Three Days from Death to Life; from Slavery to Freedom

I write this short reflection/devotion on the biblical 16^th Nisan 2013.

At the first Pesach/Passover the lambs were killed late on the 14^th Nisan; the Almighty killed all of the first-born at midnight on the 15^th Nisan and during the 15^th (during daylight on the following day), the Israelites left Egypt. On the 16^th Nisan they were still travelling toward the Red Sea. While they did the Almighty went ahead of them in a column of cloud during the day and a column of fire at night.

“21 Adonai went ahead of them in a column of cloud during the daytime to lead them on their way, and at night in a column of fire to give them light; thus they could travel both by day and by night. 22 Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire at night went away from in front of the people.” – Ex 13:21-22          

Numbers 33:5-8 (1998 Scriptures):

Then the children of Israel departed from Rameses (after sunrise on the 15^th Nisan and Day 1) and camped at Sukkoth. (Night 1) And they departed from Succoth and camped at Etham,, which is on the edge of the wilderness. (end of Day 2 & Night 2) And they departed from Etham,  and turned back to Pihahiroth, which is east of Baal-zephon. And they camped near Migdol.  . (end of Day 3 & Night 3) And they departed from before Penehahiroth and passed over through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, (Red Sea crossing – probably between 2 am and 6 am and therefore not an extra day) went three days’ journey in the Wilderness of Etham, and camped at Marah.”

The Almighty was with them as they travelled toward the Red Sea where they would pass through to freedom and then ultimately, enter the Promised Land.

I discuss this in my ‘Our Passover Lamb’ article – see http://www.charismacomputers.com.au/Our%20Passover%20Lamb%20March2013.pdf

The Israelites when they left Egypt travelled with some trepidation as they awaited the attack of the Pharoah and his soldiers. While they were escaping to freedom, they were leaving behind something familiar and to some degree ‘comfortable’. The presence of the Almighty in the cloud and fire must have added some comfort yet possibly, this awesome spectacle may have also added to their fear and trepidation – they had witnessed many miracles; they had witnessed the deaths of the first-born of all who had not been obedient in seeking the protection of the blood of the lambs. They had seen, like never before, the majesty and might of God. Surely they would have been excited, but also possibly tense, tired, trembling and perhaps even very fearful. They may also have been mourning leaving behind their dwelling places and familiar surroundings to enter a new chapter in their lives.

Similarly, Yeshua was killed on the 14^th Nisan, and his followers travelled the road of mourning on the 15^th Nisan through to seeing the resurrected Lord Messiah on the 17^th Nisan. We can imagine that this must have been a very dark time for them. They may not have felt the presence of the Almighty during this time as they huddled together in shock that the man they had thought was going to restore Israel, remove the Roman oppressors and bring freedom, was now dead. He can’t have been the one spoken of by Moses in Deuteronomy 18; he can’t have been the end-times Messiah who would usher in the Coming Age and fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah 11.

The Jewish people understand that every year the are to remember Passover and re-enact the events to some degree so that they can sense that they too are again leaving behind the Egypt of slavery to sin, and travelling the path to freedom, the freedom of living in obedience to God and Torah.

For those of us who are Gentiles, and through the circumcision of Yeshua (Col 2:11) are able to partake in the Passover Memorial Seder (communion meal) as instructed by the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 5:7), we should also reflect on where we are at.

We should also seek to remove every last trace of the leaven of sin from our homes and our lives and during these three days perhaps share to some degree the grief that the first disciples must have shared as we look forward to the 17^th Nisan and the Day of Resurrection and New Birth.

The day of ‘first-fruits’, the day when we can commemorate our becoming New Creations thanks to the incredible sacrificial life of our Master and Banner (Isaiah 11:10), the precious Lamb of God, Yeshua HaMashiach!

For more on Passover and the theme of freedom in Messiah, see ‘Freedom and the Law’ - http://www.charismacomputers.com.au/Christian%20site/Freedom%20and%20the%20Law.pdf