Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sabbath, October 21, 2017

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-10-21-2017

This is devotional thought number 38 in our devotional series, “Removing the Veil: Sanctuary Living in the 21st Century.” Our subject is: This Do in Remembrance of Me

Here’s the question for consideration: Are you covered?

“Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the Lord shall choose to place his name there. Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.” (Deuteronomy 16:1–3).

When you study the Bible, it is essential to do so in humility and with prayer. As I have said so many times in these devotional thoughts, we all need reminders along the way. In fact, that is how Scripture was constructed. You’ll find many times God will cover a subject or event, you think you’re done with it, and then He circles back for another perspective. Repetition deepens the impression. Such is the case with today’s Scripture focus.

In Deuteronomy 16, we have a retelling and remembrance of the events pictured in Exodus 12 and 13. I am fascinated by the Passover feast because of how it came about. You may recall that Pharaoh was a stubborn man. God needed to flex on him multiple times to help him understand that the Israelites we God’s anointed, and that he couldn’t just do anything he pleased with them. When YHWH (blessed be His name) heard the cries of His people, who during Joseph’s time were elevated and honored among the Egyptians due to God’s favor, and subsequently subjugated by the paranoid Pharaoh who did not know Joseph, He used stern warnings, messages, signs, and wonders to help him get the memo. Being the stubborn, evil man he was, God needed to give him advanced training. God levied plague-after-plague, along with stern rebukes and warnings from Moses, so he would let God’s treasured people go - plain and simple. But, when stubborn, evil oppressors find that their personal economies are threatened by doing the right thing, they get nervous and make it harder on the oppressed (that is another story for another time). But God, true to His word, delivered the resounding blow that would facilitate the exodus from Egypt. God destroyed the firstborn of everyone and everything in Egypt that was not covered by faith in the blood. God told His people what He was going to do and and gave them detailed instruction on how to exercise their faith so they could be safe when the death angel passed through the land. They were to cover their homes by applying the blood according to His guidance. Anyone who remained in those blood dedicated homes, signifying the safety of being covered by the blessed sacrifice and ministry of Jesus Christ, was safe. Full stop.

What intrigues me, in context of today’s devotional thought, is what necessitated the first Passover (or passing over of the death angel), facilitated the haste by which the people were thrust out of Egyptian bondage. Let me say it this way: God destroyed the yoke of bondage by destroying the firstborn in all of Egypt, under Pharaoh’s domain. Pharaoh was powerless to stop it. As a result, God’s people were thrust out of bondage. The people who were covered by the blood were thrust out; were delivered from bondage. Are you getting this? God delivered from bondage,...