The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 28
The reader and assembly portion of the Haggadah
Welcome friends! Shalom! Thank you for joining our family in the celebration of Passover. In it we have much to be thankful for and even to look forward to. During the course of the Passover telling, meal, and the continuation of the telling, please be ready to read the next parts if you are a “Reader,” and everyone be ready to read the, “All” portions. Please also wait before eating anything. Let us be one family and eat together, so please wait until the main speaker has begun to partake.
“Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the entire lump? Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also Messiah our Passover was offered for us. So then let us observe the festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).
“And He said, ‘Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I am to observe the Passover at your house with My taught ones.’”’” (Matthew 26:18).
“Also, in the path of Your right-rulings, O Yahoweh, we have waited for You; the longing of our being is for Your Name and for the remembrance of You.” (Isaiah 26:8).
Don’t be nervous, but joyful. Let His Name, even His memory, be the desire of our souls.
Reader: 1 Corinthians 11:26-34 reads, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Master until He comes. So that whoever should eat this bread or drink this cup of the Master unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Master. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For the one who is eating and drinking unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Master. Because of this many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we were to examine ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Master, that we should not be condemned with the world. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. And if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I shall set in order when I come.”
Song time!
Note: A hearty, “Shabbat shalom!” is declared with arms raised, and then everyone claps with the beat and sings, and then at the end of the little song we all raise our hands and shout, “Hey!”
All: Shabbat Shalom! Shabbat shalom, Shabbat shalom, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat shalom. Shabbat shalom, Shabbat shalom, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat shalom. Shabba Shabba Shabba Shabba Shabbat shalom. Shabba Shabba Shabba Shabba Shabbat shalom. Shabbat shalom, Shabbat shalom, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat shalom. HEY!
Reader: Exodus 9:16 reads, “And for this reason I have raised you up, in order to show you My power, and in order to declare My Name in all the earth.”
Reader: Exodus 6:1 reads, “And Yahoweh said to Mosheh, ‘Now see what I do to Pharaoh, for with a strong hand he is going to let them go, and with a strong hand he is going to drive them out of his land.’”
All: Exodus 6:6-8 reads, “Say, therefore, to the children of Yisra’el, ‘I am Yahoweh, and I shall bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and shall deliver you from their enslaving, and shall redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments, and shall take you as My people, and I shall be your Elohim. And you shall know that I am Yahoweh your Elohim who is bringing you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I shall bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Yitshaq, and to Ya’aqob, to give it to you as an inheritance. I am Yahoweh.’”
Reader: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 reads, “But we ought to give thanks to Elohim always for you, brothers, beloved by the Master, because Elohim from the beginning chose you to be saved—in set-apartness of Spirit, and belief in the truth—unto which He called you by our Good News, for the obtaining of the esteem of our Master Yahoshuah Messiah. So, then, brothers, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or by our letter.”
Reader: Romans 6:23 reads, “For the wages of sin is death, but the favourable gift of Elohim is everlasting life in Messiah Yahoshuah our Master.”
All: “Barukh atah Yahoweh Ha BaRa Melech ha’olam borei pri hagafen Amen. Blessed are you, Yahoweh, the Creator, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine. May it be”
Reader: Psalms 24:3-4 reads, “Who does go up into the mountain of Yahoweh? And who does stand in His set-apart place? He who has innocent hands and a clean heart, who did not bring his life to naught, and did not swear deceivingly.”
Exodus 2:23-25 reads, “And it came to be after these many days that the sovereign of Egypt died. And the children of Yisra’el groaned because of the slavery, and they cried out. And their cry came up to Elohim because of the slavery. And Elohim heard their groaning, and Elohim remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Yitshaq, and with Ya’aqob. And Elohim looked on the children of Yisra’el, and Elohim knew!”
Reader: Exodus 12:21-24 reads, “And Mosheh called for all the elders of Yisra’el and said to them, ‘Go out and take lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and slaughter the Passover lamb. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin, and you, none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. And Yahoweh shall pass on to smite the Egyptians, and shall see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and Yahoweh shall pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you. And you shall guard this word as a law for you and your sons, forever.’”
Reader: Revelation 5:11-14 reads, “ And I looked, and I heard the voice of many messengers around the throne, and the living creatures, and the elders. And the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb having been slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and respect and esteem and blessing!’ And every creature which is in the heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the respect and the esteem and the might, forever and ever!’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the twenty-four elders fell down and bowed before Him who lives forever and ever.”
Reader: Exodus 12:34 reads, “And the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their garments on their shoulders.”
All: In haste we went out of Egypt.
Reader: Deuteronomy 6:5-9 reads, “And you shall love Yahoweh your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your might. And these Words which I am commanding you today shall be in your heart, and you shall impress them upon your children, and shall speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up, and shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Reader: Luke 22:16 reads, “for I say to you, I shall certainly not eat of it again until it is filled in the reign of Elohim.”
All: Blessed is Ha BaRa Who has given the Torah to His people.
Reader: Exodus 19:5-6 reads, “‘And now, if you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession above all the peoples—for all the earth is Mine—and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.’ Those are the words which you are to speak to the children of Yisra’el.”
Reader: Genesis 12:1-3 reads, “And Yahoweh said to Abram, ‘Go yourself out of your land, from your relatives and from your father’s house, to a land which I show you. And I shall make you a great nation, and bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing! And I shall bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you. And in you all the clans of the earth shall be blessed.’”
All: Galatians 3:29 reads, “And if you are of Messiah, then you are seed of Abraham, and heirs according to promise.”
All: Dayenu! (sounds: die-YA-new)
All: Dayenu!
All: Dayenu!
All: Dayenu!
All: HalleluYah!
Young Reader: “What is the meaning of the witnesses, and the laws, and the right-rulings which Yahoweh our Elohim has commanded you?”
Reader: Deuteronomy 6:20-25 reads, “When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is the meaning of the witnesses, and the laws, and the right-rulings which Yahoweh our Elohim has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son, ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and Yahoweh brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand, and Yahoweh sent signs and wonders, great and grievous, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes. And He brought us out from there, to bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers. And Yahoweh commanded us to do all these laws, to fear Yahoweh our Elohim, for our good always, to keep us alive, as it is today. And it is righteousness for us when we guard to do all this command before Yahoweh our Elohim, as He has commanded us.’” … The Wise son seeks knowledge.
Young Reader: “What does this service mean to you?”
Reader: Exodus 12:26-28 reads, “‘And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What does this service mean to you?’ then you shall say, ‘It is the Passover slaughtering of Yahoweh, who passed over the houses of the children of Yisra’el in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ And the people bowed their heads and did obeisance. And the children of Yisra’el went away and did so—as Yahoweh had commanded Mosheh and Aharon, so they did.”
… The Wicked son looks down on the beliefs of his people and scoffs. He must be shown the beauty of redemption.
Young Reader: “What is this?”
Reader: Exodus 13:14 reads, “And it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘By strength of Hand Yahoweh brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’”
… The Simple son needs reminding. We are all sheep.
Young Reader: Cover your mouth! Quick. Everyone is looking.
Reader: Exodus 13:8-10 reads, “And you shall inform your son in that day, saying, ‘It is because of what Yahoweh did for me when I came up from Egypt. And it shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, that the Torah of Yahoweh is to be in your mouth, for with a strong hand Yahoweh has brought you out of Egypt. And you shall guard this Law at its appointed time from year to year.’”
… And the Mute son who is unable to ask, the parent must instruct in the ways of seeking.
Reader: Exodus 11 reads, “And Yahoweh said to Mosheh, ‘I am bringing yet one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that he is going to let you go from here. When he lets you go, he shall drive you out from here altogether. Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbour and every woman from her neighbour, objects of silver and objects of gold.’ And Yahoweh gave the people favour in the eyes of the Egyptians. And the man Mosheh was very great in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of Pharaoh’s servants and in the eyes of the people. And Mosheh said, ‘Thus said Yahoweh, “About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the first-born of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the first-born of cattle. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as has never been or ever be again. But against any of the children of Yisra’el no dog shall move its tongue, against man or against beast, so that you know that Yahoweh makes distinction between Egypt and Yisra’el.” And all these servants of yours shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, “Get out, you and all the people at your feet!” And after that I shall go out.’ And he went out from Pharaoh in great displeasure. But Yahoweh said to Mosheh, ‘Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, in order to multiply My wonders in the land of Egypt.’ And Mosheh and Aharon did all these wonders before Pharaoh, however, Yahoweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not let the children of Yisra’el go out of his land.”
All: Blood (dip), frogs (dip), lice (dip), flies (dip), animals die (dip), boils (dip), hail (dip), locusts (dip), darkness (dip), and death of the first-born (dip).
All: … Our sin (dip).
All: Exodus 12:12 reads, “And I shall pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and shall smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And on all the mighty ones of Egypt I shall execute judgment. I am Yahoweh.”
All: “I” —not “an angel.”
All: “I” —not “a seraph.”
All: “I” —not “a messenger.”
All: I Am Yahoweh, I am Saviour, and there is none besides Me.
Reader: 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 reads, “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the entire lump? Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also Messiah our Passover was offered for us. So then let us observe the festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
All: “Barukh Atah Yahoweh Ha BaRa Melekh ha’olam hamotzi lekhem min ha’aretz Amen. Blessed are You, Yahoweh, the Creator, King of the universe, who brings forth matzah from the earth. May it be.”
Reader: Exodus 1:14 reads, “and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all kinds of work in the field, all their work which they made them do was with harshness.”
Zechariah 12:10 reads, “And I shall pour on the house of Dawid and on the inhabitants of Yerushalayim a spirit of favour and prayers. And they shall look on Me whom they pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son. And they shall be in bitterness over Him as a bitterness over the first-born.”
Reader: Hebrews 12:2 reads, “looking to the Princely Leader and Perfecter of our belief, Yahoshuah, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the stake, having despised the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim.”
Reader: Matthew 28:19-20 reads, “‘Therefore, go and make taught ones of all the nations, immersing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Set-apart Spirit, teaching them to guard all that I have commanded you. And see, I am with you always, until the end of the age.’ Amen.”
Reader: 1 Corinthians 10:18-22 reads, “Look at Yisra’el after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the offerings sharers in the altar? What then do I say? That an idol is of any value? Or that which is offered to idols is of any value? No, but what the gentiles offer they offer to demons and not to Elohim, and I do not wish you to become sharers with demons. You are not able to drink the cup of the Master and the cup of demons, you are not able to partake of the table of the Master and of the table of demons. Do we provoke the Master to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?”
Reader: Ezekiel 8:14 reads, “And He brought me to the door of the north gate of the House of Yahoweh, and I saw women sitting there, weeping for Tammuz.”
Joshua 24:15 reads, “And if it seems evil in your eyes to serve Yahoweh, choose for yourselves this day whom you are going to serve, whether the mighty ones which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the mighty ones of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But I and my house, we serve Yahoweh.”
Reader: Jeremiah 7:18-19 reads, “‘The children are gathering wood, the fathers are lighting the fire, and the women are kneading their dough, to make cakes for the sovereigness of the heavens, and to pour out drink offerings to other mighty ones, to provoke Me. Is it Me they are provoking?’ declares Yahoweh. ‘Is it not themselves—unto the shame of their own faces?’”
Jeremiah 44:16-19 reads, “We are not going to listen to you in the matter about which you spoke to us in the Name of Yahoweh! But we shall do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the sovereigness of the heavens and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our sovereigns and our heads, in the cities of Yehudah and in the streets of Yerushalayim. And we had plenty of food, and were well-off, and saw no evil. But since we ceased burning incense to the sovereigness of the heavens and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked all and have been consumed by the sword and by scarcity of food. And when we burned incense to the sovereigness of the heavens and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to idolize her, and pour out drink offerings to her, without our husbands?”
Jeremiah 16:19-21 reads, “O Yahoweh, my strength and my stronghold and my refuge, in the day of distress the gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, ‘Our fathers have inherited only falsehood, futility, and there is no value in them.’ Would a man make mighty ones for himself, which are not mighty ones? Therefore see, I am causing them to know, this time I cause them to know My hand and My might. And they shall know that My Name is Yahoweh!”
1 Samuel 12:10 reads, “And they cried out to Yahoweh, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yahoweh and served the Ba’als and the Ashtaroth. And now, deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we serve You.’”
Reader: Deuteronomy 12:29-32 reads, “When Yahoweh your Elohim does cut off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, guard yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire about their mighty ones, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their mighty ones? And let me do so too.’ Do not do so to Yahoweh your Elohim, for every abomination which Yahoweh hates they have done to their mighty ones, for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their mighty ones. All the words I am commanding you, guard to do it—do not add to it nor take away from it.”
All: “And He said to them, ‘With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering,’” (Luke 22:15).
Reader: Exodus 12:11-14 reads, “And this is how you eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Passover of Yahoweh. And I shall pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and shall smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And on all the mighty ones of Egypt I shall execute judgment. I am Yahoweh. And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I shall pass over you, and let the plague not come on you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall become to you a remembrance. And you shall observe it as a festival to Yahoweh throughout your generations—observe it as a festival, an everlasting law.”
Reader: Deuteronomy 8:10 reads, “And you shall eat and be satisfied, and shall bless Yahoweh your Elohim for the good land which He has given you.”
Reader: John 6:41-58 reads, “Therefore the Yehudim were grumbling against Him, because He said, ‘I am the bread which came down out of the heaven.’ And they said, ‘Is not this Yahoshuah, the son of Yoseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, “I have come down out of the heaven”?’ Then Yahoshuah answered and said to them, ‘Do not grumble with one another. No one is able to come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. And I shall raise him up in the last day. It has been written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by Yahoweh.” Everyone, then, who has heard from the Father, and learned, comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from Elohim—He has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me possesses everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of the heaven, so that anyone might eat of it, and not die. I am the living bread which came down out of the heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever. And indeed, the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.’ The Yehudim, therefore, were striving with one another, saying, ‘How is this One able to give us His flesh to eat?’ Yahoshuah therefore said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Adam and drink His blood, you possess no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood possesses everlasting life, and I shall raise him up in the last day. For My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood stays in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me shall live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of the heaven, not as your fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this bread shall live forever.’”
1 John 2:3-6 reads, “And by this we know that we know Him, if we guard His commands. The one who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not guard His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever guards His Word, truly the love of Elohim has been perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked.”
Reader: John 1:29reads, “On the next day Yohanan saw Yahoshuah coming toward him, and said, ‘See, the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world!’”
Reader: Revelation 5:11-12 reads, “And I looked, and I heard the voice of many messengers around the throne, and the living creatures, and the elders. And the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb having been slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and respect and esteem and blessing!’”
Reader: Exodus 12:21 reads, “And Mosheh called for all the elders of Yisra’el and said to them, ‘Go out and take lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and slaughter the Passover lamb.’”
Reader: 1 Corinthians 5:7reads, “Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also Messiah our Passover was offered for us.”
Exodus 12:46 reads, “It is eaten in one house, you are not to take any of the flesh outside the house, nor are you to break any bone of it.”
John 19:32-33 reads, “Therefore the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was impaled with Him, but when they came to Yahoshuah and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.”
Reader: Isaiah 53:5-6 reads, “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our crookednesses. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. We all, like sheep, went astray, each one of us has turned to his own way. And Yahoweh has laid on Him the crookedness of us all.”
All: Barukh Atah Yahoweh Ha BaRa Melekh ha’olam hamotzi lekhem min ha’aretz Amen. Blessed are You, Yahoweh, the Creator, King of the universe, Who brings forth matzah from the earth. May it be.”
All: Psalms 116:12-14 reads, “What shall I return to Yahoweh? All His bounties are upon me. I lift up the cup of deliverance, and call upon the Name of Yahoweh. I pay my vows to Yahoweh now in the presence of all His people.”
Reader: Luke 22:20 reads, “Likewise the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the renewed covenant in My blood which is shed for you.’”
All: “Barukh atah Yahoweh Ha BaRa Melech ha’olam borei pri hagafen Amen. Blessed are you, Yahoweh, the Creator, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine. May it be.”
All: “Yahoweh! I love you and I accept your marriage proposal”.
Reader: Exodus 13:9-10 reads, “And it shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, that the Torah of Yahoweh is to be in your mouth, for with a strong hand Yahoweh has brought you out of Mitsrayim. And you shall guard this law at its appointed time from year to year.”
Reader: Luke 1:17 reads, “And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Eliyahu, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the insight of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for Yahoweh.”
Reader: John 1:29 reads, “On the next day Yohanan saw Yahoshuah coming toward him, and said, ‘See, the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world!’”
… “May they see.”
Reader: How great a Saviour we have in Yahoweh! Hosea 13:4 reads, “But I am Yahoweh your Elohim since the land of Egypt, and an Elohim besides Me you shall not know, for there is no Saviour besides Me.”
All: His love endures forever.
All: “Oh, what a joy we have in our Saviour. No joy can be without Him.”
Reader: Hebrews 10:26-31 reads, “For if we sin purposely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a slaughter offering for sins, but some fearsome anticipation of judgment, and a fierce fire which is about to consume the opponents. Anyone who has disregarded the Torah of Mosheh dies without compassion on the witness of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think shall he deserve who has trampled the Son of Elohim underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was set apart as common, and insulted the Spirit of favour? For we know Him who has said, “‘Vengeance is Mine, I shall repay,’ says Yahoweh.” And again, ‘Yahoweh shall judge His people.’ It is fearsome to fall into the hands of the living Elohim.”
… Tonight you have seen the veil, and you have seen it lifted. Will you lower the veil again?
All: Next year in Yerusalem! May everyone be free to rejoice, so our joy may be complete.
He is worthy of our praise and every step in the race. May you all have a blessed Festival. I pray you will give your life to Him in such a way that you even desire to set your watch by His.
Shabbat Shalom!
Be Blessed and be a Blessing
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
If this blessed you, please share it.
Additional Scripture References:
Deuteronomy 15:21, Psalms 136
