Sunday, March 14, 2010

Pesach Part Five

The Four Cups of Wine

The four cups of wine represent the four "I wills" of G-d found in Exodus 6:6-8.

"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rescue you from your bondage, and I will redeem you with out stretched arms, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be your God: "

The first cup is Kos Rishon - The Cup of Sanctification, also called the Cup of Blessing.

This represents the promise from G-d to initially, Israel, and ultimately to all of us. I will separate you from the world as my children. Some say this is the cup of the calling out. G-d is calling out to his people. If you follow me, I will make you holy and sanctified. He is still calling you out of Egypt which represents the world.

After the Kos Rishon, we have the Urchatz, the ceremonial washing. I really love this one. During this washing, we recite Sh'mot(Exodus)30:17-21

"And the Adonai spoke unto Moshe, saying, Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For Aharon and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: When they go into the tabernacle of the meeting, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations."

Notice why the priests must wash....so "they die not", be able to "come near to the altar to minister" and worship.

Let's step back and look at the washing. First, the laver of brass symbolizes judgement. The laver was made of brazen mirrors to allow reflection. The water represents the Word of G-d. The laver is to be anointed with oil which represents that which is made holy by G-d. Finally, the feet represent our walk which will be judged according to the walk of Y'shua.

All together, this laver represents the need to wash daily in the Word in order to reflect that which is made holy by G-d through that which was judged by G-d. I'm sorry but there is only one that has fulfilled this laver and that is the one and only B'nai Elohim, the son of G-d, Yeshua ha Mashiach.

We must continually immerse ourselves in the Word of God and walk with G-d in order to be able to come to the alter of G-d, to minister unto others and properly worship our G-d. Only by doing this, we can see the true saved individual whose sin was judged and made holy by G-d.

Shalom

Friday, March 12, 2010

Pesach Part Four

Brechat Haner (Kindling of The Candles)

At the beginning of the Seder, the lady of the house lights the candles. The lady of the house always begins the Seder by lighting the candles. According to Rabbinical law, the woman is responsible for putting out the lights in the first place. Therefore, only a woman can turn them on again.

This is a reference to the fact that through Eve, sin was introduced into the world. I find it interesting that Rabbinical law states that only through a woman can sin be ushered out of the world.

In fact, that is exactly how it happened. Through a virgin woman, the mother of Y'shua, Mary, the Messiah was brought into this world. It was through the Messiah, sin was overcome.

I amazes me that my Jewish brothers don't see that this part of the Seder was prophetic and only one candidate has fulfilled it. That is Y'shua, the Messiah, and not only the savior of the world, but the Jewish race.

Beruch habah, Y'shua, b'shem Adonai.

Blessed is he, Y'shua, who comes in the name of the Lord.

Shabbat Shalom

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Pesach Part Three

Prior to Pesach, we are to search out and clean our houses of all leaven. During the searching part, we are to use a candle as our only light. When leaven is found, a feather is used to brush it onto a wooden spoon and placed into a cloth bag. This is done three times or on three consecutive days.

On the morning of the third day, the leaven, bag, feather and wooden spoon is set on fire and consumed completely by the fire. The father is to look to heaven and says, "Heaven Father and my G-d, the purging of leaven from our home is finished. Our home is now ready for your presence."

The symbolism here is so fantastic.

The candle that shines light upon the sin in our lives is symbolic of the Ruach Ha Kodesh, G-ds Holy Spirit.

The feather represents the faithfulness of Y'shua to place himself upon the altar of G-d, the cross, which is represented by the wooden spoon.

The leaven is symbolic of our Meshiach, the Messiah, Y'shua, Jesus Christ who was made sin for us.

The bag respresents the burial cave of the Messiah.

The fire is symbolic of G-ds judgement of our sin on the cross.

Let's step back and look at the ceremony another time.

The candle, G-ds Holy Spirit, convicts us and reveals, the leaven, our sin to us. The feather, which is our faith, and the faithfulness of Y'shua that puts our sin up on the altar of G-d, the cross, the spoon. Our sin upon Y'shua was put into the grave, the bag, for three days. At that time, our sin is judged, symbolized by the fire. It is the three days that sets this apart from all other religions in the world. Because after three days, the Messiah rises from the grave, leaving our sin judged. We are now free to say to the father, "We, our tabernacles, are now ready for the presence of G-d, his Holy Spirit."

Here in the opening ceremony of Pesach, Passover, we have a model of the main elements of G-ds redemptive plan.

My prayer is that our Jewish brothers and sisters eyes will be open to the model of G-ds plan of salvation, given to us to celebrate every year.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Pesach Part Two

"Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come." (Exodus 12:17)

We are to celebrate this festival forever. Yes, it is the law. However, we don't do it out of obligation to the law but out of desire to do his will. By living through this celebration, we become intimate with G-d and his plan of salvation. We, as Christians, need to become one with G-d. Celebrating his feasts is instrumental in getting to know your bridegroom.

Tomorrow, we start with the Bedikat Hametz.

Ba-rukh A-tah A-do-nai E-lo-hey-nu Me-lekh ha-'o-lam a-sher kid-sha-nu B'-mi-tzvo-tav v'-tzi-va-nu l'-had-lik ner shel (shabbat) yom tov.

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by your commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the Festival lights. Amen.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Pesach Part One

Over the next few weeks, we will delve into one of the most important festivals that revealed G-ds plan of salvation for all mankind. That festival is none other that Pesach, known as Passover. Pesach celebrates the fact that G-d provides a way to save his people through the death of the first born and an innocent and unblemished lamb. I hope you will join me in exploring the elements of Pesach and, without any biased commentary, see how this festival points to the first born, innocent and unblemished lamb of G-d, Y'shua Ha Mashiach, Jesus, the Messiah.

Shalom Aleichem