This is quite a turbulent time in history. Most people are trying to recover from the ” pandemic”, but mostly from the reaction of governments to the “pandemic” over the world. It is not easy to discern whether measures taken are to harsh, or necessary. But the fact remains that it has economical, social and spiritual consequences.
Another question rises to surface: are there certain groups, governments, individuals or even spiritual forces secretly attempting to capture the occasion for personal gain or some sinister motive? The fact remains that throughout our planet’s history there were always the oppressors and the oppressed and people are suffering now, and times are challenging. This reminds us of the time of the Passover, the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Exodus.
Prior to the Exodus people were subjected to immense oppression and slavery. The redemptive acts and interventions of The Lord during and after the Passover culminated in a very powerful message to be commemorated in a feast for all future generations which must have practical or existential consequences for people who adhere and believe the message. With the Exodus God has shown His Almighty power over nature, governments, economy and nations, and later through the wilderness, His interest in communion and abiding with His people through atoning sacrifice and consequently for them to live law abiding lives.
These truths found fulfillment in the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Christ taking His divine seat at the right hand of the Father to rule, send the Holy Spirit and realize salvation and equip his followers and believers for service., as High Priest, King, Prophet and Son of God. The Exodus tends to stress the structural intervention of God in the lives and history of his people. The crucifixion and ascension of Christ focus on the individual salvation but also has cosmic and universal impact. Both these truths (the personal salvation and cosmic or universal impact) are intertwined and can’t be detached from each other. God is still capable to intervene in cosmic matters, politics, social change and redemption of people from structural oppression, just as He is capable of saving individuals from sin, guilt and spiritual oppression, reconcile them with Him and empower them to practice righteousness.
Before we focus on some spiritual truths surfacing from the history surrounding the Passover which is supposed to be beneficial to our lives today, in our circumstances, let us make three statements to keep constantly in mind when we read the narrative.
1) PRACTICAL IMPACT ON INDIVIDUAL AND CIRCUMSTANCES
The essential message of the Passover must have practical impact on the individual’s live and circumstances, them that participate in the feast with faith, and believe the core message of the feast, which discloses the nature of God and His will for His people. This message also invites people into communion with The Lord. To be in communion with the Lord put us in an ideal situation where we can discover the divine will for our lives and align ourselves with His plans for our lives and act accordingly. This also equip us to make intelligent decisions and do the right things to get the appropriate results, to practice righteousness.
The Passover feast finds fulfillment in the Lord’s Supper, a feast to be kept numerous times during the year to remind God’s people of the powerful Passover message of the two events, the exodus and the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Christ. To experience the full practical blessing of the message of the Passover, one has to understand that the message has the goal to disclose God’s nature and will for His people. This evokes faith in people to approach God and request Him to do the same for us now what He has done in those times during the exodus. It also reminds us to request everything that was intended by God with the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and positioning of Christ in His divine capacity and offices as King of the universe, Head of the church, High Priest, Prophet, Son of God and Lamb of God, just to mention a few. What else will be the reason or function of a memorial or commemoration of an event which, has been commanded by God to be repeated through all the ages and by all generations?
2) INDIVIDUAL SALVATION AND THE COSMIC MESSAGE OF THE PASSOVER
It is important to include both the truths of the individual salvation and the broader cosmic message of the Passover. By individual salvation is meant all things pertaining to our personal salvation like, grace granted, forgiveness of sins, atonement, reconciliation, adoption, regeneration, faith, repentance, sanctification and empowerment by the Holy Spirit for service and the acceptance into the family of God in the community of believers. Everything that has been accomplished by Christ’s coming to earth and typified by the institutions of the priesthood, sacrificial system and the erection of the tabernacle in the desert wanderings of the Israelites. We are invited to request from God all these things He Intended with the sending of His Son to the earth and His ascension to heaven.
By the cosmic message of the Passover is meant the Universal Headship and Kingship of Christ in God. His capacity and universal rulership over all spiritual forces and beings, demons, the devil, world history, politics, economy, forces of nature, governments, social movements, individuals, believers and even the godless. He has proved His all Mighty power and authority over all these things mentioned above by the Exodus and redemption of the Israelites from slavery and His provision during the Israelite’s wanderings through the wilderness. Again we can state that we ought to request all these things from God to do for us what he has done in those times during the Exodus and after, and to do for us what He intended when He disclosed His Name to Moses and disclosed Himself through His Son.
3) COMMEMORATION, ACTUALIZATION, and ANTICIPATION
These three steps, commemoration, actualization and anticipation, can be valuable in our quest for real practical experience of God’s intervention in our lives. The repeated practice or participating in this feast, repeatedly reminds us of these events and it’s message, which discloses the person of God and His will for us, as a MEMORIAL. To COMMEMORATE these events is to recall these events or acts of God repeatedly and never let it vanish from the memory.
It also means to internalize these events in faith and open mindedness. To make it applicable to our circumstances and not to see it as events only applicable to people of antiquity. We commemorate these events of God’s disclosure of Himself with the attitude of an expectancy and requesting God in prayer, faith and persistent perseverance to ACTUALIZE or REALIZE these expectations in our lives and circumstances.
We can also add the word participation to the actualizing and realization. The paschal meal or Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act wherein He invites as to participate in His communion with us. This is also an invitation to become part of the covenant and part of His family and to partake in the blessings, miracles and promises. Also to partake in the dedication to the journey with Him. We were apart, alienated from God, foreigners and far from Him. This is an invitation to come close and also to participate in the journey with Him.
The mature in faith also realize that all things do not always happen in the wink of an eye and that as we grow in faith, and in our relationship with the Lord, more and more promises can be realized. We do not stop to ANTICIPATE better things to come and expect progress in perseverance. That which don’t realize now will eventually come with the second coming of Christ. But we do not stop anticipating the best that can be done for the present. Because He revealed Himself as I AM WHAT I AM ( Exodus 3:14 ). This is an action word, a word of the present tense. He is not only the God of yesterday or tomorrow but the God of today. The God who is interested in the present and who is busy acting in the present. He also inspires us to take appropriate action to bring about the necessary changes in ourselves and our circumstances.
To commemorate, actualize, internalize, participate and anticipate is not only relevant to participating in the Passover feast and Lord’s Supper but also to all our religious practices, prayers, Scripture readings, listening to sermons and fellowship with fellow believers.
HISTORY SURROUNDING THE EXODUS
The Book of Exodus portrays a vivid picture of the affliction of the Hebrews and their response to the affliction, this is where everything started. Lets see what we can learn from the book of Exodus. What are we going to learn about God and what can we request Him to do for us, and what we can expect? Keep the three statements made earlier in consideration and keep it constantly in mind. I will just touch shortly on a few truths and hope you be motivated to study the book of Exodus and make the necessary conclusions and take the necessary actions. Only you and the Lord knows your affliction and expectations and can make it applicable to your live and circumstances.
1) THE LORD KNOWS YOUR AFFLICTION AND EXPECTATIONS, IS CONCERNED, AND IS COMING DOWN TO DELIVER, AND WILL HEAR YOU WHEN YOU CRY TO HIM. EXODUS 2:23 to 25, 3:7, 3:16
They sighed because of bondage, they cry for help, there cries rose up to The Lord, God heard, He remembered His covenant, He saw, He took notice. ” I have seen their affliction, I am aware of their suffering. I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you. I have seen the oppression. I have come down to deliver, I am given heed. I will bring you up out of the affliction to the land flowing with milk and honey”.
Let all the children of the Lord start to cry to Him for the deliverance of His people in affliction and meet their expectations. Whatever affliction we may experience, whether it is sickness, poverty, financial troubles, marital problems, oppression of minority groups or family troubles, God knows and will act when we request from Him in prayer. He is also capable to unite us and mobilize us to act to bring about change for us.
2) THE LORD’S COMMAND TO THE OPPRESSORS: LET MY PEOPLE GO THAT THEY MAY SERVE ME. Ex. 6:1, 6:6, 7:14
Indeed did God act and send Moses to command the oppressor to let His people go. The oppressor hardened his oppression and refuse. Numerous times did he refuse and numerous times did the Lord commanded till the Lord said “… under compulsion he shall let them go…I will redeem you with great judgements. This is the destiny of the oppressors after God has given numerous opportunities to submit to Him.
We must proclaim this message to oppressors, and pray for redemption in perseverance. Whatever affliction we experience whether it is from employers, politicians, or oppression of a minority group, racism, religious persecution, terrorism, governments or even oppressive churches or family members. Even if it is something personal like oppression by demons or the devil. Sickness, poverty, financial troubles, marital problems or family troubles. The command of The Lord still stands and must be proclaimed ; “LET MY PEOPLE GO SO THAT THEY MAY SERVE ME”. We must also be ready to act according to the divine will or goals.
Joh. 12:31 From this moment on, everything in this world is about to change, for the ruler of this dark world will be overthrown. (TPT) The words of Christ Jesus. Let us believe it, pray it, proclaim this message and act accordingly.
3) THE LORD MAKES A DESTINCTION BETWEEN THE OPPRESSORS AND HIS PEOPLE. Ex.11:7
From the events in Exodus we clearly see how the plagues and judgements of God stroke the oppressors but in the area where His people lived everything went well. Read Exodus 12 and see the Passover instituted to typify the perfect atoning sacrifice of Christ. They had to eat the lamb and apply the blood on the door posts. The distinction made culminated in the judgement of God sending the Destroyer to smite the oppressors but the Lord commanded the Destroyer to PASS OVER His people. Ex. 12:23.
We know that the judgements of the Lord will increase during the last days, but towards His people grace and goodwill will also increase. He will still be God to us and still fulfill His promises. He will not stop doing good to us and protect us. ( read my blog on Noah and the last days, what they don’t tell )
4) STRONG MESSAGE OF JOURNEY AND NEW BEGINNING EX.12
The Lord announced to Moses and Aaron a new calendar. a New year is dawning, new beginning. From this day on they are going to count the months and years, a spiritual calendar never to be forgotten, He announced His Memorial name in this book. They were to be liberated from slavery to something new, a place that flow of milk and honey. God took them on a journey, He is on the way with them with specific destination in mind.
The manner to eat was in haste, ready, girded, staff in hand, no time for bread to ferment, unleavened to be eaten. This spiritual new year teaches us not to hesitate but to reach for our goals in the Lord and be ready for new things. He is still a God of miracles.
The powerful message of the Passover awakens in us the quest and longing for the Lord to do today what He has done for His people in those times and what He intended when He send His Son to atone and reconcile humans to Him. This is the purpose of this commemoration or memorial of these events which present to us a disclosure of who The Lord really is and what His desire is to bring about in our lives and circumstances. This is an invitation to participate, to come close, listen carefully, observe and act. He is a Living God and has shown through these events that He is I AM, also the Lord who acts in the present. As it was said, to commemorate, internalize, participate and anticipate. We must re-think our experience, the outcome of this approach might be surprising.