The Passover
See the Victory • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 22:34
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· 94 viewsIn this time of isolation, social distancing, and quaratine, it is important that there is nothing new under the sun. This isn't the first time this has happened to the church, but there is victory on the other side.
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We are continuing our series called, See the Victory. This morning I want to encourage you with a story from Scripture.
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
That should be a great comfort to us. Even though many church leaders and government leaders say, “We’ve never led through anything like in our lifetime.” This doesn’t mean God is worried about it, and it doesn’t mean God has never seen anything like this. No matter what comes our way, Jesus and his teaching remains the rock that we can stand firm on in the midst of any storm.
With that being said, let us turn to Exodus 12. We will be reading a large portion of scripture this morning, but I want the power and significance of this story to really sink into our hearts.
As you turn there in your bible, I want to set the stage. The setting is ancient Egypt, and the people of Israel are living in Egypt as slaves. They have been treated cruelly, and God has sent Moses as his representative to set the people free. Unfortunately, Pharaoh is being difficult, and the LORD God demonstrates his immense power against Egypt, trying to sway the mind of Pharaoh. Nine plagues have hit, each more devastating then the last, and yet Pharaoh refuses to release the nation of Israel.
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
“This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.
Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household.
And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,
and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.
They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.
Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts.
And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.
In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.
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 no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
The tenth plague that God is going to pour out on the people is the death of all the firstborns in all the land of Egypt. In order to avoid the same fate, the people of Israel were told to kill a lamb, mark their doorposts with its blood. There are two other big things that I want us to notice:
1) Look After Your Neighbour
1) Look After Your Neighbour
And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
Just as the people of Israel were to share the lamb with each other, depending on the size of the family, we need to be looking out for our neighbours. There are people in our community who can’t leave their home, either because of health restrictions or simply out of fear, and the last thing they need added to their plate right now is the feeling they’ve been abandoned. If you don’t know your neighbour, this is a great time to reach out and meet them. Even if they don’t need someone to help, the gesture goes a long way in showing where you heart is, and it testifies to confidence and greatness of our God. I am able to come offer assistance because of the strength God gives me.
2) Be Ready Church
2) Be Ready Church
And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.
In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
God’s instruction to the people of Israel was to eat the meat with haste, and burn all that wasn’t eaten. Have your shoes on, belt tight, and staff in hand. Be ready because when this plague is over, it is time to move. That’s exactly what happened. The plague passed through Egypt, Pharaoh’s son died as a result of the plague, and the Egyptians chased the Israelites out immediately. Once the plague passed, it was time to get moving.
I know God is saying the same thing to the church today. Once the pandemic has passed, and we are allowed to actually interact with each in groups bigger then 10, there is work to be done. There will be a time of rebuilding, a time of people needing love and support; our community and our world is going to need the love and assurance that comes from Jesus alone. We need to be ready and willing to be the bearers of Christ’s light in this scared world. That’s not to say you can’t be active now. Post encouraging posts on social media, call friends and family and see how they are doing. There are so many ways to share the love of Christ right now, and we can’t miss them. But when this pandemic has passed, there will be even more that needs to be done. God is calling us to be ready, shoes on, belt tight, and when we get the green light, be ready to move and serve.
Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb.
Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.
You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever.
And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service.
And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’
you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
3) How Will You Remember This Time?
3) How Will You Remember This Time?
Moses records that the people of Israel were to mark the day of the Passover, and it was to be an important time for their people. Children would ask why it was being observed, and the story was not to be lost. I think the same will be said. Kids and grand kids will ask what it was like to live through the COVID-19 pandemic, and I think we need to be considering the answer we’re going to give now. The answer we need to give should be one that gives God the glory. We should tell a story of how God used the time to make us better, draw us closer to him. The story the Israelites were tell was one that gave God the glory, and we should be telling a similar story when this passes.
Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
Sounds familiar eh?
4) Remember the Lamb
4) Remember the Lamb
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,
I want you to notice something about this lamb. The chapter begins with the people of Israel selecting the Passover lamb on the tenth day, but it isn’t actually used until the 14th. It was so important that this lamb be without blemish, without defect, that it was set aside 4 days before it was actually to be used. It would’ve been carefully watched and guarded so that nothing would happen to it.
This is meant to be a foreshadowing, a type of what is to come. Jesus serves the same role in our lives. Just as the lamb without defect protected the people of Israel with it’s blood, Jesus does the same. It is by the blood of Jesus we are saved from our sin, saved from death, and that we come under his covering. Jesus is the pure, spotless lamb. Though he was tempted as each of us are, he never sinned. He lived the perfect life, and he died the death no one else could to save us. Scripture even tells us that by his stripes, we are healed. There is healing in the blood of Jesus. There is protection. Most importantly, there is new life. Just as the Passover opened the door for the Israelites to live a new life, free from the bondage of the Egyptian, Jesus blood opens the door for each of us to live a life free from the bondage of sin. The Apostle Paul says we are a new creation, the old has passed away.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
I want to encourage you today, right where you are listening, if you have never committed your life to leadership and saving grace of Jesus Christ, there is no time like right now to do it. It begins with a prayer, and it starts a lifelong journey of redemption and refinement. I want to encourage you that the best life, the life you were meant to live, is found in Jesus. It won’t always be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. It will be a fulfilled life.
I’m going to pray a prayer, and I encourage you to pray it with me. If you’ve never prayed it before, or maybe you have but life has taken you off course a little, now is the time to renew you commitment and start this awesome journey. Let’s Pray
Lord Jesus (repeat)
Thank you for your love (repeat)
Thank you for dying for me (repeat)
I’m sorry for the mistakes I’ve made (repeat)
I repent of my sin (repeat)
I commit my life to you (repeat)
Thank you for the new life you give (repeat)
Teach me your ways (repeat)
In your precious name, Jesus
Amen
If you prayed that pray for the first time, send us a message and let us know. I want you to know that Heaven rejoices when a son and daughter of God come home. Heaven is rejoicing over you, and we want to rejoice with you too.
Join us as we sing one more song.