Chametz ceremony.
That is the exact day in which the Mashiach Yeshua was crucified, removing our sin and spiritual leaven forever.
Of course Jesus’ crucifixion and subsequent resurrection are the most focused on aspects of this season. This post is not ignoring them but rather trying to highlight other happenings both lesser known and some forgotten which reveal deeper meanings behind the order of prophetic events that God had set in place millennia ago.
Below are some more Hebrew words
connected to this feast
one of His
Yom Tov Holy Day
(The origin of our word holiday, it is interesting to note how the use of the word vacation has replaced the reference to it being a Holy Day.)
You must be logged in to post a comment.