Passover
What is this….this Passover?
Our heads fill with images of slaughtered, innocent lambs,
blood drained and smeared around doors,
terrified people huddling in their homes,
dressed for travel.
Then, there are the anguished cries of those without the blood,
mourning first-borns who are no more.
Egypt, the glory of the ancient world is shattered,
destroyed by the stubborn, mis-placed stand of her Pharaoh.
He lives….he is not the first-born. But, by his own decree, his son,
his legacy, is gone.
And the children of Israel, yearning to breath free, obey the commands
of the God to Whom they have cried…
“Save us….Save us…”
And save them He shall…in spite of their stubbornness and misunderstandings,
He will save them.
He will save them even when they no longer want to be saved.
He will save them when they are tired of freedom and want to go back.
He will save them in spite of themselves.
He will fill their pockets with the treasures of Egypt and use those treasures to fashion a place where He can live with them.
He will fill their kneading bowls with dough
and they will bake unleavened bread.
He will pick them up, all three million of them, people, animals and all, and set them down outside of Egypt.
He will split the Sea and pile the water up on both sides
and they will march through on dry ground.
He will destroy their tormenters…the Egyptian army…
as it is drowned in that very sea.
He will bring them to His Mountain and carefully live with them,
a new nation under Covenant with their God.
And we sit in modern chairs at tables filled with the symbols of that journey.
We eat strange things and hear once again of these stupendous miracles.
And finally, finally, everything becomes clear:
He will save us, in spite of everything.
He will save us even when we no longer want to be saved.
He will save us even when we are tired of freedom and want to go back.
He will save us in spite of ourselves.
His own blood has been drained to the last drop.
The horrendous price for our sin has been paid.
We are children of His Covenant, even when we don’t understand the power and beauty and safety and blessing of that Covenant.
We are children of Israel, adopted into His Commonwealth, even when we think we have nothing to do with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
We are His beloved family, under His control and guidance and direction, even when we think we can do this thing all by ourselves.
Passover, an ancient and charming holiday?
No.
Passover: an appointment with God Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth.
Passover: a time to remember that He is God and we are not.
Passover: a shocking realization that Yeshua fulfilled it all with His very blood.
Passover: a stop in time when all time comes together in one moment of truth and focus and resounding explosion of eternity cutting into our time.
Passover ….. don’t miss it.
Arise, O Lord, and show us Your Pass-over.
Arise, O Lord, and save us in spite of ourselves.
Arise, O Lord, and meet with us again and again….and finally,
finally, finally…we will get it.
We will.
Exodus
Numbers 10:35-36
What is this….this Passover?
Our heads fill with images of slaughtered, innocent lambs,
blood drained and smeared around doors,
terrified people huddling in their homes,
dressed for travel.
Then, there are the anguished cries of those without the blood,
mourning first-borns who are no more.
Egypt, the glory of the ancient world is shattered,
destroyed by the stubborn, mis-placed stand of her Pharaoh.
He lives….he is not the first-born. But, by his own decree, his son,
his legacy, is gone.
And the children of Israel, yearning to breath free, obey the commands
of the God to Whom they have cried…
“Save us….Save us…”
And save them He shall…in spite of their stubbornness and misunderstandings,
He will save them.
He will save them even when they no longer want to be saved.
He will save them when they are tired of freedom and want to go back.
He will save them in spite of themselves.
He will fill their pockets with the treasures of Egypt and use those treasures to fashion a place where He can live with them.
He will fill their kneading bowls with dough
and they will bake unleavened bread.
He will pick them up, all three million of them, people, animals and all, and set them down outside of Egypt.
He will split the Sea and pile the water up on both sides
and they will march through on dry ground.
He will destroy their tormenters…the Egyptian army…
as it is drowned in that very sea.
He will bring them to His Mountain and carefully live with them,
a new nation under Covenant with their God.
And we sit in modern chairs at tables filled with the symbols of that journey.
We eat strange things and hear once again of these stupendous miracles.
And finally, finally, everything becomes clear:
He will save us, in spite of everything.
He will save us even when we no longer want to be saved.
He will save us even when we are tired of freedom and want to go back.
He will save us in spite of ourselves.
His own blood has been drained to the last drop.
The horrendous price for our sin has been paid.
We are children of His Covenant, even when we don’t understand the power and beauty and safety and blessing of that Covenant.
We are children of Israel, adopted into His Commonwealth, even when we think we have nothing to do with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
We are His beloved family, under His control and guidance and direction, even when we think we can do this thing all by ourselves.
Passover, an ancient and charming holiday?
No.
Passover: an appointment with God Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth.
Passover: a time to remember that He is God and we are not.
Passover: a shocking realization that Yeshua fulfilled it all with His very blood.
Passover: a stop in time when all time comes together in one moment of truth and focus and resounding explosion of eternity cutting into our time.
Passover ….. don’t miss it.
Arise, O Lord, and show us Your Pass-over.
Arise, O Lord, and save us in spite of ourselves.
Arise, O Lord, and meet with us again and again….and finally,
finally, finally…we will get it.
We will.
Exodus
Numbers 10:35-36