The Passover to the Cross

 The Passover to the Cross

 The Law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22).

 

Exodus 12 is a forerunner of salvation by the blood of the Lamb of God.

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to the size of their house, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for one  lamb he may share with his nearest neighbor according to the number of persons, according to what each can eat.  Your lamb should be without blemish, a one year old male. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month  when the whole assembly of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on both of the door posts and the lintel on the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. It must be roasted with its head and it legs and inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until morning; anything that remains until morning you shall burn.

In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. "It is the LORD's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments (there was a plaque for each of the gods of Egypt):  I am the LORD.  The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plaque will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

This day shall be a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast (Exodus 12:1-14). God continues with more instructions concerning this feast.

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God gave instructions through Moses to the Israelites who for 400 years had been slaves in Egypt. God, who heard their cries, would free them from their bondage and lead them into the Promised land if they would trust and obey Him.  God did not do this immediately, but after having sent 10 plaques upon Egypt, because the Pharaoh had a hard heart and did not want to lose his slaves. Each of the plaques represented one of Egypt's many false gods. After having put their trust in God's Word and obediently carrying out God's instructions, God provided the way out of the land of bondage and to freedom. They would then journey through the desert to the promised land.

 

However, after being baptized in the red sea they will be put through a series of tests as they journey through the desert on their way to the promised  land. Faith must be tested in every child of God in order to reveal to us (not to God) what is really in our heart. Our faith, like gold, must be put through the fire to be tested to determine if it is genuine. Are we truly trusting and getting to know our One and Only living God?  What areas need to be strengthened, what sin needs to be confessed, what do we need to let go of, what lessons need to be learned, what desires need to be exchanged for His desires, who is our focus on, who or what are we trusting in, and who do we look to for wisdom and direction? Are our eyes and heart fixed on Jesus the Author and perfecter of our faith? Have we surrendered our will to His will? 

Does this sound familiar?  John 1:29, John the Baptist said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" He is speaking about Jesus, the promised Messiah (Christ, Savior) of the world for all who would turn from sin (repent) and put their faith in Christ Jesus and be covered by His shed blood.

He would be the final Lamb without blemish or defect that would replace the millions of lambs previously sacrificed. All those previous lambs could never take away sin, or cleanse our conscience. They could only give a  temporary cover each year untill the Lamb of God went to the cross of Calvary as a substitute, in our place, to pay the penalty for our sin, so as to satisfy the justice of our Holy God and to reconcile us to Him, so that through the shed blood of Christ Jesus, we now have access to Him at the throne of grace.

 

Just as the Israelites' faith was tested in the desert, and just as Jesus'  faith was tested by Satan in the desert, our faith will be tested in many ways on our journey home.

 

This testing is necessary and good for building us up in the faith. It is also necessary for us to know God in a deeper way and learn to lean on Him more quickly. These are probably the most painful, or stressing times in our lives, but also the most favorable time to witness, as God can use them for our benefit and His glory.

 

The power of God will be working in and through us as we rely on His wisdom and strength when we walk through the fire.  Like Shadrach, Meshshach, and Abednego, Jesus will enter the furnace with us and bring us out unsinged by the heat.  He is our Savior!

 

~Annie~