Seder Meal

While at the Explorations in Antiquities museum, the main attraction was the Passover meal, or Seder. We participated in one of these several years ago, but would like to do one at least every few years so that as the kids get older, they will remember it. This one was beautifully laid out when we arrived, on a "reclining table"...I learned only recently that these were tables that were low to the ground so that people could lay down while eating. Thankfully, we had benches. (Sidenote: The kids let me know that they felt my previous instruction on the evils of eating in bed must have been very misguided.)



Unfortunately, I didn't get many good pictures here, it was a bit dark in the room. If you are not familiar, the Seder is the traditional Jewish meal celebrated during Passover, which Jesus would Himself have celebrated. The meal is eaten in tiny "courses", each symbolic of some aspect of the Israelites relationship to the Lord. I can't remember them all, but for instance the lamb bone (another thing to be thankful for: we used skewered chicken instead) represents the sacrifice of the lamb, made to put the lamb's blood over the doorposts when the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. The "bitter herbs" symbolize the bitterness of their slavery. There is a thick fruit salad of apples, cinnamon and raisins that represents the mortar that they used to make the bricks while they were slaves in Egypt. It is very easy to see (especially once the guide explains it, haha) how all of the symbols are just as applicable, in a new way, to our relationship with Christ. The lamb now represents THE Lamb, whose blood was shed on our behalf. The bitter herbs, the sin that so easily entangles...you get the idea. It was not only very interesting but very solemn (except for the Hollinhead crew), and a very good thing for us all to experience. We will definitely do this again!