Last night my family and I celebrated a most blessed, joyous Passover in my little house. My daughter Christina and her 3 children (ages 9, 7 and 3), as well as my parents (84 and 85!) were with me. We began by watching the story of Moses leading the children of Israel through the Red Sea in the FIRST miraculous Exodus (in the movie "the Prince of Egypt") and we talked about how we may be of the generation that Yahweh delivers in the SECOND Exodus! We worshiped Yeshua, our Deliverer, in song and in dance. And then we enjoyed a wonderful Seder dinner, savoring the tastes and the smells, reading the ancient words of the Haggadah (which means "the telling"), and finding all the beautiful foreshadows of Messiah in the story.
I asked them if anyone knew how long God's people are commanded to keep the Passover feast, and my 9-year-old granddaughter correctly answered, "Forever!" Delighted, I replied, "Yes, forever! We are forever to roast the lamb and remember Yeshua's sacrifice, and eat the bitter herbs and the matzah, asking God to remove the leaven from our own hearts, and remembering the children of Israel being delivered from their slavery." With his brown eyes wide in amazement, my 7-year-old grandson, Jackson, said, "Nana, you mean we have to eat this stuff every day now, FOREVER??" What fun! I'm sure he had a frightening vision of having to eat unleavened bread and horseradish every night for dinner for the rest of his life! But we showed him in the Scriptures that the Passover comes once a year, in the spring, on the 14th day of the first month. This is GOD'S "new year's celebration" - the beginning of HIS new year, the beginning of His redemption of His people Israel, the sanctifying of His people through the days of Unleavened Bread, and the fulfillment of His Redemption through Messiah Yeshua's blood sacrifice and Firstfruits Resurrection from the dead! It was the evening (beginning) of the Passover Feast Day when He broke bread with His disciples and explained how He was about to renew Yahweh's Covenant with His people through His blood; and it was toward the end of the Passover Day (next afternoon) when He BECAME the Passover Lamb of God, redeeming you and me from our sins. Hallelujah!
"Nana, do you mean we have to eat this stuff every day now, FOREVER?" Well, Jackson, we don't have to eat parsley and horseradish every day forever; but whenever we gather together with family and brothers and sisters of God, we break bread and drink the Cup and remember what our Messiah did for us -- and EVERY DAY would be good to do that!
Be blessed as the Spirit shows you what "leaven" needs to be cleaned out of your heart this week; and rejoice in the One who offers grace and mercy.
Happy Passover - Hag Sameach!
