More Preparations for a Simple Seder

“We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done . . . that the generation to come might know even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments, and not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.” Psalm 78: 4, 6-8

The devotions that will follow in the days ahead are designed to take place as Easter approaches just as you might have Advent Devotions leading up to Christmas. They are to help you prepare your children for the telling of the story of God’s deliverance of His people. For the Jews, the actual “telling” is done at a special family gathering or service called a Seder.

I am writing this devotional guide for my family and decided to share it with you. You might say that it is “hot off the press” therefore; the material is subject to change after it simmers awhile. For now I am sharing what I have learned at this point. I am not a Jew; therefore, this will not be an exact representation of the Jewish ordinance. I am a one who loves the Lord with all my heart, and my desire is to merely guide my family in a special time this season leading up to a Simple Seder of our own ~ the telling of the Passover. It is so rich in meaning!

Before we embark on learning about the ten plagues of judgment that preceded the actual Passover, however, it would be good to look at a few more things regarding this specific time of remembrance.

The children of Israel were instructed to remember the Passover throughout the generations. Specific guidelines were even given to them as to WHO could participate in this celebration. Only the circumcised children of Israel were to participate in this ordinance just as only believers (children of God with circumcised hearts) are to partake of the Christian ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. Anyone with sin in their lives should not participate – confession of sin must come before eating of the bread and drinking from the cup.

For the Jew:

Exodus 12:43-49 “And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘this is the ordinance of the Passover: no foreigner may eat of it; but every man’s slave purchased with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat of it. A sojourner or a hired servant shall not eat of it. All the congregation of Israel are to celebrate this. But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it. The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you.”

For the Christian:

I Corinthians 11:27-28 “Therefore whoever eats the break or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”

The Seder is a service of order as denoted by the Hebrew meaning of the name. Along with the telling of the story, certain foods highlight the different parts of the account with great symbolism. Children ask specific questions leading to specific answers as well (these questions will be covered later on). God knew our children would have questions:

“And it will come about when your children will say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’" Exodus 12:26

“And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?” then you shall say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, form the house of slavery.” Exodus 13:14

Do we live our lives today in a way that our children ask questions concerning our God? Do we remember and do we tell our children so that they should put their confidence in God, and not forget the works of God?

Yesterday you were encouraged to give up something you love as a reminder of the bondage the Israelites were in. As you experience life without that something, take time to pray for those in your life who may be enslaved to something that is not so easy to give up. In fact, their bondage may only come through the mighty deliverance of the Lord.

Preparation for Day Three: When the cry goes up, God comes down!

“I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage; and I have remembered My covenant. Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.” Exodus 6:5-6

1. Prepare Charoset or Haroset (Hebrew word for clay) to eat in remembrance of the years in slavery and the mortar they used for making bricks (recipe below).
2. Watch a Moses video or movie
3. Songs: Moses – by Travis Cottrell / Praise Song – We shall remember
4. Collect visuals for your devotion on the first plague to help the younger children remember:
      o Rod / Snake
      o Drinks for the day: Tomato Juice / Gatorade quenches our thirst / grape juice
      o Red food coloring – to color all water in the house including in the toilets
      o Swedish fish (the blood in the Nile killed all of the fish)

The outline for this upcoming devotion time is this:
Day 1:  History of Passover
Day 2:  More Preparations for a Simple Seder
Day 3:  Bondage and Slavery – Movie Night (Watch a Moses movie)
Day 4:  Plague One – blood
Day 5:  Plague Two – frogs
Day 6:  Plague Three – gnats
Day 7:  Plague Four – flies
Day 8:  Plague Five – Disease of Livestock
Day 9:  Plague Six – Boils
Day 10: Plague Seven – Hail
Day 11: Plague Eight – Locusts
Day 12: Plague Nine – Darkness
Day 13: Plague Ten – Death of the First Born

Followed by: Simple Seder Suggestions for a time to remember the Passover story with your family. Instructions will be given on the symbolic foods eaten as well as the questions asked.

Works cited:
http://www.lifescript.com/Body/Food/Cook/The_7_Symbolic_Foods_Of_Passover.
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/haroset-855434/