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