The Passover
Open Your Bible
Exodus 10:21-29, Exodus 11:1-10, Exodus 12:1-28, Psalm 51:7, John 1:29
BY Scarlet Hiltibidal
I’m not great at remembering. My iPhone tells me where I need to be and when. It tells me when my deadlines are, and I’ve even programmed it to give me several “your important something is coming up” pings so that I can hit the deadline snooze button a few times. But, remember from my brain? No. Not good at it.
If someone says, “What did you do yesterday?” I almost always genuinely do not know. Call it living in the moment, getting older, or whatever—it’s a struggle. And it carries into my prayer life.
And that’s sad because one of my favorite things about being a child of God is experiencing answered prayers. When I pray with specificity and see my Father work in those details, there’s nothing like it. I remember that He is real, and He is with me. But, sometimes I forget!
So, last year, I started something new with my kids. I bought plastic index card boxes and index cards, and we started recording our prayer requests—one per card. We go through the cards every so often and if a prayer has been answered, we fold it and put it in the back of the box. It has already been incredible, looking back and remembering all that God has done in our lives.
In today’s reading, we got to look at one of the most powerful acts of God in the lives of His people. The Israelites witnessed God, their Rescuer, afflicting the Egyptian people with all sorts of plagues. Then, the worst of them all—death of the firstborn sons. God instructed the people to rub the blood of a spotless lamb on their doorposts in order to be passed over. We know that this foreshadowed the blood of Jesus, so that we could be passed over by judgment.
It’s beautiful and true and our Bibles are a little like a giant plastic prayer box. The answer to our deepest longings and most desperate prayers is Jesus. As we read the Bible we remember all the ways we need Jesus and all the things He has and is accomplishing for us. We can look back and thank God that because of Him, we are rescued. Because of Him, we have peace. Because of Him the sting of death passes us over and we look forward to eternity in heaven.
I’m not great at remembering, and neither were God’s people. But, I’m so thankful we have so many reminders, so many gifts that point us to our Redeemer and remind us how loved and whole and safe we are in Him.
32 thoughts on "The Passover"
-
I also love and treasure my Jewish heritage. Like Karen, I am patrilineal and was not brought up Jewish. The one thing I always did with own my kids when they were growing up was Passover every year instead of traditional Easter. With them being adults, I have more time to read and learn more about our tragic history. To be Jewish and alive is truly a ,oracle.
-
Angie Mills, love your question: Do I respond by removing the impurity from my life and worshipping God alone in spirit & in truth; or, do I harden my heart and continue to go my own way, doing everything my heart desires?
-
Forgetful, yes, and getting older. I don’t want to forget but I do! I’m thankful for your example of the prayer box. Such a simple thing, but a visible reminder of how beautifully our God works. ❤️
-
While reading Exodus 12:23 “When the Lord passes through to strike Egypt and sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, he will pass over the door and not let the destroyer enter your houses to strike you.” Who or what was the destroyer? It sounds like it wasn’t God himself… do we know from history how the firstborns died? Was it from disease? I just found it interesting that it said the “destroyer” would not enter the house…
-
Such a beautiful devotion. And like Scarlet, I too have a hard time remembering. As hard as I try. I have sticky notes all over the place.
Because of Him we have peace. Because of Him the sting of death passes over and we look forward forward to eternity in Heaven.
-
I am proud of my Jewish heritage. My father was Jewish, but since my mother was Lutheran, that was what us children were raised. I now attend a Methodist church. After I read the whole Bible last year, I was wishing that my father was still alive so that I could discuss it with him. If it wasn’t for the Jews, there would be no us.
-
3And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.
I was really drawn to this verse. Moses was highly regarded by many Egyptians and it makes me wonder how many of them could have been saved instead of suffering under the rule of Pharaoh.
I also loved the reference to Jesus in 10:23. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived. ❤️
-
This chapter reminded me again of the price that was paid for our redemption, as I prepared myself for this Bible study, songs began in my spirit and led me into thanksgiving praise and worship. My we never forget what our Father God through His son Jesus Christ has done for us and continues to do in us, when we yield to the Holy Spirit Thanking God for this Bible study.
Post Comments (32)