At sundown tonight, the 5th of the Hebrew month “Iyar,” it will be Yom Ha’atzmaut - Israel’s Independence Day. This day is not just about freedom for the Jewish people but also marks God's providential hand in their history. The Jewish people were brought back from near extinction by God Himself, and now they are flourishing as one of the most powerful nations in the world!

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

- Elie Wiesel

The Feast of First Fruits is a biblical feast that echoes the promise of resurrection. It celebrates God's abundant goodness to His people in giving them hope for new life through Jesus the Messiah. Since Moses’s time, the faithful had celebrated this feast when he instructed them how to offer first fruits from their harvest as an act of thanksgiving (Numbers 18:9-22).

On the tenth day of Nisan, the Israelite family enslaved in Egypt took a lamb from their flock. There were conditions: one-year old, male, without defect. For the next four days, this lamb was to be inspected, scrutinized, and tested to be sure it was without spot or blemish. If it passed the test, on the fourteenth day of the month, the lamb would be slaughtered.

Some people have wondered why the king mentioned in Zechariah 9:9-10 would ride a donkey into Jerusalem rather than a warhorse, a white stallion. This would seem like an odd choice for royalty, a king. After all, we expect to see kings mounted on strong white horses, chargers. That’s what kings ride, don’t they?

Charoset a sweet paste made of apples and nuts that symbolizes the mortar used by the ancient Israelites to build their homes in Egypt. It's also symbolic of the clay bricks used for building Jerusalem, which Jews believe will be rebuilt during the Messianic Age.

Matzah is a flat piece of unleavened bread that is often used during the Jewish holiday Passover. It’s an important part of the Seder meal, and it has many symbolic meanings for Jews who celebrate Passover.

Picture it. Passover week in Jerusalem. It's crowded, there is a hustle and bustle about the city. Go there today for Passover week and that hustle and bustle still exists. Unleavened bread is flying off the shelves and your family prepares to remember the ancient ancestral feast of flight from Egypt.