10/3 - Exodus 1-14 - Are you praising God's power to set free?

¹ The Lord said to Moses …

³ Tell the whole congregation of Israel

that on the tenth of this month they are to take

a lamb for each family …⁵ without blemish …

⁶ You shall … slaughter it at twilight …

⁷ They shall take some of the blood and put it

on the two doorposts … of [their] houses …

¹¹  It is the passover of the Lord. ¹² For I will

pass through the land of Egypt that night,

and I will strike down every firstborn in the land …

¹³ The blood shall be a sign for you …:

when I see the blood, I will pass over you,

and no plague shall destroy you when

I strike the land of Egypt.

 

¹⁴ This day shall be a day of remembrance for you.

You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord;

throughout your generations you shall observe

it as a perpetual ordinance.

 

Exodus 12

 

In Exodus 12, the journey to freedom began. That was yesterday’s theme. Today, we read a few verses earlier in Exodus 12. In these verses, God instituted the Passover. Do you remember the Passover?

 

The story, of course, is in our verses for today. But I want to help you remember two powerful pieces of symbolism. First, the sacrificed lamb at the Passover prefigured the Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross. Jesus is, indeed, the perfect “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” ^{John 1:29}

 

Another similarity is that real blood was shed in order that God’s people might be set free. In Exodus 12, the blood of the Passover lamb was part of God’s plan of deliverance for Israel as they escaped slavery in Egypt; while on the cross, the blood of Jesus-the-Lamb continually sets God’s people free from their bondage to sin and death.

 

That’s the story … but I want to focus on one key word before we rush off headlong into our journey of freedom, and that word is “remembrance.”

 

On one specific date in ancient history, God said essentially, “Paint your doorposts red with the blood of the lamb, and I will deliver you.” That was a one-time event.

 

Nevertheless, ever year on the anniversary of this event – “as a perpetual ordinance” – the Israelites were told to “remember” this event. They were to re-call the event, to re-tell the story, to re-enact parts of that night.

 

Why?

 

Lest they forget!

 

In verses 26 and 27, God says, “^12:26 And [after doing this year after year after year] when your children ask you, ‘What do you mean by this observance?’ ²⁷ you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over … the Israelites … [and] spared our houses.’”

 

“Remembering” refocuses us on powerful lessons, because …

 

If you’re not remembering

God’s power to deliver, then

you’ll be a permanent slave.

 

You’re just beginning this journey. And I can promise you, at some point you’ll want to quit. You’ll say this path is too hard. You’ll want to go back to the old familiar bondages in your own personal Egypt.

 

You’ll fall into despair … rather than stand in hope.

 

You’ll act on fear … rather than venture bravely in trust.

 

You’ll give up in defeat … rather than experience the freedom of God’s victory.

 

Don’t give in! Rather … remember! God is good. He is powerful. Your Savior loves you, forgives you, and wants you free.

 

And remember … if you’re not remembering God’s power to deliver, then you’ll be a permanent slave!

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who rememb …

(Wait! what was I saying!)