Lambs

Although Passover is still a few months away, the Sabbath readings from both the Torah and haftarah for this week deal with the LORD's Passover. I found that these readings about the Passover were very pertinent for today, and the times ahead. It was a message about lambs and leaders. A tyrannical Pharaoh is defeated by the power and grace of a lamb. Death has no power over the blood of a lamb. Households are redeemed in each generation since the first Passover by the sign of the lamb, as we will see. All of these singularly remarkable characteristics of Passover are fulfilled by a Person, Jesus, the Lamb of God, for those who receive Him. Because of these things, for us who believe Christ, Passover is not restricted to a certain day, but should live continually in our spirits. As the account begins in this week's reading, Pharaoh had agreed to only release the men of Israel to go and worship the LORD, but not the women and children (Ex. 10:7-11). Therefore the last three plagues, locusts, darkness, and finally, the death of the first born, were released upon Egypt. Up until this point, the territory where the Hebrews lived, Goshen (meaning "drawing near"), did not experience any of the judgments that fell upon Egypt. However, this would not protect them from the last plague, death. Before the final plague, God's people were instructed by Moses to choose a young spotless lamb, and keep it for four days, and then kill and eat it. The blood of the lamb was to be applied to the doorposts and lintels of their houses to protect them from the plague of death that would be sent by the LORD upon Egypt to kill all of the first born of the land (Ex. 12:1-12). Of the blood of the lamb, the LORD said, "Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the lsnd of Egypt." (v. 13). The Passover ministered to each household. Passover was an intimate and individual experience within a family unit, rather than a national experience, or a Jewish group experience. As we know, the children of Israel were spared from the last plague of death, and released from slavery reluctantly by Pharaoh. This miraculous event of Passover was to be observed and taught to future generations of Israel: "So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance."(v. 14). This is the first feast of the LORD that was given to Israel. It was given before the other feasts were revealed to Moses. What makes this feast of Passover so important that it should be the first given of all of the feasts? Passover is a prophetic picture of the Savior sacrificed, the Lamb of God, Jesus, whom Paul called "our Passover" (1 Cor. 5:7). The LORD will repeatedly tell Israel to keep the Passover in order to teach their children about the time when the LORD brought His people out of "the house of bondage" (bayith ebed-dwelling of slavery) (Ex. 13:3). Bondage has a dwelling, and you don't want to live there! The Passover is also to be kept on the hand and between the eyes: "And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, "This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt. It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD's law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt." (Ex. 13:8-9). Here in this verse, the Passover, although we think of it pertaining to a whole people, is really a personal testimony to one's children: "...what the LORD did for me...". The purpose of this personal testimony of the lamb is for the redemption of our children: "...And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem." (v. 13). Secondly, while we are familiar with the Hebrews wearing the law on their arms and foreheads in items called phylacteries, here, the LORD instructs them to do so specifically regarding the Passover event. The Passover, when it was continued to be practiced in Israel was to be a repeating work of redemption for their firstborn: "Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; It is Mine...So it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, "What is this?" that you shall say to him, "By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." (Ex. 13:2, 14). Now is a good time to mention the title of the assigned Torah/haftarah readings for this Sabbath. The title is "Bo". It means "Enter!", spoken as a command. Goshen was a place to "draw near" God by its meaning, but by the Passover, Israel was to "Enter!". The Passover didn't keep death "out", as we tend to think, but allowed us "to enter in" to a dwelling in God where death has no place. We believers in Christ are also commanded to boldly enter in: "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." (Heb. 10:19-22). We can see the importance that the LORD placed upon the Passover for His people, and the corresponding sacrifice of the Lamb of God for believers in Christ, who is the fulfillment of the Passover. However, something strange happened, and it was pinpointed to a specific time in Israel. Josiah was a great and godly king of Judah. The haftarah Sabbath reading in 2 Chron. 35, tells us how Josiah revived the Passover in Israel. It was a very joyous occasion. Then this shocking statement is made: "There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept." (2 Chron. 35:18-19). Not kept like this since Samuel's time? The kings didn't keep the Passover in this manner? Hezekiah did try to keep the Passover as a nation, but most of the people of the Northern Kingdom laughed at him, and refused to come. The Passover ended up being held in the wrong month because "..a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem...there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves...yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written..." (2 Chron 30:3, 17-18). Because of not keeping the Passover in the manner that was required, Hezekiah had to pray to the LORD to cover the people with the yearly atonement provision for all who came seeking Him that Passover, even though they didn't keep the Passover as it should have been kept. Passover isn't a ritual to be declared by a king. It is a work of deliverance in the heart of each person. There is no mention of Passover in scripture from the Book of Joshua until the chapters in 2 Chronicles about Hezekiah, and then Josiah. The verses above, pinpoint the time of Samuel. At the time of Samuel, Israel demanded kings. Although the LORD had warned them against it, the people placed their trust in their kings. They sang songs of Saul's thousands, and David's ten thousands, referring to the enemies defeated by their kings. They no longer trusted in the LORD's ability to lead them out. We can see that when your eyes are on the king, they aren't on the Lamb. Even the godly King Josiah, immediately following His revival of the Passover, disobeyed the Word of the LORD, and entered into battle with a king (Necho) who was not at war with him. Pharaoh Necho tried to warn Josiah off, but Josiah refused to listen. Judah needlessly lost a good king that day (2 Chron. 35:20-24). King Josiah ordered and provided for a great national Passover, but personally he took his eyes off the Lsmb. This week's readings made me think of the times in which we live. Our attention has been stolen by political leaders, movements, upheavals. We are incorrectly looking to our "kings" for moral, spiritual and natural solutions and vindication. The Church breaks into zealous political arguments and divisions over who should be our "king", or political leader. Kings or leaders come and go. They may be good or bad, godly or ungodly, meaning well or ill, but deliverance comes from the LORD. God's people today are tempted, as was Israel, to set their trust in their "king". Israel had many kings, but by the time of Hezekiah, they couldn't even prepare a Passover. They had gained a kingdom of successive earthly kings, but they had lost their Lamb. There is a song called "Watch the Lamb", by Ray Boltz. It is about a father who brings his two little sons, and their sacrificial lamb to Jerusalem for the Passover. On the course of their journey, the father tells his sons what the Passover in Jerusalem will be like, and repeatedly instructs them to "watch the lamb" so it doesn't get away in the crowds. As they enter Jerusalem, the father and sons stumble upon a terrifying scene of crucifixion. The sons fearfully ask their father about what is happening. As they see and experience what plays out before them, the father turns his sons to Jesus on the cross, and again tells them, "Watch the Lamb". It is a time for us also to "watch the Lamb". Kings may have a role to play in the course of God's will, but our focus is not to be on them, but on the LORD who delivers us out of the house of bondage, and provides the way for us to "enter" into His house of salvation, redemption, and liberty. May the LORD keep the redemption of the Passover in our hearts, and may we faithfully pass it along to our children. Our Father has commanded us to "Enter!". If you would like to receive Jesus as your Passover Lamb, who delivers you out of the house of bondage, and into the house of life and liberty, you can pray: "Lord Jesus, I believe that you died to save and deliver me, and that You rose from the dead, so that I can live. You have made the way for me to enter into the kingdom of God. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit to teach me, and lead me. You have made Your Passover deliverance personal to me and to my household. I believe that You have heard and received my prayer today, asked in Your precious Name. Amen."