Good morning. When the Israelites cried out to God in their distress, He heard them and came for them. He sent Moses, a reluctant hero to be sure, but one who learned to live within the power of God. As you know, the Pharaoh was not impressed with Moses, nor the Israelites, nor the God of their fathers. Eventually, after horrific examples of God’s power being poured out upon Egypt in plague after plague, the Pharaoh wavered. He wavered, but then changed his mind and continued to insist on keeping God’s people as slaves.
God sent His final plague upon Egypt. This is from Exodus 11:4-7 So Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’
It is remembered as “the plague of the firstborn.” God made His distinction between those who identified Him as God and the people of Egypt. His people would be known by their willingness to obey His commands. Each family was to choose a lamb without blemish as a sacrifice to the Lord. They were to gather the blood of the lamb and use it to mark the doorposts of their homes. We read on in Exodus 12:12-13 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.
When the angel of the Lord came upon Egypt, he passed over the homes that were marked by the blood of the lamb. All others, those who were not marked by the blood, suffered extraordinary loss and grief.
We are approaching the celebration of Easter. On the night in which Jesus was betrayed, He took the loaf and the cup and explained that there would be from that night forward a Passover celebration in remembrance of the blood of the Lamb. They partook as we do of the loaf and the cup, which represent His body and His blood.
I hope that you shared in the Lord’s Supper yesterday, and that as you did so you honestly recalled the Blood of the Lamb. The cup, which represents His blood, marks your heart, your mind, and your spirit. You belong to the Lord, and you carry His mark upon your soul. With His blood, you are marked for life abundant and eternal.
Praise God for the blood of the Lamb which takes away the sin of the world! Your sin, my sin, the sin of all who call upon the Lord in obedient faith and remembrance.
Vern