Peace & Blessings Beloved,
TGBTG for allowing us to see another day. I pray all is well with you and yours, and that your week has been fruitful & blessed thus far.
In the eleventh post of our new Humble Servant Blog Series, Stories of the Bible, we're going to review The Passover, which can be found in the book of Exodus, as chronicled in chapter 12.
The story of The Passover is one of great significance, both literally and symbolically. It marks freedom from bondage, both physical and spiritual. Found in Exodus 12, we start off after God has commanded Moses and Aaron to go to Egypt and demand that Pharaoh let the Israelites go.
The Passover takes place on the night of the tenth plague God had punished Egypt with. On that fateful night, God told the Israelites to sacrifice a spotless lamb and mark their door frames and lintels with its blood (Exodus 12:21–22). Then, when the Lord passed through the nation, He would pass over the households that showed the blood (verse 23). The blood of the lamb saved the Israelites from death, as it kept death from entering their homes. The Israelites were saved from the plague, and their firstborn children stayed alive. From then on, every firstborn son of the Israelites belonged to the Lord and had to be redeemed with a sacrifice (Exodus 13:1–2, 12; Luke 2:22–24).
The Egyptians did not obey or believe, so all through Egypt, behind their unmarked, bloodless doorways, the firstborn children died at midnight (Exodus 12:21–29). “There was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead” (verse 30). Jehovah's judgment finally changed the Egyptian king’s heart, and he released the Israelite slaves (verses 31–32).
God spares Israel’s sons, not because they were better than Egypt’s sons, but because a spotless lamb dies in their place and its blood covered their door. And, much like that spotless animal, we can thank our spotless Lamb, Yeshua Hamashiach, for taking away the sins of the world, and saving us all from eternal damnation and separation from Jehovah.
In the subsequent years after the historic Passover (Pesach in Hebrew), it's commemoration has become an annual Jewish festival. The Feast of Passover, along with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was the first of the festivals to be commanded by God for Israel to observe. Commemorations today involve a special meal called the Seder, featuring unleavened bread and other food items symbolic of various aspects of the exodus.
Passover is one of the three pilgrimage festivals in Scripture, during which the Jews were commanded to travel to Jerusalem and observe the feasts together- see Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost) and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles).
Passover takes place in the spring, during the Hebrew month of Nisan. In Western countries, Passover is celebrated in early to mid April.
I pray you receive this with the love intended, and apply it to wisdom.
May the joy of the Lord continue to be your strength.
Love you much.
Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Blessed!
-Humble Servant
P.S- If you have not given your life to Jesus Christ, I implore you to take the time to do so right now. Use John 3:16 & Romans 10:9-10 as a foundation for making your confession of faith. And use Ephesians 2:1-10 to provide proper context for your salvation.