First of all I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity to write this letter.
May He strengthen us through our mutual faith, yours and mine.
The Israelites celebrated the passover festival for seven days every year to honor our God the Father, because HE passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, and struck Egypt but spared their houses (Exodus 12: 26 – 27). When meditating the passover event during this Maundy Thursday I had a different explanation in my heart. I am sharing it out in this letter.
The Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites which brought them the freedom from the Egyptians (Pharaoh). The freed Israelites were led to Cannan by our awesome God. So what is interesting in this? Well, when I meditated on this more I saw a sequence in the whole passover event.
The Israelites were in the land of Egypt.
Our mighty God performed miracles and brought them out from the hands of Pharaoh.
Our God split the Red sea andcreated dry land so that the Israelites crossed it.
He destroyed the Egyptians completely and promised that the Egyptians you see today you will never see again (Exodus 14:13)
He guided/led the people through the wilderness before he brought them into the land of Cannan.
The same sequence can be seen in any man’s life when he is taken away from his sins.
Man’s sinful life is the land of Egypt
Surely it a miracle that takes him away from the sins (God’s miracle)
God creates way in his life (Red sea)
God gives a clean sheet by forgiving all his sins (you will never see again)
God guides/led him to eternal life (Cannan)
But many a time man doesn’t walk forward in the path that our God gives. Though God say you are given a clean sheet never do this sin again, man wants to see how Egypt is now. Just a look/taste. By this he falls to his sin again. On the other hand it is not a difficult job for our God to create a road to Cannan like he created dry land in Red Sea. Though he can do mighty things of his own He gives choice to the people “I am offering you life or death, blessing or curse”(Deuteronomy 30:19). The Israelites before they reached Cannan they experienced the walk through the wilderness, fight against their enemies. Similarly the path to the eternal life or to the dwelling place of God is not a direct access. It is the experience of the walk through wilderness and the battle against the enemies. We must ask God for strength as it is not with our might or will we can win.
What happened when people turned back when they were asked to move forward?
Wife of Loth was turned to pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26)
Jesus says in his own words in Luke 11:24 – 26 (When an unclean spirit goes out of someone it wanders through waterless country looking for a place to rest, and not finding one it says, “I will go back to the home I came from.” But on arrival, finding it swept and tidied, it then goes off and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and set up house there, and so that person ends up worse off than before.)
Jesus also said in Luke 9:62 (Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.)
Let us pray to our Father that, HE gives us the clean sheet and we start to move forward and not turn back.
Take every care to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together (Ephesians 4:3)
In Christ,
Dominic L A J
