LTTNM Articles & Poems : The Passover Lamb

The Passover Lamb

“Mah nishtanah ha laila , ha zeh?” (A)

The youngest child is heard to say.

And though we know it all so well,

We love again this tale to tell.

The God of our fathers so long, long ago

Spake unto Pharaoh, “Let my people go!”

But Pharaoh was proud and he hardened his heart,

Saying, “Never will I let God’s people depart!”

Then the cries of God’s people reached up to His throne,

And God , Who has never forsaken His own,

With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm

Prevented the Pharaoh from doing them harm.

First all the rivers were turned into blood,

And frogs covered everything just like a flood:

Bodies and hair were all crawling with lice,

Then came the creeping things, - would that suffice?

All of the cattle struck down with disease,

Boils on men’s bodies that gave them no ease;

Mighty great thunderings, huge chunks of hail

Felled all the cattle and made Pharaoh quail.

“Stop, I have sinned, ask your God to relent......”

But he hardened his heart and refused to repent.

Once more Moses stood and stretched forth his hand,

And a great cloud of locusts came over the land.

Again the proud Pharaoh asked Moses to pray,

“Plead with your God to take this death away!”

On all who refuse Him, black darkness will fall,

And soon over Egypt there hung a great pall.

As the whole of the land was plunged into night,

The children of Israel basked in God’s light.

And still the great Pharaoh continued in pride,

The Lord God of Israel he had defied.

He said unto Moses, “I’ll see not your face”.

For Pharaoh was closing the day of God’s grace!

The curtain was falling - soon all would be free,

The greatness of God the Egyptians would see!

The Angel of death was to pass through he land

And kill all the first-born with His mighty hand.

But the children of Israel a Lamb had to slay

And then through the night hours in their houses stay.

The blood on the door-posts a token would be;

By the blood of that lamb would all soon be free.

The Angel of Death the Egyptians would smite

But pass-over the blood-sprinkled houses that night;

And all through the land there arose a great cry,

There was not a house in which one did not die.

This time the Pharaoh received a great fright,

He called upon Moses and Aaron by night.

“Arise and be gone, bless me and mine too,

“We’ll all be dead men if we’re not rid of you!”

Four hundred and thirty long years had now passed,

The children of God were delivered at last;

Freed by the Blood of the Lamb that was slain,

Freed from their slavery, anguish and pain.

For this, as the Pass-over cup we raise,

Our hearts to Him are full of praise.

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The centuries passed and another Lamb

Was led to fulfill Salvation’s plan:

And there for us upon the cross

He suffered anguish , pain and loss

His Blood was sprinkled on the Tree,

‘Twas freely shed for you and me.

And now when the Angel of Death passes o’er

God sees the Blood sprinkled over the door.

For the perfect Lamb for us has been slain

That we might be free from sin and shame.

And as this Pass-over cup we raise

Our hearts to Him are full of praise.

The Broken Matzo we partake,

Remembering that for our sake

Messiah died and rose again;

Blessed be His glorious Name .

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I’ve told you the story how long,long ago

The Pharaoh was forced to let God’s people go!

And how through the Blood of the Lamb that was slain

We’ve each been redeemed, all praise to His Name.

But part of this story has yet to be told,

That part which was spoken by prophets of old.

The Word of the LORD yet once more will go forth,

“GIVE UP MY PEOPLE, OH LAND OF THE NORTH!” (1)

No more ‘twill be said, “Out of Egypt’s great land (2)

“The Lord has redeemed us by His mighty Hand

“But from Gog and Magog and his terrible band (3)

“The prisoners of Zion return to their Land”

So let us continue in prayer that God’s will

In our generation He’ll haste to fulfill,

And the Spirit of God on our people will fall,

And beholding the Pieced One on Him they will call. (4)

And the Afikoman (B) through the long years concealed

Will now to our wondering eyes be revealed..

Am Israel (C) now redeemed and restored

Throughout the wide world will publish her Lord.

Then as the Pass-over cup we raise,

We’ll sing His praise through endless days.

Next year in Jerusalem all will be free,

Messiah our King through all ages will be.

(1) Isaiah 43:6

(2) Jeremiah 23:8

(3) Ezekiel 38

(4) Zechariah 12:10

(A) Why is this night different from all other nights? This phrase is taken from the beginning of the Pass-over ceremony, and is the question recited by the youngest son of the family.

(B) Afikoman - The middle of three Matzot, which is broken during the Pass-over night feast, and hidden away. Later on the children search for and find the missing piece of broken Matza., symbolizing for us the “Broken One”, who will yet be searched for and found!