Fri.’s Devo - The Passover

Read: Exodus 10:1-12:13; Matthew 20:1-28; Psalm 25:1-15; Proverbs 6:6-11 God sent Moses back to Pharaoh once again to tell him to let God’s people go and worship the Lord. If he didn’t, Egypt would experience the greatest locust plague they had ever seen. It would destroy everything that was left after the hail. Even Pharaoh’s servants begged the Pharaoh to listen to Moses. *** Pharaoh asked Moses who he would be taking to worship the Lord and when he told him everyone, Pharaoh drove him out of his presence. He told him he would never let their children leave Egypt. *** Moses stretched his staff over Egypt and a wind from the east blew all day and that night that brought in the locusts. They covered the face of the whole land and ate all the plants throughout Egypt. *** Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and begged them to remove the plague. Moses prayed and God sent a west wind to swept the locust into the Red Sea. When they were all gone, Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let them go. *** God told Moses to stretch his rod toward heaven and there would be darkness on the land of Egypt that could be felt. It stayed for three days, but the people in Goshen had light. Pharaoh finally told Moses he could go and take his little ones with him, but they had to leave their flocks and herds. Moses told him that they must go with them. Pharaoh threw him out of his presence and told him he wouldn’t see his face again. Moses agreed with him on that. *** God told Moses he had one last plague and then Pharaoh would drive him out of his country. Moses told the people to go to their neighbors and ask for silver and gold jewelry. God had given the Israelites so much favor that they gave them their jewelry. Moses was greatly esteemed in Egypt even by Pharaoh’s servants . *** God told Moses that at midnight he would go into Egypt and kill the firstborn of the land of every house - even the first-born of their cattle. It will cause an outcry in Egypt, but in Goshen it would be quiet and peaceful. *** God instructed that this month would be the beginning of months for them even though it was the seventh month on their calendar. On the tenth day of this month each family was to take a perfect lamb and keep it till the 14th. At twilight on the 14th, they were to kill their lambs and take some of its blood and sprinkle it on the two doorposts and the lintel of their houses. They were to roast the meat and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. It must be completely consumed leaving none till the morning. They were to eat it quickly, dressed for travel. This was the Lord’s Passover. He would pass through Egypt killing the first-born and pass over the Israelites who had the blood applied to their door. *** This was a picture of Jesus death on the cross. When we apply his blood and what he did for us on Calvary to the doorpost of our hearts, we are saved from eternal damnation. Jesus fulfilled this feast when he died on Passover for the sins of the world. *** Jesus gave a parable about the kingdom of heaven. The meaning of the parable was that many will make it to heaven. Some will have spent their whole lives in service to the Lord and others will come to him in the last days of their lives, but they will all receive the same privilege of eternal life. He tells them over and over that the first will the last and the last will be first. *** Jesus explained this again when Zebedee’s mother came and asked that her two sons sit on thrones to his left and his right in his kingdom. Jesus had just told them that he was to suffer and be crucified and raised on the third day. Obviously, this did not register with this mother. Jesus told her that those spots were already designated by God, but they were not to want to be the rulers, but the servants. Jesus came to serve not be served and to give his life away. *** Lord, may we have that attitude, to want to serve others and give our lives away for you. Thank you for giving your life that we might live eternally with you.