“The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.”
Exodus 13:21 NLT
i love when it says the Lord went ahead of the israelites. He was guiding them. He provided for them. He was protecting them. He’s doing the same for us. for me. each day. Lord continue to guide me!
Jesus is the perfect Passover lamb. the lamb was required to be a young male, without blemish, and die a public, horrific death where none of the bones were broken. Jesus fufiled all of these requirements.
I noticed that as well today! It made me think about the way some people today act when they hear of Jesus. I’m hoping to act more like the Centurion & act in faith!
Can you imaging pleading with Jesus to leave the region? They had no idea what they were asking, because they didn’t have the faith of Jesus. May we all have the faith that Jesus will calm our storms and follow where he leads.
After this reading I am just reminded of how, as believers, we should have a sense of urgency. We need to seek Jesus and know him! Not just proclaim his name BUT KNOW HIM INTIMATELY. Because there will be a day where he returns and we want to hear “well done” and not “I never knew you”. I also love how they described his teaching as one with authority. I believe sometimes the world tries to make so many interpretations with a “do you” mentality but here it says we are devoted to one and despise the other. We have to choose Jesus over our worldly ways/desires. This is serious. HE IS SO WORTHY OF OUR WHOLE LIFE. I’m really encouraged and want to be devoted to him alone.
How incredible it is that Jesus healed so many just by speaking a word or two. No miracle is impossible with God, and when we have faith and ask- we just may be surprised at how great the answer is!
Maybe because that region was still so full of demons that they didn’t want Jesus there..
Or Jesus did cast the demon into the pigs… so maybe they saw Jesus as someone who would destroy how they make their living and wanted nothing to do with him…
I think they were afraid. They didn’t know Jesus or anything about Him, and their first impression was that Jesus shows up and their whole herd of pigs were killed.
I think they were afraid-pigs throwing themselves into a lake is not something you see everyday, after all. My study bible says they might have been angry about the loss of the pigs, too.
Yes Emily I agree, I do not think they realized just how wonderful the LORD is and that they should not be afraid but they should follow him. I cannot wait to meet Jesus in heave one day!
Exodus 12:40-41 just struck me as incredible. With all the other things going on around, God keeps his promises and he brought them out of Egypt after 430 years “to the day”. What does that say about his promises to me and the situations I deal with? He is faithful and he will do it.
That struck me too!! How amazing is that?? And it’s a nice reminder that all things are in HIS time, and not mine! He is faithful, and it will always work out according to his plan!!
Yes, it was every firstborn male no matter what age was killed. In ch. 12:29-30 it said that “There was not a single house where someone had not died.” It effected every family no matter the age.
Every first born that is why not one house was not affected – other than those covered inthe blood. Thank you Gid that we too are covered in the blood!!!
26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ ” Then the people bowed down and worshiped. – as a mother of young children, I feel exceptionally called to do this parenting thing well. My main goal is that I will always point my children to the things of God – when our kids ask us the whys or how’d we need to be prepared to give them the honest and real answer.
“You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Wow. That one gave me chills, felt like God was speaking right to me. Hope everyone here has a blessed day full of faith & love!
I love that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever! I love that He makes a way for outsiders to come in and belong! “48 If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, every male in his household must be circumcised, and then he may participate; he will become like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat it. 49 The same law will apply to both the native and the foreigner who resides among you.” He lets anyone who wants to become part of His people do so! This is what Ruth did, and Rahab- women in Jesus’ genealogy! I love seeing God’s heart in these little details! =)
I also love that the firstborn of every womb is required, but that firstborn sons are REDEEMED – every single detail points to Jesus! (The True Firstborn that redeems not just the firstborn, but all of us!)
I was dreading reading Exodus 12 because I knew the 10th plague was coming. I have one child, a one year old son, and the thought of him dying in the night…well it shatters me! We are sinners just like the Egyptians. I deserve death. I deserve nothing good. If I put myself in the Egyptian’s place…I can’t imagine.
But once i fixate on the grace and DELIVERANCE my lord Jesus gives me, I’m not longer shattered, but humbled. What a merciful God we serve! Thank you Lord for seeing past my filth and redeeming me over and over again. Guard my heart and let it be overfilled with your joy and love!
Wow!! All these comments are so true!! The two lessons I take from today is obedience and faith in God will take you a long way. Both the Israelites and the centurion obeyed and had faith that the Lord will deliver them and keep His promises. When we do these two things. We truly trust the Lord to guide our lives and see what promises and purpose he has for each of us. It’s always something greater than we can imagine!!
I think a lot of it has to do with articulating the contrast between the law (all the detailed instructions) and the coming grace. Before Christ, this was what was required. But Jesus became the Passover lamb and now all we have to do is say yes to grace! What a gift. Those are just my thoughts.
Exodus 12:13 “and when I see the blood I will pass over you”. In the OT God looked for the blood of a perfect lamb to show faith in His promised deliverance. Those that applied it in faith would be saved, delivered, redeemed by God and for His purpose. In the NT God looks for the blood of THE perfect Lamb to show faith in His promised deliverance. Those that believe, that have the blood applied to them are saved, delivered, redeemed by God and for His purpose.
I’m going to take up the New Testament spin this morning if that’s ok. :) I love the being able to see these stories in a greater context like those that were in our reading in Matthew today.
The faith of the centurion:
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
The disciples in a storm:
25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
The centurion puts forth such a simple yet powerful understanding of the submission of sickness to Jesus. This was a man who had not daily walked as the disciples, yet He knew the Man who could help him was otherworldly and would break through the darkness.
Then we have the disciples who had seen these feats of the supernatural break forth in “stage-worthy” moments since they had followed in Jesus’s paths. Those moments, like any heights of corporate meetings that we have experienced, were beautiful and YES, a pure expression of His heart. And yet I believe that it is here that Jesus is inviting and teaching the disciples to walk out their supernatural faith in an equally pure, yet different, way. Would their hearts move from believing Him for only public feats to the simple reality that being children of the Kingdom meant that their daily routines could look a lot more like Heaven? To us, their response might induce a “How could you?!” moment, but really, how can a seed grow if it first doesn’t fall?
And if the disciples hadn’t gone to Jesus in fear, we would not have the beautiful knowledge that Jesus even could still a raging storm! Both the disciples and those of us following years later get the benefit of their doubts and fears! Praise God!
I cannot help but be profoundly moved by some of the readings we have done recently around the call to *remember*. The Jews were big on this!!! I think of Esther and the feast of Purim and the Israelites and the Passover just to name two! (If you look up Jewish feasts you’ll see just how many they had!) These feasts were put into place to make sure that the Israelites remembered their deliverance and the One who had delivered them. This was a safe guard for them that as well that they might not forget the One true God and stray from His commands.
This is such a timely message for us as we enter Lent season. We have the opportunity to set aside some time to *remember* the filth and blackness of our sin and the blood that washed us white. We are reminded of the great cost of our deliverance. We are reminded of what true love and sacrifice is. The cross and its message should be always before us, but I think it’s wonderful and helpful to have a set time to remember, repent, give thanks, and draw near once again to the One who is our deliverance.
This is beautiful! Thank you, Jess. I, too, was encouraged and excited about the call to “remember” and “celebrate” but failed to tie it to the Lenten season. This will bless my heart in this season- thank you!
This section for me is all about having faith that the Lord well bring you through a tumultuous time. The same way that he required the Israelites to have faith that Moses would see them through is the same faith that led Jesus to calm the seas. Trust and believe that faith in the Lord will see you through even in the most challenging of situations. Also, trust and believe that if you lack faith in the Lord our God, that he will still carry out his plans accordingly as he already knows your next steps . God knew that Pharaoh would fail every test, but God kept working through and through to show who had the power. Trust and believe always that God will see you through…and if you are doubting, trust and believe that the Lord will have a plan already put in place to order your steps according to his word!
This whole story of Israel’s deliverance, especially the Passover celebration is so amazing because it points so clearly to the spotless Lamb of God, our Lord Jesus! Israel was delivered from physical bondage, but we through Jesus are delivered from the eternal bondage and judgement of sin!
Notice in ch. 12 v 5 that the Lamb must be without defect. This points to the spotless Lamb of God: the only one who could take away sin. Also in v46 it mentions that none of the Lamb’s bones were to be broken: again pointing to the prophesy that none of Jesus’ bones were broken in his death on the cross. Little details with significant meaning!
The Lord is so good! “God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, ‘lest, perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt. So God led the people AROUND by way of the WILDERNESS” – ex 13:17-18.
This is SO ME. God has definitely led me the long way to healing. God knew if at any moment I had a chance to turn back- I would have. He knew in order for me to fully rely on Him that He needed to remove me from my past. I’m so grateful that God is the ultimate in knowledge. His ways are not my ways and I thank Him for that! Yes- it might take longer in the wilderness than going straight to the promised land – but the wilderness time is my time to develop a deep and meaningful relationship with the Lord.
Yes! This stuck out to me this morning as well. I also pulled out a map of the Exodus in my Bible & saw how much quicker the Israelites would’ve gotten to the Promised Land had they taken the way of the Philistines. BUT GOD reveals Himself in new & stunning ways in the wilderness, so we would know that what has been accomplished is not by our own means, but the Lord working through our weaknesses. Glory be!
I was thinking the same thing
I find it so interesting that after the people saw Jesus cast out demons he that they begged him to leave. Almost as if they were afraid?
I was thinking the same thing
So glad that we don’t have to do this now. Life was so difficult then.
“The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.”
Exodus 13:21 NLT
i love when it says the Lord went ahead of the israelites. He was guiding them. He provided for them. He was protecting them. He’s doing the same for us. for me. each day. Lord continue to guide me!
The Lord is our healer!
i love the story of Jesus calming the storm. when i read that Jesus was sleeping in the boat while the storm was happening. He was sleeping. wow!
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I watched a video recently about how the blood on the top of the door frame and on the sides of it represent Jesus hanging on the cross.
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Jesus is the perfect Passover lamb. the lamb was required to be a young male, without blemish, and die a public, horrific death where none of the bones were broken. Jesus fufiled all of these requirements.
I noticed that as well today! It made me think about the way some people today act when they hear of Jesus. I’m hoping to act more like the Centurion & act in faith!
“Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”
“I will; be clean.” ♥️
matthew 8
Can you imaging pleading with Jesus to leave the region? They had no idea what they were asking, because they didn’t have the faith of Jesus. May we all have the faith that Jesus will calm our storms and follow where he leads.
24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
We too can rest in the storm.
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Such a powerful story!
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After this reading I am just reminded of how, as believers, we should have a sense of urgency. We need to seek Jesus and know him! Not just proclaim his name BUT KNOW HIM INTIMATELY. Because there will be a day where he returns and we want to hear “well done” and not “I never knew you”. I also love how they described his teaching as one with authority. I believe sometimes the world tries to make so many interpretations with a “do you” mentality but here it says we are devoted to one and despise the other. We have to choose Jesus over our worldly ways/desires. This is serious. HE IS SO WORTHY OF OUR WHOLE LIFE. I’m really encouraged and want to be devoted to him alone.
I think because they lost a lot of value and their livelihood in the pigs drowning.
The unerring faith of the Centurion. Gets me every time. May I have faith like that, that I can implicitly trust in God, no questions asked
“Let it be done just as you believed it would.” If the wind and waves obey him, so should we! We don’t need to see to believe
always have faith in God -ellie
Beautiful passage displaying the sovereign authority of Christ as God.
Day 49
How incredible it is that Jesus healed so many just by speaking a word or two. No miracle is impossible with God, and when we have faith and ask- we just may be surprised at how great the answer is!
Why did they want Jesus to leave their region, after he healed the 2 demon-possessed men?
Maybe because that region was still so full of demons that they didn’t want Jesus there..
Or Jesus did cast the demon into the pigs… so maybe they saw Jesus as someone who would destroy how they make their living and wanted nothing to do with him…
https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-demons-pigs.html
This might help-Love got questions for biblical questions ❤️
Day 49!
Done❤️
Amen!
Ashamed to admit that this is the first time I actually understood what Passover was. Glad to learn though
It’s my first time really reading and understanding, too! You aren’t alone!!! :-)
After reading it again I understand :) just shows the importance of reading more than once!
why were they yelling at Jesus to leave? What did the pigs do?
Joseph’s faith sure was incredible. Even in death, he believed that the Lord had set aside a promised land!
Why did the people ask Jesus to leave?
I think they were afraid. They didn’t know Jesus or anything about Him, and their first impression was that Jesus shows up and their whole herd of pigs were killed.
I think they were afraid-pigs throwing themselves into a lake is not something you see everyday, after all. My study bible says they might have been angry about the loss of the pigs, too.
Sorry in heaven. For some reason when I am typing it only lets me see the line I typed after I have typed it!???
That happens to me too not sure why
Me too, I’m glad it’s not just me! Hopefully they’ll fix it
Yes Emily I agree, I do not think they realized just how wonderful the LORD is and that they should not be afraid but they should follow him. I cannot wait to meet Jesus in heave one day!
I think it’s so sad that at the end if this passage they were begging Jesus to leave
Exodus 12:40-41 just struck me as incredible. With all the other things going on around, God keeps his promises and he brought them out of Egypt after 430 years “to the day”. What does that say about his promises to me and the situations I deal with? He is faithful and he will do it.
That struck me too!! How amazing is that?? And it’s a nice reminder that all things are in HIS time, and not mine! He is faithful, and it will always work out according to his plan!!
Yes! I love the unshakeable faithfulness of God.
When it said the firstborn male, is talking about all ages? Or just 2 y/o and under?
Yes, it was every firstborn male no matter what age was killed. In ch. 12:29-30 it said that “There was not a single house where someone had not died.” It effected every family no matter the age.
Yes every first born
Two years and under was Herod which was in Jesus’ day.
Every first born that is why not one house was not affected – other than those covered inthe blood. Thank you Gid that we too are covered in the blood!!!
26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ ” Then the people bowed down and worshiped. – as a mother of young children, I feel exceptionally called to do this parenting thing well. My main goal is that I will always point my children to the things of God – when our kids ask us the whys or how’d we need to be prepared to give them the honest and real answer.
Very true, Jessica, especially since these feasts aren’t celebrated widely.
“You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Wow. That one gave me chills, felt like God was speaking right to me. Hope everyone here has a blessed day full of faith & love!
Yes! I felt the same thing as I read that line! Glad to know someone out there can relate as well!
That stuck out to me too! “Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
I love that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever! I love that He makes a way for outsiders to come in and belong! “48 If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, every male in his household must be circumcised, and then he may participate; he will become like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat it. 49 The same law will apply to both the native and the foreigner who resides among you.” He lets anyone who wants to become part of His people do so! This is what Ruth did, and Rahab- women in Jesus’ genealogy! I love seeing God’s heart in these little details! =)
I also love that the firstborn of every womb is required, but that firstborn sons are REDEEMED – every single detail points to Jesus! (The True Firstborn that redeems not just the firstborn, but all of us!)
Wow. =)
Great insight Jessica! You are so right! It is wonderful to see our God in the details!!!
I was dreading reading Exodus 12 because I knew the 10th plague was coming. I have one child, a one year old son, and the thought of him dying in the night…well it shatters me! We are sinners just like the Egyptians. I deserve death. I deserve nothing good. If I put myself in the Egyptian’s place…I can’t imagine.
But once i fixate on the grace and DELIVERANCE my lord Jesus gives me, I’m not longer shattered, but humbled. What a merciful God we serve! Thank you Lord for seeing past my filth and redeeming me over and over again. Guard my heart and let it be overfilled with your joy and love!
So beautiful! Amen!
Wow!! All these comments are so true!! The two lessons I take from today is obedience and faith in God will take you a long way. Both the Israelites and the centurion obeyed and had faith that the Lord will deliver them and keep His promises. When we do these two things. We truly trust the Lord to guide our lives and see what promises and purpose he has for each of us. It’s always something greater than we can imagine!!
God was extremely specific in His detailed instruction in Exodus 12&13, anyone have any insight to those chapters? Just curious. :)
I think a lot of it has to do with articulating the contrast between the law (all the detailed instructions) and the coming grace. Before Christ, this was what was required. But Jesus became the Passover lamb and now all we have to do is say yes to grace! What a gift. Those are just my thoughts.
Great perspective Heather!
Exodus 12:13 “and when I see the blood I will pass over you”. In the OT God looked for the blood of a perfect lamb to show faith in His promised deliverance. Those that applied it in faith would be saved, delivered, redeemed by God and for His purpose. In the NT God looks for the blood of THE perfect Lamb to show faith in His promised deliverance. Those that believe, that have the blood applied to them are saved, delivered, redeemed by God and for His purpose.
if eating unleavened bread was permanent, why did jesus state during his lifetime it’s okay to eat pretty much anything, the heart matters most?
It is a permanent observation during the feast of Passover. Not year round. Observant Jews still keep the Passover to commemorate this event
I’m going to take up the New Testament spin this morning if that’s ok. :) I love the being able to see these stories in a greater context like those that were in our reading in Matthew today.
The faith of the centurion:
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
The disciples in a storm:
25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
The centurion puts forth such a simple yet powerful understanding of the submission of sickness to Jesus. This was a man who had not daily walked as the disciples, yet He knew the Man who could help him was otherworldly and would break through the darkness.
Then we have the disciples who had seen these feats of the supernatural break forth in “stage-worthy” moments since they had followed in Jesus’s paths. Those moments, like any heights of corporate meetings that we have experienced, were beautiful and YES, a pure expression of His heart. And yet I believe that it is here that Jesus is inviting and teaching the disciples to walk out their supernatural faith in an equally pure, yet different, way. Would their hearts move from believing Him for only public feats to the simple reality that being children of the Kingdom meant that their daily routines could look a lot more like Heaven? To us, their response might induce a “How could you?!” moment, but really, how can a seed grow if it first doesn’t fall?
Isn’t he wonderful?
And if the disciples hadn’t gone to Jesus in fear, we would not have the beautiful knowledge that Jesus even could still a raging storm! Both the disciples and those of us following years later get the benefit of their doubts and fears! Praise God!
I cannot help but be profoundly moved by some of the readings we have done recently around the call to *remember*. The Jews were big on this!!! I think of Esther and the feast of Purim and the Israelites and the Passover just to name two! (If you look up Jewish feasts you’ll see just how many they had!) These feasts were put into place to make sure that the Israelites remembered their deliverance and the One who had delivered them. This was a safe guard for them that as well that they might not forget the One true God and stray from His commands.
This is such a timely message for us as we enter Lent season. We have the opportunity to set aside some time to *remember* the filth and blackness of our sin and the blood that washed us white. We are reminded of the great cost of our deliverance. We are reminded of what true love and sacrifice is. The cross and its message should be always before us, but I think it’s wonderful and helpful to have a set time to remember, repent, give thanks, and draw near once again to the One who is our deliverance.
This is beautiful! Thank you, Jess. I, too, was encouraged and excited about the call to “remember” and “celebrate” but failed to tie it to the Lenten season. This will bless my heart in this season- thank you!
Thank you for sharing this connection. Isn’t it beautiful how the Lord weaves everything together for His glory???
This section for me is all about having faith that the Lord well bring you through a tumultuous time. The same way that he required the Israelites to have faith that Moses would see them through is the same faith that led Jesus to calm the seas. Trust and believe that faith in the Lord will see you through even in the most challenging of situations. Also, trust and believe that if you lack faith in the Lord our God, that he will still carry out his plans accordingly as he already knows your next steps . God knew that Pharaoh would fail every test, but God kept working through and through to show who had the power. Trust and believe always that God will see you through…and if you are doubting, trust and believe that the Lord will have a plan already put in place to order your steps according to his word!
This whole story of Israel’s deliverance, especially the Passover celebration is so amazing because it points so clearly to the spotless Lamb of God, our Lord Jesus! Israel was delivered from physical bondage, but we through Jesus are delivered from the eternal bondage and judgement of sin!
Notice in ch. 12 v 5 that the Lamb must be without defect. This points to the spotless Lamb of God: the only one who could take away sin. Also in v46 it mentions that none of the Lamb’s bones were to be broken: again pointing to the prophesy that none of Jesus’ bones were broken in his death on the cross. Little details with significant meaning!
You’re so right Jess! My pastor actually made this connection with the two last Sunday :)
Great points Jess. Some details you mentioned, I kind of just passed over, yet so powerful and so important not to just passover.
Wow. Never connected the two. Powerful!
The Lord is so good! “God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, ‘lest, perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt. So God led the people AROUND by way of the WILDERNESS” – ex 13:17-18.
This is SO ME. God has definitely led me the long way to healing. God knew if at any moment I had a chance to turn back- I would have. He knew in order for me to fully rely on Him that He needed to remove me from my past. I’m so grateful that God is the ultimate in knowledge. His ways are not my ways and I thank Him for that! Yes- it might take longer in the wilderness than going straight to the promised land – but the wilderness time is my time to develop a deep and meaningful relationship with the Lord.
So. So. Grateful.
Oh amen Sheri! The precious lessons I have learnt in the wilderness! He knows best the path that will lead me safely home to His arms.
I love this :)
Yes! This stuck out to me this morning as well. I also pulled out a map of the Exodus in my Bible & saw how much quicker the Israelites would’ve gotten to the Promised Land had they taken the way of the Philistines. BUT GOD reveals Himself in new & stunning ways in the wilderness, so we would know that what has been accomplished is not by our own means, but the Lord working through our weaknesses. Glory be!
Amen!! Even though as women, we want to be in control, I’m so thankful we aren’t! God always knows best!
Love this!