Exodus 12: Passover
I just finished snuggling Dutch into bed. I turned off his little ocean lamp, pulled his down comforter up under his chin, and tucked it all the way around his little body. I kissed his perfect smooth cheeks and pried his arms from around my neck since he wouldn’t let me go. He kept leaning up and kissing my cheeks.
“Mommy, I love you so much. I just can’t stop kissing you I love you so much.”
Heart. Melting.
I love that boy. My firstborn son. Heidi has won my heart in her own million unique ways. But Dutch is my firstborn and always will be.
So when I read Exodus 12, I cannot help but shudder.
After nine horrendous plagues, and after nine stubborn refusals to let Israel go, the LORD strikes Egypt with the final and most horrific of all plagues: The death of the firstborn.
Now I admit, when I think of Passover, I think of the blood on the doorposts, the unleavened bread, and of Jesus being the final fulfillment in Scripture.
But often I don’t stop long enough to consider how horrific this scene really is. Verse 29 says,
“At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharoah who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon … and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead.“
This is a massacre. There was not a house untouched by this finger of death. And not adults, not elderly–but children. Firstborn children. Firstborn children just like the little blue-eyed puppy-breath 4-year-old I tucked into bed just now. Millions of them. In the middle of the night.
We cannot understand how great this deliverance is until we understand how horrific the alternative.
So in the midst of this blackest night of death, in the midst of the screaming and wailing and weeping of the Egyptians, one by one finding their dead children, God says to his people, “Up, Go.” In awe and fear they tuck their kneading bowls in their garments and rush silently through the night. Out of captivity. Out of Egypt. They are freed.
We live, for the most part, in a world that does not mention the fear of God. I rarely talk about hell. I hardly ever talk to people about the wrath of God. And with good reason, I suppose. Christ our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) was slaughtered, marks us as His, and delivers us from condemnation. But if we don’t understand what happened that Passover night, at midnight–the horrific suffering and death–we won’t understand how great is our deliverance, our salvation. And as horrible as that was, we have been saved from something so much more horrific than the death of a firstborn child. We have been saved from eternal suffering and separation from God.
As horrendous as it is, we must remember hell. Please hear my heart, I hate typing those words. I have tears streaming down my cheeks as I write those words. I do not write them lightly. But our evangelism, our sharing the good news of the gospel, will suffer if we do not remember from what we have been saved. Our love will suffer. Our grace will suffer. Our witness will suffer. God’s Kingdom will suffer. If for a split second I start to think that God sure is lucky to have me, I need to consider for a brief moment how holy is my God and how deserved my condemnation. How horrific my destiny would be had he not shed His blood, smeared it on the lentil of my life, and whispered, “Up. Go.” Out of captivity. Freed. This is a cure for complaining. For complacency. For a critical heart toward others.
Friends, for those of us who have put our faith in Christ, we have been gloriously passed over. We have reason to be happy. Every. Single. Day. We have reason to be cheerful. We have reason to give to others. The Israelites left Egypt with nothing but their kneading bowls, and they were rich indeed! We have been given hope, life, love, and eternal life.
Moses sang this in response, words fitting for us today. Let’s join him, amen?
“The LORD is my strength and my song, and has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him” (Ex. 15:2).
Exodus 6: A broken spirit.
The children of Israel get a really bad rap. Yes, they complained. And complained and complained and complained. But if I read through the exodus story and honestly put myself in their shoes, I must admit I’d be complaining too. And this morning a short sentence from Exodus 6 stuck out to me that might help us be a little more patient with the people in our lives.
Moses returns to Egypt with high hopes. He’s excited to free the nation of Israel from Egypt’s slavery, but of course things don’t go according to (his) plan. Things seem to always get worse before they get better. Pharoah not only won’t let them go, but he increases their workload, refusing to give them straw for their bricks. The people are desperate. Moses is frustrated (5:22):
“Why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharoah to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all?”
That is a frustrated man. And can’t you relate? Have you ever taken a step of faith and obeyed God only to seemingly fall on your face and have it get worse? Moses is frustrated and doesn’t hide it. But God reassures Moses by reiterating all the promises of god, all that he has done, how He led Abraham and promised to deliver His people. He speaks life and encouragement to Moses, promises of hope. So Moses takes courage, and goes and repeats all of these words to the people of Israel,
“but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit…” (4:9)
I always focus on the part where they don’t listen to Moses. Listen to him! I think to myself. Listen. Quit complaining and not having faith. See the great things before you! Believe!
But their spirits were broken.
They couldn’t listen. They had spark of hope or faith left in their hearts. Their spirits were broken. It was as if Moses was talking nonsense. They had seen no good, no hope, no life, no promise. How could they believe Moses’ words. All they knew was cruelty, slavery, hate, bondage. Their spirits were broken.
When God calls us to minister (and he calls all of us to minister) He calls us to give hope to those whose spirits are broken. And, if their spirits truly are broken, it is possible that they cannot listen. They cannot even muster up the strength to believe the good news. They may not see the vision you see. They cannot envision it because they have not had vision. They have been blinded by hurt, their sense of hope seared by pain.
So if they cannot listen, to carry on anyway. Rather than get frustrated or angry because they cannot see the promised land, we must, like Moses, continue to pursue their freedom, their good, whether they can see the light or not. If we hold out hand they bite it (!), we must hold out our hand again. Remember these words, “They might have a broken spirit.”
This doesn’t excuse others’ sins, but it covers them (1 Peter 4:8). It says, “It’s ok if you don’t listen. It’s ok if you can’t see the vision. It’s ok if you can’t see past your pain. I’ll still take your hand and help lead you out of slavery, help lead you toward the promised land, help you be all that God wants you to be.”
Isn’t that what Jesus did for us?
We live in a world of broken spirits. God fill us with a compassion that quells impatience, an understanding that removes frustration. Help us see your people as you see them. And when our spirits are broken, help those around us to be patient with us, and fill us with your hope.
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Is there someone in your life who seems constantly negative? Who won’t listen to your encouragement no matter what you say? Do you find yourself getting frustrated? How can you pray for that person, that God would heal their broken spirit, and how can you choose to continue to bless that person today?
Exodus 4: Who made you? (Freedom from excuses)
Once again I am encouraged at the people God chooses to use for His glory in the Scriptures. We’ve looked at Noah, Jacob, Rachel & Leah, Joseph–all of whom had rather obvious shortcomings. Yet they were used for God’s purposes. How encouraging is that?
Though all of these characters has weaknesses, today we see one who was acutely aware of these weaknesses. Conscious of self; self-conscious.
In Exodus 4 God gives Moses the great call to return to Egypt and free God’s people from slavery. He has already witnessed the burning bush, he’s already had lengthy conversations with the Lord about all this, and now he witnesses two more miraculous signs (staff becoming a snake and hand becoming leprous) confirming that God is indeed calling him to this task. No one else in Scripture thus far has had such a clear calling. No one else gets a burning bush. God is making it clear–Moses, you’re my man. But Moses is quick to make excuses, right? “But God…”
“Oh Lord, I am not eloquent … I am slow of speech and of tongue.” (4:10)
Oh Lord, let me go ahead and tell you all about my shortcomings. I’m really not the man for the job. You must have me mixed up with someone else. My mouth is really not the mouth to use. There are much better mouths out there.
God’s response?
“Who has made man’s mouth?…Is it not I, the LORD?” (v.11)
How ridiculous is it that Moses is complaining about this mouth. He is speaking to the God who created it. How incredibly absurd to complain about an obstacle that God Himself controls!
That one sentence can put our entire life in perspective.
“But God, the housing market isn’t good right now.”
“Who made houses? Who controls the housing market?”
“But God, I’m not a gifted leader.”
“Who made the gifts that are deposited in you? Who put them there? Who knows what they are better than you?”
“But God we don’t have enough money.”
“Who made money? Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills? Who gives and takes away? Who rules economies?”
There are no excuses before the God of all things. Before the one who made all things, controls all things, and uses all things for our good and His glory.
The next time we catch ourselves protesting, “But God…”
Remember: Who made ________? Who controls it all? Who is able to do all things?
The God of all creation holds all things in His hand. Let’s keep that in perspective today, when circumstances overwhelm us and our shortcomings eclipse our view. God made it all. He is greater than our weaknesses. In fact, He’s glorified in them. This frees us from excuses, once and for all. Whatever He’s called us to He has equipped us for. And that even applies to the most terrifying calling in the world–that of raising children! Be encouraged, sister. God made you.
Frugal Fridays: The Simple Diet (Guest Post)
Eat the foods that people (who didn’t get sick) ate for thousands of years.
Eat the foods that people (who didn’t get sick) ate for thousands of years.
- All foods consumed were raised in a manner which we would label “organic ” – no pesticides and no commercial fertilizers.
- All foods were what we would call “whole foods.”
- All diets included a healthy source of saturated fat from animal sources.
- None of these cultures consumed polyunsaturated oils.*
- There was usually a source of fermented food, such as yogurt or fermented cabbage (sauerkraut).
- Meat eaters always consumed the whole animal – the organ meat was considered the most nutritious and some meat was consumed raw.
- Grains were always soaked, fermented or soured (to neutralize the phytates in wholegrains: phytates inhibit the absorption of minerals).