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Let
us say a few words to our young readers on the subject of the
approaching holy days.
At
a time long since passed the forefathers of our people were held in
cruel bondage by the Egyptians, a nation of former ages, who inhabited
the land called Egypt, in the northeastern portion of Africa.
The
Israelites had been invited to dwell in Egypt by one of the ancient
kings of that country, after one of the sons of Jacob, called Joseph,
had saved the people from the effects of a famine by foretelling its
occurrence, and providing an ample supply of provisions, which were sold
to the people during the time of the scarcity.
But
after Joseph had died, the Egyptians forgot the gratitude which they
owed to him and his family; and they subjected the Israelites, (so
called after Jacob, surnamed Israel,) who had become very numerous, to
the severest labour, and in fact reduced
them to a state of slavery, which means that our fathers had to work
whether they wished or not, at the command of others, without receiving
any wages for their labour.
Several
hundred years passed thus away, and the Israelites had lost even all
desire for freedom; they were content to work, and almost looked upon
the Egyptians as a superior class of men.
It
was then that the Lord, who never forgets the humble and oppressed,
thought, in his providence, that the Israelites had suffered long
enough. He therefore selected a man called Moses, who was the son of
Amram, of the tribe of Levi, to be the instrument to free his brothers
from slavery. The Lord appeared to him in a wonderful manner, which we
cannot clearly explain, whilst he was feeding sheep in the wilderness of
Sinai, in the country of Arabia, and ordered him to go to Pharaoh, as
the king of Egypt was called, and to ask of him to let the Israelites go
free, that they might serve the God of their fathers in the wilderness.
The king refused to obey this command of God; and instead of doing what
Moses and his brother Aaron had asked of him, he increased the labour of
the Israelites, saying that it was because they were lazy that they
wished to go and serve the Lord.
When
the king had in this manner refused to do justice to our forefathers,
God did many wonderful things in Egypt, to prove to the people of that
country, who worshipped idols, that He who is the Creator of every being
logs alone the power to do every thing which He pleases, and that their
images had no power whatever. But still tine king refused; he hardened
his heart, and would not let Israel go. At length, to compel him to obey
the will of God, every first-born son in all Egypt was slain at the hour
of midnight, but not one Israelite died whilst all their oppressors were
punished.
When
the king thus found that the longer he resisted the severer he was
punished; when he saw that his own son had died because the Lord had
determined that his will should be done: he could no longer refuse
obedience, but he sent for Moses and Aaron, and ordered them to quit
Egypt with all the Israelites; and so great was the terror of the
Egyptians, that they would not let the people stay long enough to
prepare food for their journey, but drove them out hastily, for fear
that they all might die.
It
is for this reason that we are commanded to keep the Feast of Passover
in the spring of every year, to keep alive in our memory the great
miracle and the great kindness which the Lord did in our behalf; for had
it not been for this redemption of our fathers from Egypt, we
should have been to this day slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. The festival is
called Passover, Hebrew Paysach, "because the Lord passed over the
houses of the children of the Israelites in Egypt, when he smote the
Egyptians and spared our houses."
The
manner of observing the Passover is this: Some time before the
commencement, unleavened bread is baked, made simply out of flour and
water without any yeast or leaven, rolled out into thin cakes, which are
baked as soon as possible after they are made, to prevent their becoming
leavened by standing. This kind of bread alone is permitted to be eaten
during the Passover week. Nothing in which there is leaven, either food
or drink, is allowed to us during this time. This includes every species
of bread or cake made in the ordinary way; all kinds of beer or strong
drinks made of grain; and every food in which any of these substances or
even unground grain has been mixed.
But
as vessels which have been used for leaven are also prohibited to be
used on the Passover, as are all gentile vessels in which prohibited
food has peen boiled, prepared or put during other parts of the year: we
cleanse all our vessels from leaven, either by means of fire or water,
according to their nature, and remove all earthen and other utensils
which cannot be purified.
On
the two first evenings of the festival, all Israelites should assemble
in their families and recite the history of our redemption from Egypt,
and return thanks for the many mercies which we have received from God.
On
the day before the festival, it is also customary for all the
first-born to last in commemoration of the great goodness of the Lord in
sparing the first-born of Israel, when all those belonging to the
Egyptians died.
Now,
young friends, we hope that you will know why we every year keep
this festival, and why we sit down to the table and place there the
unleavened bread, the bitter herbs, and other memorials; such as a bone
and egg, in memory of the sacrifice of a lamb which was formerly offered
at Jerusalem when the Temple yet stood; and the reason why we so
solemnly bless the bread and wine, more so than on other occasions. It
is to remind you, that you are Israelites, the children of promise, who
owe every thing to God; and that you may feel that all you can do in
return for his mercy is to obey the commandments and to live true sons
of Israel in worshipping the only true God, and to glory in being his
chosen servants. |
