Roots of Faith

Telling the Story

I wrote this last year at this time and with slight modifications wanted to send it out again. I wish you and yours the best during this season of freedom. At the end of this document I have written a small piece. In it I write as if I were in Goshen on this very night as a man prepares to depart the land of Egypt.
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I am certain that within our diverse group there will be multiple “versions” of the Passover. I wanted to send this out tonight for those that have never “kept” this festival before. Here are some basic things that you need to know.

First, if the sky is clear where you are, I want you to go outside and look up. See the moon? This is the way it looked when the Children of Israel left Egypt! The full moon gave them light on this night that began with a nation of slaves and ended with a people free to “serve” their God. So you too can experience this freedom.

Passover is about experiencing the past and future as well. It is about redemption and freedom. The Prophet Jeremiah says that another Exodus is coming for the people of God…an even greater exodus than the one we read about tonight! (see Jeremiah 16:14-15)

I am writing for you a series of verses that you can use as your very own Passover Haggadah. Haggadah comes from a Hebrew word that means to tell. Exodus 10:12, Exodus 12:24-27 and Deuteronomy 6:20-25 are the basis for “telling the story”. I encourage all of you to participate in this as it is perhaps the oldest religious practice that has been kept from the beginning of the history of Israel. So tell the story to your family! If you are alone, read it to yourself. It is an incredible story and one that God tells us to tell!

Read the following:

The reason we tell the story
Deuteronomy 6:20-25
Exodus 10:12
Exodus 12:24-27

The Prediction and fulfillment of the Slavery and cruelness of Egypt
Genesis 15:13-14
Exodus 1:8-22

The birth of Moses to his flight to Midian
Exodus 2:1-22

A cry to God and the call of Moses
Exodus 2:23-3:22

The son of God / God’s charge to Moses
Exodus 4:21-23

Meeting with Pharaoh
Exodus 5:1-23
Exodus 6:1-13

The beginning of the redemption
Exodus 6:28-7:13

The Plagues and Israel’s Departure from Egypt
Exodus 7:14-12:36

Salvation In the Wilderness
Exodus 12:37-14:31

Other passages related to Passover
Deuteronomy 16:1-8
Leviticus 23:3-8

One should eat unleavened bread from sundown tomorrow for 7 days. This bread is also known as bread of affliction (Deuteronomy 16:3).

Eat some bitter herbs as well (Exodus 12:8).

Only those that are circumcised may eat the meal. Be circumcised of heart (Deuteronomy 10:12-16, 30:1-6, Jeremiah 4:1-4)

I pray that every shackle will be broken from your life so that you are free to serve the Living God.

Shalom and Chag Sameach!

My Last Night in Goshen
by Ross Nichols
Pesach 2009 / 5769

The moon is huge and bright outside. All around me I see the silhouettes of people scurrying about and preparing for our much anticipated departure. People can be seen packing all of their possessions in the flickering light of the oil lamps burning within the homes of all of my neighbors. I am standing outside of my home, my belt is fastened, sandals are tied tightly on my feet and my staff is in my hand. I am burning what was left from my family meal, as I was instructed, upon a pile of coals.

Four days ago I selected a lamb for my house and then today at the specified time “between the evenings” I killed it and roasted it over a fire. My family ate the flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. I took some of the blood and applied it to the top and sides of the doorway to my home. I am told that this will serve as a sign to keep my family safe. It is whispered that tonight at midnight a destroyer will pass through the land and enter any and every home that does not have the sign to kill the firstborn.

We have prayed for deliverance from the hard labor of this place. My people have been here for 430 years! It is said that our God has finally heard our cries. Two sons of the tribe of Levi revealed this to our elders who then informed us of all that would lead to our freedom. Their names are Moses and Aaron, both sons of Amram and Jochebed of the family of Kohath. I am told that these two sons of Levi performed many miracles in the sight of our elders which confirmed to them that our God has indeed visited us and witnessed our afflictions. When I first heard this news I bowed my head and worshipped!

Time and again they went before Pharaoh and requested that our people be allowed to leave but the king of Egypt refused every time. Because of the strength of Pharaoh’s heart and his arrogance towards God’s messengers our God has caused great calamities to fall upon the people who have enslaved us. During all of this time my people have been protected in our place of Goshen. The water of the Nile was turned to blood. The fish died and the smell from the water was horrid! Even after this sign, Pharaoh would not let us go. The land was invaded by frogs. We hear that the frogs were inside of the homes of the Egyptians…on their beds and even in their kneading bowls! I had hoped that this would cause Pharaoh to let us leave but as soon as the plague was removed and the frogs burned in the fires, Pharaoh returned to his stubbornness! Gnats came next. The gnats covered all living creatures – both man and beast, but Pharaoh was still not willing to let us leave. Flies came next to such a degree that the land of Egypt was ruined by the swarms. I thought that this plague would have been enough, but Pharaoh still stood strong against us. Then I witnessed the livestock of the Egyptians dead in the fields and yet even with this, Pharaoh refused to let us go. Even when the Egyptians were stricken with painful sores on their flesh they did not give in to release us. We heard from our elders that Moses instructed all of us to take our livestock to safety to keep them protected during the next plague. We were told that God would send a storm of hail. Some of the Egyptians took heed to this warning but most did not. We were safe in Goshen, but the storm was fierce! Hail and fire came down from heaven such as had never been seen or heard! All the plants were destroyed as well. Once again the sons of Levi, as they had done after each of the preceding plagues went before Pharaoh. As soon as the storm was stayed by the hand of Moses, Pharaoh grew arrogant once again and reneged on his word. Locusts were sent to eat what was left from the hail, but as soon as they were blown away by God, Pharaoh went back on his word. Then a darkness came upon the land – a darkness so thick that one could feel it! This seemed only to anger Pharaoh more and he threatened Moses and Aaron with death if they appeared before him again.

We then followed the directions of Moses and Aaron and asked our Egyptian neighbors for silver and gold which they gave to us. We were told to prepare as I mentioned previously for our departure. So as the glow from the coals slowly fades into the dark of night I close the door of my home. The children are sleeping quietly on the floor. Our dog and other animals all curled up in a ball with them. My wife and I are too anxious to sleep.

What was that? I hear high pitched screams as the wind blows hard outside of our home. I watch as clouds pass in front of the moon and I know that tonight is the night that God has chosen to save His people. I am told that we will eat this meal every year at this time when we reach our destination. When my sons ask me why we eat this meal I will tell them, “It is YHWH’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when He struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.”

Tell the story in your own way during this season. Shalom and chag sameach!

Ross Nichols