Passover Meal

[Augustine3]

“Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste-- it is the LORD’S Passover.” – Exodus 12:11

Why did they have to eat with sandals on their feet and staff in their hands? What’s the significance of these two actions?

Brother in Christ,

 

[Luvtosew]

Because the angel of death was coming and they had to leave in haste as the Egyptians
would be mad their first born sons would be killed.

 

[Augustine3]

Because the angel of death was coming and they had to leave in haste as the Egyptians
would be mad their first born sons would be killed.

Of course, how on earth did I miss that??

Is there a deeper meaning than that in the spiritual sense e.g. “to keep watch” as Christ commanded his disciples?

Brother in Christ,

 

[Luvtosew]

I don’t know perhaps, I think usually they took their shoes off and ate though and sat while eating. They may be also another reason, I don’t know.

 

[bmullins]

I think we can take it in a spiritual sense today yes. That we as Christians should not only be aware that Christ has come, but that He is coming every day, and that He will come again on the day of judgement. We should always be ready to flee from sin and to holiness. That we should ‘watch’ always, as Jesus instructed.

 

[Augustine3]

Since the relevance of sandals and staff was a preparation to leave with haste from Egypt, were the Israelites still holding onto the sandals and staff with each annual Passover meal after the exodus?

Brother in Christ,

 

[TimothyH]

Since the relevance of sandals and staff was a preparation to leave with haste from Egypt, were the Israelites still holding onto the sandals and staff with each annual Passover meal after the exodus?

Brother in Christ,

I would say yes. It is an interesting question.

The passover meal was for each individual Jew down through the generations a personal participation in the Exodus from Egypt. It was they way they personally became part of the Exodus.

This day will be a day of remembrance for you, which your future generations will celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD; you will celebrate it as a statute forever. (Exodus 12:14)

Regarding the rite itself:

“You will keep this practice forever as a statute for yourselves and your descendants. Thus, when you have entered the land which the LORD will give you as he promised, you must observe this rite. When your children ask you, ‘What does this rite of yours mean?’ you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice for the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt; when he struck down the Egyptians, he delivered our houses.’” (Exodus 12:24-27)

The rite* is* the passover for the Lord. It is a perpetuation of the Passover sacrifice for the Lord. The Israelites perpetuated the sacrifice of Passover and in so doing, perpetuated the Exodus from Egypt until the New Moses should come. The Jews were waiting for the New Moses who was to institute a new Exodus to the Heavenly Jerusalem.

About eight days after he said this, he took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. (Luke 9:28-31)

Christ is the New Moses, and as the perfect Paschal Lamb, he has ended the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. Christ has instituted a new and better sacrifice of the perfect lamb - himself - which the Church perpetuates in the Mass. Christ has likewise instituted a new and better Exodus which is the Exodus from sin.

So I would say yes. Spiritually, the Israelites would have still be waiting for the New Moses to lead them on a new Esodus and so would have been ready to flee. Literally, I don’t know. I recall Patrick on these threads stated that there was some uncertainty about exactly how the passover meal was celebrated through the centuries and at the time of Jesus.

-Tim-

 

[puzzleannie]

“Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste-- it is the LORD’S Passover.” – Exodus 12:11

Why did they have to eat with sandals on their feet and staff in their hands? What’s the significance of these two actions?

Brother in Christ,

because the Passover signifies the definitive act that will lead to their freedom, and they must be ready to leave Egypt and travel to the Promised Land as soon as the sacrifice is accomplished. It signifies that they are now a pilgrim people.

That generation and the one that followed were those who traversed for 40 years wandering to reach the promised land. All too soon in their history, several generations later, with the divided kingdom some were lost to their own land forever, and then with the Babylonian exile prayed for 2 more generations to return. With the final diaspora after the destruction of the second temple, the Jewish people have forever after been a pilgrim people, and every Passover celebrated outside their land has as part of its ritual the promise and prayer “next year in Jerusalem.”