Passover Tidbit No. 2

Ay-lee-yaw’-hoo (Elijah)

Many of us are familiar with the tradition of setting an extra plate, and glass of wine, for Ay-lee-yaw’-hoo (Elijah) at the Seder table. The tradition is to leave a door ajar to allow the prophet access, this tradition is not found in the pages of Scripture but was added by the Rabbis much later.  And what's up with that?  There is no mention of Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo in the Exodus account of Pesach, of course he wasn’t born yet, and why add a gentile to the Pesach mix anyway?  The Rabbis seem to know something most of us do not.

Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo is the prophet of Elohiym, whom you may recall, brought fire down to consume the offering, and many other miracles of YHVH.  He was the one taken away up to YHVH in a fiery chariot.  He is the guy with Moshe (Moses) and Y'shua (Jesus) at the transfiguration and is probably the other witness with Moshe at the end of time. A cool guy by all accounts, but what is the Pesach connection?

1 Kings 17:1 introduces us to Ay-lee-yaw’-hoo' the Tishbite of Gilead.  Many English Bibles guess that Tishbi is a city or area or Gilead, in fact John Schofield has in the maps at the back of his Bible a question mark in the area of Gilead marked "Tishbi?”.

In Hebrew the word pronounced tish-bee', תשני is from the Hebrew word pronounced tesh-oo-baw', תשנה which is from shoob שונ the word for return. This becomes the word for foreigner or sojourner to-shab' תשנ and that is who Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo is, a resident alien if you will. He was not a native-born citizen of the people of Yisrah-el’.  So then this word Tish-bee' is less a place and more a condition, a sort of slang word for a gentile who has joined themselves to the Elohiym of Avraham' Yits-khawk' and Ya’akov' (God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob).   He is the picture of gentiles, people like us who willingly join ourselves to YHVH.  In Hebrew this is the idea of return, a picture we gentiles often miss.  We are not doing something new, we are returning to our beginnings. Often many 21st century American Christians do not see it quite that way.

A long way around the barn to say we, you and I, are tishbi, sort of like green card holders in the Kingdom of Elohiym, and we are in some good company, Rehab, Ruth, and Caleb to name just a few.

When we think of Moshe and the Pesach the tie in is clear, his pedigree is complete and full.  Not so with Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo.  Moshe is the very picture of the Exodus, the Passing over, the Torah, and all of the instructions and commandments. 

Everything Yehudiym (Jewish), if I can say it that way. 

Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo, on the other hand, is the consummate Prophet, but has no pedigree like Moshe.  We know nothing of his father or mother, or the land of his nativity.  We do not know when he was born or when or if, he died. Remember he was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind of fire.  He does not teach the Torah or lead a congregation.  He is not a priest or a warrior, but a gentile who hears and obeys YHVH.

Moshe represents the Truth, the Word, and the Torah, a Yehudiym (Jew) from top to bottom.  Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo is the spirit drawn to the Elohiym of Yisrah-el’, the gentile from another land, without history, or pedigree, a prophet of God, and all about the promise of YHVH.  Moshe is a Hebrew from the tribe of Levi. Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo is a Gentile, joined to the tribe of Yo-safe' (Joseph) but without lineage. 

Together they represent, the spirit and the truth, the Torah and the Prophets, the Jew and the Gentile, the natural Olive and the wild Olive tree, the House of Yisrah’el, the beginning and the end, the two sticks of Yechezq-el’ (Ezekiel) 37.  This is why you see them both with Y'shua at the transfiguration and I suspect we will see them as the two witnesses at the end.  

Malachi 4:5 tells us "Ay-lee-yaw’-hoo will come before the great and powerful day of Yeh-ho-vaw'."  Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo is seen as being concerned with the few people who actually live for the Elohiym of Yisrah-el’ an idea which repeated in the New Testament,  "they honor Him with their lips of course, but their hearts are far from Him" Mark 7:6.  "They hear but do not understand, and see but do not perceive" Matthew 13:14.  These ideas are expressed in what we call the New Testament, but are firmly rooted the truth of the TaNaKh (Old Testament).

But back to the feast, why is a plate left for Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo at the Pesach?  As Gentiles we think of Passover and the Feasts as Jewish things that do not concern us.  That is, of course, simply not true, the Feasts are commanded by YHVH for all followers and until the end of time, and are called "The Lords Fests" in your English translation.  They were celebrated by Y'shua and the disciples, and are called the "Path of Righteousness", "the path of life", the "path of My commandments", the "path of the just", a "light unto my path", and other terms indicating they should be embraced by all who follow YHVH, both then and now.  Not in order to be saved, but out of gratitude that we are saved.

Knowing these things, we should expect Gentiles to be represented at the most significant event in Human History, the crucifixion and resurrection of Y'shua, our savior.  But here at the rehearsal, or anniversary in anticipation, if I can say it that way, of that event we the Gentiles are not yet grafted in, Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo has not yet been born, so he and we are represented by the empty chair of Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo at the Pesach feast.  That chair is not empty any longer we are here and in attendance.

So is Pesach just a Jewish thing? It is about as Jewish as the two witnesses are the end of days, one Jewish one Gentile.  Pesach is about as Jewish as the Passover lamb being sacrificed for their freedom and our salvation; it is about as Jewish as the restoration of our souls to the Adonai of all creation.  

The inclusion of a place for Ay-lee-yaw'-hoo, the Tishbite, the Gentile, means you and I are not only invited and welcomed to the Pesach celebration, but it was so from the very beginning, and I for one, gratefully accept the invitation every year. 

CB