PESACH ֶסַחפּ - Home Quarantined to Pass over. (Death Passed over them & they passed through death.)- Joshua Thangaraj Gnanasekar March 2020

                                         PREPARE. BELIEVE. REMEMBER

The Kingdom of Egypt was flourishing with water and gold and every kind of valuables, they were building Pyramids and other historical architecture. They were enslaving Jewish people because the Egyptians were afraid that the Jewish people may flourish and may conquer their land. So the people of Egypt were burdening the jewish people so much and they wished their death and failure. But still they were using the people of Israel to build great architecture which would proclaim the name and fame of Egypt for forthcoming generations.

The people of Israel were enslaved in Egypt for almost 400 years. Their life in Egypt became a misery to them. They were filled with sorrow and fear of death and extinction. They called upon the Lord for help and Salvation. And the Lord looked down to see their misery and sent an emissary to save the people with Lord’s mighty hand. His name was Moses. He met the King of Egypt with the Lord’s message. But Pharaoh would not heed to the message from the Lord. And God started to allow great plagues upon the people of Egypt. The whole Egyptian kingdom was in deep misery because of the plagues they were suffering. clouds of sadness and misery fell upon them. But Pharaoh would not change his attitude to the Lord’s message.

Nine different plagues were over. A dark cloud of death came over the land of Egypt finally. And that was the tenth and final plague. This final plague was different from the other nine plagues for several reasons. The people of Israel never needed any special instructions from God about how to behave or prepare or stay during the nine other plagues. The Pharaoh was warned before of the consequence which the Egyptian kingdom is going to face. The Lord gave clear instructions to the people of Israel about preparing to face the plague. The people of Israel were to choose a lamb for their family and on the fourteenth day of the specified month, they were to slaughter the lamb at twilight, and take some off the blood and put it on their door posts and stay locked inside their houses until the plague of death passed over. They were to cook the slaughtered lamb and eat it with all their family and should never leave anything left behind. They were to eat fully prepared to go out after the plague has passed over with sound of victory and Joy. And God said “And I will go through the land of Egypt during this night, and I will strike all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human to animal, and I will do punishments among all of the gods of Egypt. I am Yahweh. And the blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and I will see the blood, and I will pass over you, and there will not be a destructive plague among you when I strike the land of Egypt. And this day will become a memorial for you, and you will celebrate it as a religious feast for Yahweh throughout your generations; you will celebrate it as a lasting statute.” (Ex 12:12-14).

PREPARE

The Children of Israel were to prepare to meet the plague of death. We the children of God are pre announced by God that we are living in a evil world full of death and despair, and we are to be prepared to meet the evil days always. Clear instructions have been given to us from the word of God that we have to be always connected with our Creator and remember Him all the days of our lives. We have been given the Armour of God from Helmet to shoe, from sword to shield everything we need to stand well prepared to meet evil days and time.(Eph 6) Remember “Christ our passover Lamb has been sacrificed for us.”(1 cor 5:7). And the blood of Jesus Christ is always ready to purge our sins. We are redeemed people. Are we prepared? or are we confused? This is what we have to examine ourselves as we are in quarantine these days.

BELIEVE (stay with Hope)

secondly the children of Israel were to stay inside their houses until the plague was gone. This is something which we have to think of. We are instructed by God to stay quarantined indoors but will full preparation of going out. We are not instructed to stay indoors with worry or sadness. But with full hope that death will pass over us and we will pass through death. Soon the death will pass over and we will come out redeemed from these evil days with full hope and Joy. “Remember Christ our passover lamb was sacrificed for us.” He came out of the tomb having victory over death and hades. What a Mighty God we serve.!!

REMEMBER

Thirdly the first passover meal on that night in Egypt was never to be forgotten. Yes we are to remember at all times that we have been redeemed by God by Christ our Passover lamb’s blood. And we are to remember all these years how God has brought us through all evil days and seasons by His grace. The people of Israel were set free from their bondage after that night, they headed off to their promised land. God made Israel to pass through death as death passed over Israel. Quarantining is a wonderful time to

Prepare for the next evil time,
stay in God’s gracious hands locked in with hope,
remember the past gracious times when God brought us through in all evil situations.

And when we come out we will surely feel that death has passed over us and God made us to pass through death and made us to cross the other shore just as the people of Israel passed through the Red Sea on their way to the Promised Land!!

Remember Christ our passover Lamb was sacrificed for us. 1 cor 5:7