SEDER

INTRODUCTION

It marks the beginning of the religious calendar. Exodus 12:1,2

The Biblical background is found in Exodus 12, 13 and 14.

The aim of the Passover seder is to bring the story of the Exodus out of the past and into the present so that each Hebrew person, both young and old, will be made to feel as though he personally had come up out of the land of bondage.

There was only one Passover, only one occasion when the blood was applied to the doorposts and lintels of believing homes, only once that the Lord went through Egypt to smite the firstborn where the blood was not applied. So, according to Exodus 12:14, every succeeding Passover was to be a memorial of that first Passover. As Colossians 2:17 instructs, it is also a shadow of our complete redemption.

The Passover seder has a theme -- redemption or deliverance.

Seder is the Hebrew word for order; it is an ordered service.

Saul was going to Jerusalem for Passover. Acts 18:21

Saul instructs the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 5:8

Saul instructs to not allow others to judge our observance. Colossians 2:16-17

THE HAGGADAH

The word Haggadah means, "telling" it is the recounting of the story of the Exodus to an assembled household.

Originally the Haggadah was brief. But with each passing generation many interpretations, legends and traditions were added. Today there are over 1200 different versions.

This Haggadah retells the story of redemption that God provided for His people Israel, and also tells the redemption of “grafted in Israel” through the death, burial and resurrection of Messiah, Adonai Yeshua.

PREPARATION FOR PASSOVER, Bedikat Hametz, the search for leaven

Before making the search, it is customary to deposit some crumbs of bread in the places where the searcher will find them.

A wooden spoon and a feather are used to gather the leaven into a paper bag. The search is to be done on the evening before the Passover using only one candle for light.

Once all the leaven has been gathered, it was to be burnt along with the spoon and feather on the morning of the Seder.

The prayer of "nullification" is now said. Each one resolves in his heart that all leaven in the house is considered as non-existent, entirely valueless and compared to dust, and as something for which there is no absolute use. (Significant when one considers that leaven is a symbol for sin.)

SEDER BEGINS

BLOWING THE SHOFAR AND LIGHTING OF THE FESTIVAL CANDLES.

• Blowing of the shofar. We blow the shofar-calling people from bondage and into freedom.
• The lady of the house will kindle the candles and say the following blessing "Blessed are you, Lord our God King of the universe, who has sanctified us by the Living and Written Torah and has allowed us to kindle the Festival light. Blessed are you, Lord our God King of the universe, who has kept us in life, and has preserved us, and has enabled us to reach this Passover season.”

THE CUP OF SANCTIFICATION, Kiddush or blessing

This cup represents the first of four "I wills" in Exodus 6:6,7: I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

The host leads in a prayer for the sanctity of the Passover service.

KIDDISH: "Blessed are you Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us by your Living and Written Torah and has brought forth the fruit of the vine."

DRINK THE FIRST CUP.

THE URCHATZ, Ceremonial washing of the hands

THE KARPAS, The dipping of the parsley

As wine (or grape juice) is red and represents the blood of the lamb, the greens represent the hyssop, which was used to place the blood upon the doorposts and lintels.

The salt water represents the tears shed by the people while in bondage.

All dip and eat the Karpas.

THE YACHUTZ, The breaking of the middle matza

THE MAGGID, The blessing over the matzah and the retelling of the Passover story

"This is the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt; let those who are hungry, enter and eat thereof, and all who are in distress, come and celebrate the Passover. Now we are here, but next year may we celebrate in the New Jerusalem! Now we are slaves, but next year may we truly be free men!"

(The original version of this prayer is among the oldest in the Haggadah, from before the destruction of the Temple.)

The second cup of wine is poured. (Do not drink it.)

THE MATZAH OF HOPE

THE FOUR QUESTIONS (Traditional, not based on observance of what's happening)

1. Why is this night different from all other nights? Why is it on this night we eat only unleavened bread?

   The people left in a hurry, the bread didn't have time to rise. (Exodus 12:39)

2. Why is it on this night we eat only bitter herbs?

   Life for the people was bitter. (Exodus 1:14)

3. Why is it on this night we dip twice: (The karpas and maror in the charoset).

   The karpas represents the hyssop. Salt water represents the tears of the people. The maror with the charoset represents the bitterness of slavery being sweetened by the hope of freedom.

4. Why on this night do all of us recline? (This question was added after the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D.)

   In ancient times reclining was a sign of a free man, at ease. This night all distinction between master and slave was done away with. All were to come to the table and eat (Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me.")

THE FOUR CHILDREN

1. The WISE Child might ask: What is the meaning of the laws and rules which Adonai our God has commanded us? To this child we should explain in great detail all the laws and customs of Passover.

2. The WICKED child might ask: What does this service mean to you? Since this child does not want to be included in the celebration, we answer harshly: ”We celebrate Passover because of what Adonai has done for us. If you had been in Egypt, you may not have been included when Adonai freed us from slavery.

3. The SIMPLE child might ask: What is this all about? We answer simply that, “With a mighty hand Adonai took us out of Egypt.”

4. What about the child who DOES'NT KNOW ENOUGH TO ASK A QUESTION? We must explain to this child that we observe Passover to remember what God did for us when we were freed from slavery in Egypt.

THE TEN PLAGUES

As each plague below is mentioned, each individual should dip a finger in his glass and drop ten drops (reciting a plague with each drop) on a plate, to show the "finger of God" in His judgment.

BLOOD, FROGS, VERMIN, FLIES, PESTILENCE, BOILS, HAIL, LOCUSTS, DARKNESS, SLAYING OF THE FIRST-BORN

DAYENU

1. "If He had brought us out of Egypt."
2. "If He had executed justice upon the Egyptians."
3. "If He had executed justice upon their gods."
4. "If He had slain their first born."
5. "If He had given to us their wealth."
6. "If He had split the sea for us."
7. "If He had led us through on dry land."
8. "If He had drowned our oppressors."
9. "If He had provided for our needs in the wilderness for 40 years."
10. "If He had fed us manna."
11. "If He had given us Shabbat."
12. "If He had led us to Mount Sinai."
13. "If He had given us the Torah."
14. "If He had brought us into the Land of Israel."
15. "If He had built the Temple for us."
16. “If He had sent Yeshua, the Passover Lamb, who takes away our sin.”
17. “If He had grafted us in to the Commonwealth of Israel.”
18. ”If He had promised us a New Heaven and a New Earth.”

THE EXPLANATION OF THE ORIGINAL ELEMENTS OF PASSOVER

According to the Mishnah (oral traditions of the Jewish people), Rabban Gamaliel (who was Saul's teacher in Rabbinics) said: "Whosoever has not said (explained) these three things at Passover has not fulfilled his obligation."

1. THE PASSOVER LAMB, speaks of redemption
   • Every firstborn in Egypt was under the judgment of God; wherever the blood was not applied, the firstborn died. Spiritually, every one is "firstborn" and under the judgment of God. (All are dead in Adam.)
   • In reference to Passover, Rabban Gamaliel also said, "In every generation a man must so regard himself as if he came forth himself out of Egypt, for it is written, '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'" (Exodus 13:8).
   • The story of the Exodus and redemption are not to be taken only as history, for each Hebrew person is to consider the experience as personal.
   • Those who are spiritually redeemed by Yeshua, the true Passover Lamb, see Him as being sacrificed for each of us, individually and personally. According to John 3, people need to be born again, or be born a second time by faith in the Lamb of God -- Yeshua -- to experience God's redemption.
   • "John seeing Yeshua coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)
   • "So Messiah was once offered to bear the sins of many..." (Hebrews 9:28).
   • "For even Messiah our Passover is sacrificed for us" (I Corinthians 5:7).
   • Today there is no sacrifice for sin, as represented by the bloodless bone. (Hold up the dry shank bone of a lamb).
   • The roasted egg is symbolic of the Temple, which was destroyed by fire in AD 70.

2. THE UNLEAVENED BREAD (hold up the matzah bag)
   • Leaven in Scripture speaks of evil and error. Having been redeemed from Egypt, the Hebrew nation was to put away "leaven" -- their former manner of life -- and live a holy life unto the Lord. To the new nation God said, "And you shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy..." (Leviticus 20:26).
   • "For such (is Messiah Yeshua) an high Priest . . . who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens" (Hebrews 7:26).
   • For those who have received the Lamb of God, the Scripture says that we are to consider ourselves dead to sin, but alive unto God through Yeshua Messiah our Lord. We are not to let sin reign in our body that we should obey it.
   • "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." I Corinthians 5:7, 8

3. THE BITTER HERBS (hold up the bitter herbs)
   • Speaks of the bitterness of slavery for the Hebrew people in the land of Egypt.
   • Concerning the Messiah the Scripture says in Isaiah 53:3-5, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
   • Those who by faithfulness have received Yeshua as their personal Passover Lamb can experience the redemption from the bitterness and bondage of sin. The Scripture says, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

THE CUP OF REJOICING (fill and all raise cup)

"We therefore are privileged to thank, praise, adore, glorify, extol, honor, bless, exalt, and reverence him, who wrought all the miracles for our ancestors and us: for he brought us forth from bondage to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning into holy days, from darkness to great light, and from servitude to redemption: and therefore let us sing unto him a new song, Hallelujah!" (Pesahim 10:5).

At this point a song could be sung. (Halleluyah, for example)

This cup represents the second of four "I Wills" in Exodus 6:6,7: "I will rid you out of their bondage."

Everyone raises their cups, host recites the blessing: "Baruch attah Ah-doh-noy Elo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam Boh-ray pree ha-gaw-fen." (Blessed are you, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.)

All drink the cup of rejoicing together.

RACHATZ (Host ceremonially washes his hands again.)

THE MATZOT, Blessing over the bread

Break off a piece of matza and distribute to all to eat.

MAROR, Bitter herbs

As the bitter herb brings tears to the eyes, so did the great affliction bring tears to the Hebrew people while they were in slavery.

KORECH, "Hillel sandwich"

As the bitter herb is a symbol of suffering, the salt water a symbol of tears, the parsley a symbol of hyssop, and the red wine a symbol of the blood, so the charoset is a symbol of the mortar used by the enslaved Hebrew people to make the clay bricks in Egypt.

THIS CONCLUDES THE FIRST PORTION OF THE SEDER. BEGIN AND EAT SUPPER.

TZAPHUN, The search and eating of the afikomen

Among the Hebrew people the afikomen is a symbol for the Passover lamb. We eat it in memory of that Passover lamb.

Concerning the afikomen it is written in Luke 22:19, "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it and gave to them, saying, This is MY body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of me."

Is it not significant that it is the middle matza, which is broken, wrapped in linen cloth, and then hidden away, finally to be brought back, broken and distributed, that Yeshua points to and says, "this is MY body which is given for you?" Is it not significant that afikomen means "He came" (Greek aorist tense).

Point out the matza is striped (Isaiah 53:5) and has been pierced (Zechariah 12:10).

All eat the afikomen.

THE CUP OF REDEMPTION OR GRACE (fill and raise cup)

The ancient Jewish commentaries say that this cup represents the blood of the Passover lamb.

It is this cup after supper in the Upper Room which Yeshua raised and stated according to Luke 22:20, "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you."

All fill their cups and raise them. A drop of water is placed into the cup of juice, symbolic of the fact our joy is not full tonight because our redemption is not complete as Messiah has not returned. The host recites the blessing:

"Baruch attah Ah-doh-noy Elo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam Boh-ray pree ha-gaw-fen." (Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.)

All drink the third cup (the cup of redemption or grace).

ELIJAH'S PLACE

Elijah's cup is filled and a child is sent to the door to see if Elijah is coming.

Read Matthew 17:10-12.

THE CUP OF PRAISE OR THANKSGIVING (Fourth cup. Fill and raise cup.)

To Israel this cup represents the hope of the Kingdom and Israel's glory restored. Romans 11:11-12

To the believer in Messiah Yeshua, it is the hope of His soon return. As I Thessalonians 4:16,17 says, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Messiah shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord."

All fill their cups and raise them. The host recites the blessing: "Baruch attah Ah-doh-noy Elo-he-nu Me-lech Ha-olam Boh-ray pree ha-gaw-fen." (Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.)

All drink of the fourth cup (the cup of praise or thanksgiving).

CONCLUSION

Reminder: There are still many who have yet to receive redemption and eternal life in Messiah Yeshua. Close in prayer for Israel and her people (who still suffer oppression). Pray for salvation of those who are lost, including any present at this Seder who have yet to trust Messiah and receive atonement and eternal life.