Lesson: Passover, Night of Watching and Seven Days of Unleavened Bread (No. CB136

Goal:

To review the basic concepts related to the Passover, the Night of Watching and the seven days of Unleavened Bread.

Objectives:

1. Children will be able to understand how the Passover, Night of Watching and days of Unleavened Bread fit into the plan of salvation.

2. Children will understand why keeping the Feast is important.

3. Children will be able to identify how many days of unleavened bread there are and what food items should be avoided during those times.

4. Children will be able to state when the first night of watching occurred.

Resources:

Moses and the Exodus (No. CB16)

God’s Holy Days (No. CB22)

21-Day Sanctification Period (No. CB82)

Lesson: 21-Day Sanctification Period (No. CB82_2)

The Passover (No. 098)

Preparation for the Passover Meal on the Night of Watching (No. 093)

The Night to be Much Observed (No. 101)

Timing of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection (No. 159)

Preparing for the Passover (No. 190)

Memory Verse:

Deu 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover to the LORD your God; for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. (RSV)

Exo 12:42 It was a night of watching by the LORD, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the LORD by all the people of Israel throughout their generations. (RSV)

Format:

Open with prayer.

Lesson on Passover, Night of Watching and 7 Days of Unleavened Bread.

Activity associated with the lesson.

Close with prayer.

Lesson:

1. Read through the paper Passover, Night of Watching and Seven Days of Unleavened Bread (No. CB136) unless it is read as a sermonette with the children present.

2. Children’s questions are in bold. This is a general review of the material covered in the paper.

Q1. What is the first of the three Annual Harvests or Feasts of Eloah?

A. The Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread is the first of the three annual Feasts. Lev 23:4-8

Q2. What do the Feasts and Holy Days show or tell us?

A. The Feasts and Holy Days of God tell us the story of God’s Plan of Salvation for all of mankind.

Q3. Since Passover is the first of the annual Feasts, what does it show us about Eloah’s plan?

A. The Passover pictures the salvation of the nation of Israel, and points to the salvation of the entire planet through Jesus Christ, or Joshua the Messiah, as the Passover Lamb.

Q4. Where did the first Passover of the exodus happen? What were the Israelites told to do? Did they listen to God and were they blessed for their obedience?

A. The first Passover occurred in Egypt and was essentially salvation from the last plague that God gave to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The Israelites were told on the 10^th of the First month they were to set aside a perfect, unblemished lamb of the first year for their family (Ex. 12:3-5). During late afternoon on the 14^th of the First month, the Israelites were told to kill a lamb and take its blood and put it on their doorposts and lintels (Ex. 12:6-7). The Israelites were told to stay within the house where they ate the Passover lamb. They were to roast the lamb whole and eat it with bitter herbs and unleavened bread (Ex. 12:8-9). None of the lamb was to remain until the morning. If their families were too small to eat the entire lamb, they should share it with another family (Ex. 12:4). At midnight, the Lord delivered the last of the ten plagues and all the Egyptians suffered the death of the first born of man and beast. The houses with the blood on the doorposts and lintils were “passed over” and the death plague did not affect them.

Q5. Since we no longer kill a lamb at 3:00 p.m. on 14th (or any day), is there a special service to remember the time Jesus Christ died in 30 CE?

A. Jesus Christ was our Passover lamb; his sacrifice was once for all so we no longer need the blood of animals to atone for or cover our sins. We do, however, have a church service at 3:00 p.m. on the 14^th day where we remember the death of our saviour, Jesus Christ. It is after this service that we usually take up the first of our three annual offerings.

Q6. What is the meal called on the dark of the 15th?

A. We continue the instructions to eat a Passover meal on the beginning (dark) of the 15^th day of the First month. We call this the Night of Watching or Night to Be Much Remembered.

Q7. To date, how many times has Eloah led His people out of slavery and what time of year did it occur?

A. Historically, there was only one night that the Lord led His people out of slavery and it occurred during the Passover season. There was one way for physical salvation for the Israelites then – just as there is only one way for salvation through Jesus Christ now.

Q8. Who can attend the Night of Watching?

A. We see on the night of watching children and strangers can attend (Ex. 12:14, 48.49; Num. 9:14). In this context in the Old Testament, strangers meant non-Israelites. Today, this means that anyone is welcome to eat the Passover meal and continue on “watching” until late in the evening.

Q9. What is the symbolism of the Night of Watching?

A. The symbolism is that this meal looks toward the salvation of the entire nation.

Q10. How does the discussion about the meaning of the Night of Watching start? What are some of the symbols we discuss on the Night of Watching?

A. On this night, one of the young children asks: “What is the meaning of this night?” (Ex.12:26), as it relates to the meal (Ex. 12:8). The congregation that is present proceeds to explain and discuss the meaning of the symbols associated with the Passover. The meaning of the lamb, unleavened bread, wine, salt, bitter herbs, etc. are then reviewed and discussed.

Q11. What date in the first month starts the days of Unleavened Bread? Are the first and last days of Unleavened Bread both Sabbaths?

A. The 15^th day of the First month is the beginning of the days of Unleavened Bread. The 21st day of the first month is the seventh or last day of Unleavened Bread. The 15th and 21st are both High days (they are both Sabbaths) and we are commanded to gather with our brethren.

Q12. How many days are we to eat unleavened bread? Which days start and end the days of Unleavened Bread.

A. We are instructed to eat unleavened bread for seven days beginning on the 15^th day of the First Month through to the 21^st day of the First Month.

Q13. During the days of Unleavened Bread, what do we remove from our homes and temporary dwellings?

A. We are commanded to remove all of the leaven from our homes, office and cars before we leave for the Feast (Ex. 12:15,19; Deut. 16:4), and make sure we have removed all of the leaven from our feast housing before Unleavened Bread begins. This includes going through the house and throwing away cookies, cakes, breads, etc. or anything that has leavening in it. Leavening is an ingredient that makes things rise, like baking soda, baking powder or yeast.

Q14. When we remove leavening from our homes during the days of Unleavened Bread, what does the leavening symbolize?

A. Sometimes in the Bible sin is symbolized by leaven (1Cor 5:8) and we focus on removing sin from our own lives while we are deleavening.

Q15. Should we eat unleavened bread each and every day of the Feast?

A. Yes; during the Feast, the meals must contain unleavened bread. It is an actual instruction to eat unleavened bread for seven days (Ex. 12:15; 13:6-7; 23:15; 34:18; Lev. 23:6-8; Num. 28:17; Deut. 16:3), not just remove the leaven. At least once a day we should eat bread that is unleavened. We are continually reminded each day of our need to put sin out of our lives.

Q16. How many days of Sanctification are there? Which day of the First month ends the days of Sanctification?

A. Beginning with the first day of the First Month, there are 21 days of Sanctification. It is important to remember the last day of Unleavened Bread (the 21st day of the First Month) brings the Sanctification period to a close for the year.

Q17. What is the name of the day that falls within the days of Unleavened Bread that helps us to determine when Pentecost falls?

A. The Sunday that falls during the week of Unleavened Bread is referred to as “Wave Sheaf”. Wave Sheaf is a very special day that falls during the days of Unleavened Bread. It is not necessarily a Sabbath, yet it is important because it helps us to determine when Pentecost falls. (It can be a Sabbath if the Sunday during Unleavened Bread falls on the 15th or 21st day of the month). Wave Sheaf always occurs on Sunday, also referred to as the first day of the week.

Q18. What day of the week did Jesus Christ die and when was he resurrected?

A. Jesus Christ died on the 14th day of the first month which was Wednesday afternoon in 30 CE, at the same time the Passover lamb was being killed. Jesus Christ was in the tomb for three days and three nights just like the Sign of Jonah tells us. He was resurrected at the end of the seventh day of the week (Sabbath). He did not immediately ascend to God’s right hand. In fact, he stayed here on earth until the next morning, which was Sunday, or the first day of the week. Then, at approximately 9:00 a.m., he ascended to heaven to be with God the Father. This was the same time as the Wave Sheaf offering. We continue to see that everything in the Old Testament instructions for Passover points us to Jesus Christ. He ascended as the Wave Sheaf offering being the first of the first-fruits. Jesus Christ was accepted as the perfect sacrifice. Every year during the Feast of Unleavened Bread we keep the Wave Sheaf Offering at 9 a.m. on Sunday, in memory of this event (Lev. 23:10-14).

Q19. From Wave Sheaf, how many days are there in the count to Pentecost?

A. We are able to count 50 days starting with Wave Sheaf to Pentecost.

Q20. Who was called by God to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery?

A. Moses was chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt through the power of God and the Angel of the Presence (who later became Jesus Christ).

Q21. Are the days of Unleavened Bread to be kept forever?

A. Yes, the days of Unleavened Bread are to be kept for all generations (Ex. 12:14,17, 23-27).

Activity Options:

Shadow Box

Shadow boxes of the events from the plagues or journey out of Egypt.

Each child is given a shoebox. They are to create one of the plagues of the exodus. The plagues can be written on cards or typed out and the children draw one of the cards they select or the children may list a plague from memory and create that plague.

Topographical map of Egypt moving towards Sinai

Children work individually or in small groups making topographical maps using salt dough or Kool-Aid dough to fashion the landscape from Egypt into the Sinai Peninsula. Having a topographical map available for them to work from will be beneficial. Additional activities could be placing small “flags” showing the 10 stages of the Exodus (Etham, Migdol, Pi-hahiroth, Marah, Elim, Wilderness of Sin, Dophkah, Alush, Rephidim, Sinai). The major events of each stage can be reviewed. Additional details on the 10 stages can be found in the paper Pentecost at Sinai No. 115.

Concentration Game:

Concentration game of the plagues; matching the plague with the correct number of the particular plague. Children are allowed to have 2 matches in a row then it is the next player’s turn.

Supplies:

Shadow box: one shoe box per child, miscellaneous craft items such as felt, clay, pom poms, wiggle eyes, markers, scissors, glue, construction paper, stickers, etc.

Topographical maps: flour, salt, water bowl, spoon, cardboard to create the map on, paint to paint the map when finished unless the dough was dyed before creating the map.

Salt Dough Recipe

http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/5-bc/45-salt-dough.htm

2 cups plain flour (not self-rising)
1 cup fine-grained plain salt
½ cup water at room temperature

Mix the salt and flour in a large bowl and then add the water. Knead the mixture for about five to 10 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic. Cover with cling wrap to keep the dough from drying out, and let the dough sit for 30 minutes before using.

Here are two other salt flour dough recipes that are useful, depending on the project being worked on.

Fine dough for filigree work
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
100 grams cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Once salt dough is dry, the project can be painted.

Concentration game: Cards with the numbers and the pictures of the plagues.

Close with prayer.

❑

PO Box 369, WODEN ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA