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1-2-15. Exodus 12:5-13. The Sacrifices On The Night Of The Passover, A Reflection Of Jesus-my devotional

In Exodus 12:5-13, we can see how the sacrifices offered up by the Israelites, on the night of the Passover, are a direct reflection of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. (John 1:29)

Exodus 12:5-13       Kevin E. Jesmer     1-2-15

lamb of God

 

Let’s learn something about the sacrifices the people where supposed to offer and see how Jesus is relected in these…

In verses 5-13 are God’s requirements for the type of sacrifice. The sacrifices were male, young, pure and innocent. Look at verse 5, “The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.”  The lambs where young, that is, very trusting and innocent. They were also to be without defect. That is, they were perfect. This is a reflection of Jesus. He was pure and innocent and trusting of his Father God, as he was led to the cross, like a young lamb. He was also sinless. In this way he was the perfect sacrifice. Jesus fit the description.

 

The sacrifice was personal and a family affair. Verse 6, “Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.”  They were to take care of the lamb for 14 days. In that time they could form a personal bond with the lamb. They could see its purity and its beauty and innocence. Wouldn’t it be nice if all the lambs could be kept as family pets for 15 to 20 years and then die a peaceful death at the veterinarian office? But that could not be. There was a designated purpose for the lambs. It must have been tough for the young children, but there was a need to form some bond with the animal. It makes sense, because Jesus, the Lamb of God, draws us into a personal relationship with him.

 

The whole community was to slaughter their lambs all together. Again, worship is a community affair and not just a personal endeavor. They were to make the sacrifice at twilight, at the end of the day. God wanted this act of worship to be on their minds the entire day. As they worked they could look forward to the evening events. Jesus was also crucified at the end of the day, at 3 pm. Many members of the faith community were gathered around the cross as Jesus breathed his last.

The sacrifice was seasoned with bitter herbs, symbolic of suffering. Verse 8-10, “That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it.”  The meat of the sacrifice were seasoned with bitter herbs. Bitter herbs were associated with suffering. The Israelites has spent 400 years suffering in slavery. Now they were about to be set free by God. But that doesn’t mean their suffering would end. Their suffering would not end until they reached the eternal kingdom of God. Jesus’ life in this world was one of bitter herbs. He suffered much during his 3 ½ years of ministry. At the end of it, he was humiliated, beaten and crucified in a cruel Roman cross.  On the cross Jesus offered wine and gall to drink, but he refused. Yet the gall, a bitter poison, was a fitting symbol of what Jesus went through to save us from our sins.  Look at what gall is from the follow excerpt of web site….

“On the cross Jesus was given wine and gall to drink. But at the end of it, Jesus was raised to glory. Jesus was offered a wine and gall mix to drink just before 9 am on Wednesday, April 5 in 30 A.D. The offering took place right after he arrived at Golgotha but before he was nailed to the cross and the Roman soldiers cast lots for his clothes.

The English word gall, in the New Testament, comes from the Greek word chole(Strong’s Concordance #G5521) which literally means poison. All the Old Testament verses that use this word (Lamentations 3:5, 3:19, Jeremiah 8:14, 9:15, 23:15 and so on) have a common definition of something that tastes bitter and is (many times) poisonous.

A mixture of wine and gall was commonly given to criminals before their execution in order to ease some of their suffering. “http://www.biblestudy.org/question/why-did-jesus-refuse-to-drink-wine-with-gall-while-on-cross.html

Our pilgrimage in this world is also one of bitter herbs for it is a fallen world where the power of sin constantly assails our hearts. But despite of the suffering, there is the hope of the resurrection. There are joys and “bitter herbs” along the way.

 

They were to eat all of the sacrifice. Look at verse 10a, “10 Do not leave any of it till morning…” The Israelites were to eat all of the sacrificed lamb, all of it. This is related to Jesus. When we come together to eat the Lord’s Supper, we eat the bread and drink the wine. They represent the body and the blood of Christ. We just don’t eat a portion of the wafer or the serving of wine, we drink all of what was given us. We internalize it all. The elements become a part of us. They diffuse to every part of our body, mind and soul.

 

Jesus is also our complete sacrifice. He was completely sacrificed, emotionally, mentally, and physically. He took all the pain and all the suffering upon himself complete. He completely offered himself as the Lamb of God so that we could be forgiven of our sins.  There was no holding back. Praise Jesus for his complete sacrifice as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. May he completely dwell in our hearts through his forgiveness and grace.  May his light permeate every dark shadow.

 

The Israelites were to eat the sacrifice in haste. Look at verse 11, “This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.” They were to be ready to leave, ready to go on their pilgrimage to the Promised Land. They were to leave their old lives in Egypt behind and allow   God to lead them. This is like Christians today, when they accept Jesus as their own Lamb. They receive the grace of forgiveness and then things start to move pretty fast. Their spiritual eyes are opened. They receive a new hope and new life direction. They are called to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior and especially as their Shepherd. God does not wait. He calls them, as he called the first disciples, to leave their “boats and nets” and old lives behind and live new lives as disciples of Jesus. Christians need to be sensitive to hear the call of God and they need to respond to the call and set out to live as disciples. That is what it means to “eat it in haste.”

 

The blood of the sacrifices, painted in obedience on the doorposts, would save the Israelites from death and judgment. Look at verses 12-13 read, “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” (NIV) That night of the Passover, the God would pass through Egypt with his hand of judgment. He would judge the powerless gods of Egypt. He would judge the unrepentant Egyptians. His hand of judgment would strike all people who were not under the blood of the Passover lamb. This is a good representation of what the Jesus’ blood has accomplished for us in the cross. His shed blood was pure and innocent and holy blood. It provided the perfect sacrifice. God the holy Father could declare us, “forgiven” because of this blood. Declaring us “forgiven” means that when our bodies die, we will be resurrected to eternal life and will not be judged because of our sins. We are forgiven. We shall enter the kingdom of God as God’s children, for Jesus the Lamb has brought us into the right relationship with God.  Jesus’ blood is the sign for us that we will no be condemned, but forgiven. Praise the Lord.




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