KEY SCRIPTURES: Exodus 12:22
And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Isaiah 7:9 If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.
RELEVANCE
The Exodus was one of the most defining moments in history. Completely factual, this cataclysmic event freed a nation from centuries of barbaric slavery, tore friendships apart and caused the fastest death of firstborn males the world has ever experienced.
Consider a father of one of the Israelite families. The Portal of his house is a specific place for an important message to the Destroying Angel. This message must be written in very special blood.
In our picture, we see the portal with the father standing before it. He cradles the basin of blood very carefully in his left hand and arm. Much depends on that special blood; he will not let it slip or spill. His right hand cannot touch the blood; he needs a pen, a go-between, in order to portray his message in such a way that the Destroying Angel will make no mistake at the critical moment. The boy who will surely die for such a mistake looks trustingly on, asking all the expected and unexpected questions. Possibly the Egyptian playmate is looking on also, and that night he must die because of his unbelieving father, who still holds his Hebrew slaves in bondage. Possibly the lad’s mother looks on in fear from the window of the great house overlooking the hovels of the slaves. How many passions, fears, forebodings, hopes, joys, and hates attend the ceremony of the First Passover?
Using the Hyssop as his pen, the Father, on behalf of his family, signs God's agreement in chosen blood on the doorposts and lintel for all to see, Those large splashes of blood cried, "We believe! Save us, Lord"
Nobody could escape seeing the blood on each house. When your freedom is on the line, and the Destroying Angel has your number, you paint big. You do not dab small spots as if embarrassed. The blood was lathered on, so the Destroying Angel would not miss it.
The father performed these formalities in faith. From choosing the right lamb to taking the blood, using the hyssop instead of an old rag, and plastering that blood right where Moses said—at the portal. Everything was done in faith, believing God's promise and showing the Egyptians that Salvation was nigh and there was nothing they could do about it.
Salvation, whether then or now, comes through faith and belief. Do we appreciate what and who we have been saved from? Is our Salvation as clear to people we know as that blood on the doorpost and lintels?
The AFL Grand Final was held yesterday. Each team supporter was as identifiable as the houses of blood in Egypt. No mistakes could possibly be made as to whose side they were on.
God recognises believers when He sees Christ's blood upon their hearts, plastered there by faith. Let's ensure our Christianity is unmistakably identified by our faith and belief, language and behaviours.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank you for all your work in the Passover and the intent of saving lives from certain death. Thank you again for Jesus, who laid down His life that I might live. Please help me to live boldly for you.
Photo by Alan Bowman
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