Grafted-In Ministries
Order of the Seder
Author Unknown
Passover – the Feast of Redemption – is a day of reckoning! Do you know what purpose it serves? Do you know it is one of the commanded feasts? Do you know it is an eternal feast that we will celebrate in the kingdom?
Passover (also named Pesach in Hebrew) comes this year on the evening of April 17, 2011. For those keeping the Jewish Diaspora calendar it will be observed on the evening of April 18, 2011. The slight difference is based on differences in perceiving when the New Moon occurs and the beginning of the month of Nisan; however, there is also the difference between the Pharisaic tradition of keeping Passover on the 15th of the month (the first day of Unleavened Bread) and Moses actually instructing us to observe the Passover on the 14th at twilight. In the ancient texts, the word that is translated as twilight is the Hebrew word erev. Erev means evening and is understood in Hebrew as the beginning of the day. This is different from our Western mindset where as the day begins at midnight. According to the Scriptures, the day begins and ends when the evening comes. So if we are commanded to observe the Passover on the 14th of Nisan at erev, then it is to be the evening following the 13th. This is a full day before the Pharisees observed it. This is also why the Messiah and His disciples appeared to keep the Passover prior to the Pharisees. Yeshua actually kept the Passover with His disciples according to the Law of Moses, not as the Pharisees had instructed.
I know this is confusing to new Messianic believers, but it is important. We want to join Yeshua and His disciples in keeping the Passover. I know it is traditional for the Jews to keep Passover as they have for the last millennia, but Yeshua criticized this particular tradition saying, "You prefer the traditions of the elders to the commandments of God."
There is nothing wrong with traditions or culture as long as it is not contrary to a commandment of God. Observing the Passover on the 15th of Nisan (Aviv) as opposed to the 14th is in DIRECT conflict with the commandment.
Rabbinical Judaism teaches explicitly that Passover is observed on the fifteenth day of the month. They connected it to the Feast of Unleavened Bread although there is no Scriptural basis to do so.
Not only does Rabbinical Judaism connect and combine the two observances (Passover and Unleavened Bread), they add an additional day. According to Moses, Unleavened Bread is seven days long beginning on the 15th. The last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread should be the 21st of the month. But the Pharisees and Rabbis of today add one more day to include the 22nd.
There are even more complications. The 15th and the 21st are supposed to be High Sabbath days. Judaism ignores the High Sabbath on the 21st and observes it on the 22nd. Moses instructed us to neither add to nor take away from the Lord's instructions. This is exactly what the Pharisees did. This is also why the Messiah warned us about the Pharisees saying, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees."
If you think this is more of a mess than you wanted to know about, just wait. There is a third observance Moses instructed us to do. It is called the Feast of First Fruits. It always occurs on the first day after the first (weekly Sabbath) after the Passover. Therefore it is always after the 14th, after the weekly Sabbath that follows, generally somewhere during the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. However, Judaism (the Pharisaic tradition) uses the High Sabbath on their Passover instead of the weekly Sabbath as their basis for calculating the Feast of First Fruits and the Feast of First Fruits always occurs on the 16th. On top of that they essentially ignore the holiday completely.
For us who follow the Messiah's example, we observe the Feast of First Fruits to remember Yeshua's resurrection. If you recall, He was resurrected on the first day after Sabbath. He was the "first fruits" of many brethren.
Moses specified the 14th for Passover, the 15th through the 21st (inclusive) for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and a variable date based on the occurrence of the weekly Sabbath after Passover for the Feast of First Fruits. Moses never specified an exact date for First Fruits as he did for Passover and Unleavened Bread. Therefore, it cannot always be on the 16th according to the Pharisaic/Rabbinic tradition.
For Messianic believers this issue is of paramount importance. For our testimony to be clear before the Messiah, we must demonstrate a true desire to follow the Torah, not the traditions of Jewish religious leaders. We are not called to keep Jewish feasts; we are called to keep Biblical feasts that are the commandments of God. Furthermore, we are not talking about mere religious duties. Passover is commemorating the blood of the lamb that covered us when the Angel of the Lord passed over the homes in Egypt. The firstborn of our houses were kept alive. The Unleavened Bread we eat is the "bread of haste" we ate when we escaped from captivity and fled Egypt. The firstborn of Israel were the first fruits of freedom and formed a new nation called Israel.
Passover also commemorates the Messiah's redemption for us modeled after the Egyptian exodus. The cup and unleavened bread of the Passover Seder meal also memorializes the offering of our Messiah (the Lamb of God) that has enabled us to escape the trials and tribulations (Egypt) of this world and to be passed over from death (the penalty for our slavery to sin) to life. We then remember the Messiah's resurrection from the dead on the Feast of First Fruits. Let me not hear any one of you who name Messiah Yeshua saying, "The commandments of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits are not important for us to observe." As Messianic believers we should set the standard for appropriateness and observance of these holidays.
For 2011, the Passover is to be observed with a Seder meal just as the Messiah did with His disciples on the evening of April 17. We should eat only unleavened bread beginning that evening and extending through the day of April 25. We should observe the High Sabbaths of Unleavened Bread of the evening of April 18 and the evening of April 24. The weekly Sabbath is on April 23. Therefore on Sunday, April 24, we will remember First Fruits on the first day after the weekly Sabbath following Passover.
Now that we have the dates correct, how do we observe them correctly?
Passover is a watch night. There is no Sabbath per se for the date unless it falls on a weekly Sabbath. We observe Passover at night by eating the Seder meal. The word "Seder" means "order." The Hebrew expression for "Okay" is B'Seder, which means "in order," or simply everything is okay. The Passover Seder is a specific order of events that leads us through the observance and remembrance of the ancient exodus from Egypt. First, let's review what those in Egypt had to do.
Moses continued his instruction concerning the lamb while in Egypt.
Now let us review what Moses said about the Passover memorial feast that we would observe annually after the escape from Egypt.
For the priests, Moses gave these additional instructions for the observance in the tabernacle and temple.
The term at twilight (erev) may confuse some but in temple worship it is actually 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon that leads to evening and start of the next day. When Israel observed the Passover, they would bring their lambs to the temple in the afternoon of the 13th. The lambs would be slain at twilight, the blood of the lambs would be drained and poured out at the base of the altar, and the lambs would then be carried to their homes for the Seder meal that night. At home, the lambs would be skinned but not dressed (the entrails would remain in the lamb whole). It was then cooked over fire with the meat of the lamb carved off the carcass and served for the meal.
When Yeshua instructed Peter and John to prepare the Passover for the Last Supper, they went to the temple to slay the lamb, brought it to the upper room, skinned, and began the cooking process over a fire. The table with the other elements was also set. Other families in Israel were doing the same thing – except for the Pharisees. Since the Pharisees kept the Passover on the 15th, they were waiting until the next day at 3:00 pm (at twilight) to keep the Passover. This is why the trial of Yeshua did not interrupt the Pharisees' Passover Seder meal and the Pharisees were presenting the Passover lamb in the temple at the very moment Yeshua was dying on the cross. (See table below)
The key to this memorial observance was the lamb slain in the temple. The Law of Moses forbids us from preparing any kind of animal sacrifice except at the temple. I have been contacted by churches who wanted to slay a lamb near Easter to mimic the Passover Lamb sacrifice. I have forbidden them from doing so according to the Law.
Without a temple to slay the lamb and a proper placement of the blood of the sacrifice, what are we to do if we want to keep the Passover Seder meal? Since the destruction of the temple, Rabbinical Judaism has instructed that lamb meat is not to be eaten at Passover since it cannot be slain properly. Instead, they eat other meats.
While I agree that we cannot prepare the lamb sacrifice properly without the temple, there is no prohibition of eating lamb in the commandment. It is a foodstuff just like other foods. If other meats are acceptable then lamb meat is acceptable, but we cannot slay the lamb and call it a sacrifice to God. This is a reminder to us that we are scattered in the nations and not in the promised land with temple and priest.
The memorial observance was never intended to duplicate exactly what happened in Egypt. There is a difference between the historical event and the memorial event. For example, Israel has never spread the blood of the Passover Lamb over their doors in the promised land as they did in Egypt. That was reserved only for the actual historical event. Instead, the Passover blood has been memorialized in the cups of the Seder.
This may seem bizarre at first given the kosher restrictions, but Israel came to understand the symbol of the cup of wine as the representation of the Lamb's blood and life. It was not a strange thing for the disciples when Yeshua held up the Passover cup and announce the blood of the New Covenant. For generations, Israel had known this symbol for the blood of the lamb in lieu of sprinkling the blood on their door frames. There are other variations from the actual historical event and the memorial observance. I have heard some Ephraimite brethren suggest that the Passover observance should duplicate the historic events, but Moses gave instructions for the memorial event and how it differs from the historical event.
Here is what Moses said concerning the Feast of Unleavened Bread memorial.
During the historical event, the children of Israel left the cities of Egypt and gathered first at Sukkot where God met them with the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. They journeyed six days and crossed the Red Sea on the seventh day. The High Sabbaths commemorate the departure of the cities from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea.
Our memorial event does not require us to leave our homes. Instead, it requires us to eat unleavened bread during that time. Later, in the fall, at the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) we do leave our homes and camp out (lodge in temporary dwellings) for eight days, remembering how our ancestors escaped Egypt and lived in the wilderness.
Again, the historical event is different from the memorial event. I say this again because some Messianic brethren are seemingly opposed to memorializing these events. In their zeal to avoid the ancient Jewish tradition that was in contrast to the commandments, they reject out of hand all traditions and customs. They make as grave an error as did the ancient Jewish rulers. We have been commanded to memorialize these events and remember them and to teach them to our children, so they can teach their children. How can we keep that part of the commandment if we do not set things in order (the Seder)? Based on this same logic, the Apostle Paul has instructed that we are to assemble and worship the Lord "decently and in order."
What then is the proper order (or Seder) for the Passover meal? How has this been done in the past? Where is the teaching that has been passed down from father to son to this day? How did Yeshua and His disciples keep the Passover?
Many questions of the past are difficult and result in expert guessing, but not this one. The Passover Seder is one of the most documented, well-established memorial traditions known in our faith. And the best historical data (the Gospel accounts of the Passover dinner with Yeshua and His disciples) is completely consistent with the present traditional Haggadah (the booklet showing the order of the Passover observance) we have today. A Passover Haggadah has 14 specific elements that lead you through the order of observance. Unlike the leaven of the Pharisees, the Messiah and His disciples appear to have kept these same elements. As Messianic believers of Yeshua, we would do well to follow His example. The minimum fourteen elements of the Haggadah serve us well in the order of remembrance and memorialization.
- Let's briefly look at those 14 elements:
- Kaddesh – the Cup of Sanctification
- Urchatz – the washing of hands
- Karpas – the dipping of parsley
- Yachatz – the breaking of the matzoh (unleavened bread)
- Mageed – the telling of the story with the Cup of Instruction
- Rachatz - the washing of hands prior to eating
- Motzee Matzah – the first piece of matzah eaten
- Maror – eating the bitter herbs
- Koraych – the matzah sandwich of bitter herbs and charoset
- Shulchan Orekh – the dinner meal
- Tzafun – the Afikoman and the Cup of Redemption
- Barekh – grace after the meal
- Hallel – the Psalm of Joy and the Cup of Praise
- Nirtzah – all is accepted
The order of the Seder uses four cups of wine called sanctification, instruction, redemption (freedom), and praise. There are many sub-elements with the Seder, some before the Seder even happens, during the Seder, and after. The search for leaven precedes the Passover and prepares the home for the Seder, while the remembrance of Jerusalem follows the Seder. Each part of the observance is filled with meaning and value, and we would be remiss if we didn't discuss some of the elements a bit more.
Kaddesh and the Cup of Sanctification separate the Passover Seder meal completely from all meals or feasts throughout the year. Sanctification means separate. This is done to follow God's instruction so that no one will eat the Passover in an unworthy manner. In fact, those who do not believe in the God of Israel are forbidden from eating the Seder meal. I have seen some Messianics invite others to the Passover as a sort of outreach to friends. They should not do that. The Seder is reserved only for the redeemed and those who have been circumcised (in the heart). The Cup of Sanctification not only separates the meal from others, it sanctifies those who are partaking of it from the rest of the world.
Karpas—dipping the parsley twice into salt water—is an extraordinary symbol of redemption illustrating the need to be born again. During the Seder, we will mention how Israel was born of tears (salt water) and again when crossing the Red Sea (a body of salt water), but the more powerful element in the memorial is the need to be born again of God's Spirit sometime after natural birth.
The Seder uses three pieces of matzah placed in a Unity (usually a three compartment decorative cloth cover). A very ornate Unity can be made of silver but it must have the three compartments. The upper piece is usually eaten by the father during the meal. The middle piece serves as the ceremonial and broken piece. Once broken, the best part (determined by the leader) will serve as the Afikoman; it is wrapped in linen to be resurrected after the meal to be the best part (the dessert) of the meal. The third piece is often called the comforter as it is used when eating the bitter herbs and charoset. You learn quickly to eat more matzah than bitter herbs when eating them together and let abundance of matzah comfort you from the bitterness of the herb.
The telling of the story and the drinking of the Cup of Instruction is the predominant activity in observing the Seder other than the meal itself. There are many elements that review the story of redemption, the judgments, teaching the children, and reviewing the main symbolic foods on the Passover platter. While there are variations to the review, there is one thing in common with all who keep the traditional Seder - we begin with the story of Joseph being dispatched by his father Jacob. Torah teachers will tell you that the story of redemption begins in Scripture at Genesis 37:12. Joseph was the first of the children of Israel to be enslaved in Egypt. His bones were also brought out of Egypt when Moses and the children of Israel went out. Joseph is the predominant Messianic prophetic figure of the entire Tanach (Old Testament). Just like Joseph, Yeshua was rejected, sold out, cast in a pit, raised out of a pit, went away for awhile and will one day be in charge of the world. Joseph had been sent by his father Jacob to see to the welfare of the flock and his brethren. Yeshua has done the same, being sent by our Heavenly Father, to see about us.
The Passover Seder platter holds and displays the Passover food symbols. Following the Seder, the Passover platter presents each symbol to assist in telling the story. There is much tradition in Passover Seder platters primarily born out of the commandment to teach our children and draw the entire family to the observance. In many American homes there is the larger platter that usually is used for presenting the Thanksgiving turkey. In the same way, Passover Seder platters serve as the ceremonial plate for the Passover Seder meal and that platter comes to the table only after every guest and everything is completely set to start the Seder meal.
The Passover Platter generally holds the following food stuffs: the Zarowa, the Maror, the Karpas, and the Charoset. It will be seated near the Unity with the Matzah and goblet cup.
The Zarowa (the lamb shank bone) actually means arm. The prophet Isaiah asked a key question concerning the message of the Messiah that relates directly to the Passover Seder.
When we observe the Passover we are to ask ourselves about the state of our faith. Do we believe this story of redemption? Do we believe that the arm of the Lord (Zarowa Adonai) has reached out to deliver us as well? This is more than just holding a theological thought. We are actually instructed to tell our children that it is us (personally and physically) that were passed over and crossed the Red Sea leaving Egypt. Then our children are to learn that it was them as well when they teach their children and the next generation.
Eating the matzah with maror (bitter herbs) can be an exhilarating experience, especially if it is the fresh ground stuff from the root. It will not only wake up your sinuses, it will move you and your comfortable chair. Part of the memorial process is to consider in a dramatic way what was accomplished. The Living God came down and delivered a people who were enslaved and had no escape. He did not use a sword. Instead, he used a shepherd's staff. He didn't array troops across the field and wage combat. Instead, he used words and judged them with their own gods.
Our God is profound beyond words and thoughts. We should be moved by Him and shaken from our complacency. A little horseradish is actually delicious but it does wake us up at first.
A traditional game is played during the Seder meal. The Afikoman, as part of the Seder, is the broken piece of matzah that is wrapped in linen at the beginning of the Seder and buried behind a pillow called "the stone," and is to be brought forth after the meal. Then the children steal the bread and hide it. The leader of the Seder calls for the Afikoman to "come forth." He dispatches a child to retrieve it, but the child returns announcing that "the stone has been moved and all I found was this linen cloth." This is the exact picture given to us in the Gospels at Yeshua's resurrection. It is more than ironic that this traditional children's game at Passover tells the story of Yeshua's resurrection as well as any first century Apostle could. It is even more powerful when considering what afikoman means.
Afikoman in Hebrew means "It is finished" or "It is fulfilled!" Had you been standing at the base of the cross, the last words you would have heard Yeshua say is "Afikoman."
Some of my New Covenant brethren like to think that Yeshua's statement somehow meant that the Law of Moses was completed and thus done away at the cross. They are grossly ignorant of the faith, the Scripture, the Messiah, and the Passover. The word afikoman is in the context of Passover and the redemption promised by God through our father Abraham. The Lord will provide Himself as the sacrifice in that place. It was pictured again at the exodus from Egypt and was realized at the cross and it is remembered at every Passover.
Christianity has so diluted this message that the feast of redemption (communion) is a mere scrap of the bread and less than the spillage of a cup. Most Christians, who take communion every month, have no idea that it is the Tzafun element of the Passover Seder. Many don't even recognize that the bread is called the Afikoman and the cup is called Redemption. Yes, they refer to them as the body and the blood of Jesus, but they have separated Him and themselves from the very feast He ate with His disciples.
It is common for differing opinions of theology to occur. One of the explanations for the difference may be based on one party pulling a thought out of context. Once something is out of context, any explanation can then be given causing a distortion and misunderstanding. This is a great example of this kind of mistake - taking something out of context: the Christian communion vs. its proper context in the Passover Seder. It is tragic and sad that so many New Covenant brethren have never eaten the feast of freedom. Instead, they have been served crumbs and a half sip. Nor have they experienced themselves being passed over from death to life.
The final cup of the Passover is the Cup of Praise. Yeshua did not drink this cup with His disciples. Instead, he declared that He would drink it with us in the kingdom. That would suggest something very powerful about our Passover Seder. It will make it to the kingdom also.
There is much more to say about the Seder and its elements. But rather than have me tell you about it, it would be better that you do it. Let me summarize and make this final point about the traditional Seder we keep. Those who have kept the Passover and known the Messiah will be seated prominently with the Messiah at the Passover in the kingdom. Those who have claimed to know the Messiah but didn't keep His commandment to observe the Passover will be seated elsewhere. They will find that annulling God's commandments and ignoring His instructions to memorialize and remember was a great mistake. There is only one other group of believers that will be more sad than them. That would be Messianic believers who knew the feasts of the Lord and failed to keep them. Ignorance is sad but failing to keep it and knowing you should have kept it will be even worse.
I want to finish on this last point.
To observe the feasts of the Lord, you must learn about them. Don't just follow the Messianic Lemmings that are in front of you. Keep the feasts and do them fully submitted to the Lord from your heart. That is the actual commandment.
The Lord has commanded us to participate in this memorial we call the Passover Seder. It is planned out and has been observed for many generations before us, even to the days of the Messiah and His disciples. There should be no hesitation for us to keep this feast and follow its order. And before we make the same mistake the church fathers made, we should learn what the Seder really means or represents by doing it before suggesting that we make a new order and dismiss the traditional order.