As Passover 2020 draws near, let us consider once more: Is Passover an event or a journey? How does the significance of the context of Passover affect our response today, especially in these COVID-19 times?
Ezekiel 20:7-10
“I said to them, ‘Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.’ But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.“
Does the reading of Ezekiel give you a fresh understanding of the historical and spiritual contexts of the Passover?
After Joseph, his brothers, and all that generation died, the sons of Israel, who multiplied and became exceedingly mighty, began to forsake the God of their forefathers, and assimilated the idolatries and detestable things of the Egyptians into their way of life. They forsook the faith and faithfulness of their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that enabled them to “walk before Me, and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). They were lawless in the sight of God because they did not have the laws of God to govern their behaviour. Despite repeated warnings from God, they refused to listen to Him, and continued to defile themselves with detestable things and idols of Egypt. In short, the culture of the land of their sojourn became permanently assimilated into their own culture. Not even the voice of God could stop them from their own apostasy.
So, God became angry, and resolved to accomplish His wrath against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. But how did God pour out His wrath against the sons of Israel? He did it by installing a new king of Egypt who did not know Joseph to deal shrewdly with them (Exodus 1).
The ensuing socioeconomic slavery and intensive hard labour within the Egyptian system where they founded their source of life, was the wrath that God poured out against His people who had refused to cast away the detestable things of their eyes in the sight of God; who had defiled themselves with the idols of Egypt; and who had refused to heed God’s voice in a rebellious spirit. Because of their perpetual sinning in the likeness of Egypt, God resolved to multiply their sufferings in the land so that they would come to an end of themselves, and cry out to God for help because of their bondage, and perhaps repent of the wicked ways (Exodus 2:23-25).
In acting for the sake of His identity, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, God acted against the land of Egypt through pests, pestilence, disasters, and death so that He could engineer the release and separation of His people from Egypt. Even though the sons of Israel were as much sinners as the Egyptians, God was gracious to accept the blood of their obedient sacrifice as a redemption for their sins, so that He could ‘passover’ or spare their firstborn, even all the sons of Israel; bring them out of the land where they were so assimilated in their religious devotion; and ‘passover’ into the wilderness through the Red Sea where He could get them to leave their Egyptian ideologies behind, display to them His awesome identity, and chastise them through His commandments, statutes, and laws that pointed to the salvific substance and requirements of the Passover Lamb of God, whose foreshadow they had partaken as a type (c.f. Exodus 5 to Leviticus 27).
Yet, even as they continued to observe and proclaim the Passover throughout their journey in the wilderness, plagues and death in the likeness of the judgment of Egypt continued to follow those who continued to rebel against their God, such that they would not be able to enter into the promise of the covenant of God with Abraham (c.f. Numbers 1 to Deuteronomy 34).
1 Corinthians 10:1-12
For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.” Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.
Thus, the Passover was not just an event, but the beginning of the journey of consecration, sanctification, and fulfilment of the covenant of God with Abraham. Its goal was to eradicate the detestable things and idols of Egypt, as well as their persistent rebellion, from the midst of His people through their explicit obedience to God’s commandments and identity. Its purpose was to bring an end to sinful human behaviour, as God would define what constituted sin. It was not a be-all-and-end-all event of their salvific experience and consummating journey towards the promise.
Hence, the Passover was the beginning, and the Passover lamb was the resurrection life and power, of the journey of sanctification unto fulfilment of destiny (c.f. Joshua 21:43-45); for without sanctification, no one would see the promised land despite the Passover (c.f. Hebrews 12:14).
So, this is the context of the Passover, and the foreshadow of the Cross of Jesus Christ, the true Passover Lamb of God.
From this context, this is the prophetic message for all believers who are commemorating Passover, even Good Friday and Easter, during this COVID-19 event: Fear God, seek His face, know His will, cast away all detestable things and ideologies of the world, repent of our ungodly lifestyles, and realign to the identity, truth, and image of God as His true imagers on earth. Perhaps God may relent concerning the pestilence He has sent (whether causally or permissively), pass over, and leave a blessing behind Him so that we may have the providence to continue in our journey of sanctification unto the fulfilment of destiny (Joel 2:12-14).
As we commemorate the Passover Lamb, and partake of the bread and wine at the Lord’s table, let us remember that Jesus, the Passover Lamb and the true image of God, is the way, the truth, and the life; He is our true source of life and true way of living in this Passover journey, and no one can come to the Father or enter into eternal life except through His way of true living (John 14:6).
Let us also remember that, like the Passover, the salvific work of the Cross is not just an event, but a journey of carrying our own cross, walking in the footsteps of Christ and the Perfecter of our faith, and becoming His true disciple in image and likeness (Luke 14:27).
Thus, like the Passover, the Cross is a journey of sanctification. Just as Jesus sanctified Himself while He walked on earth for 33 years, let us also sanctify ourselves in truth as we walk His way and live His life on earth, until we become like Him in image and likeness – the image and likeness of God (John 17-17-19).
As such, like the Passover, the reckoning of righteousness is not just an event, but a lifelong journey of righteous living in the truth, for the gate (the event) is small and the way (the journey) is narrow that leads to life (Matthew 7:13). In other words, both the gate and the way determine the fulfilment of the covenant promise of prophetic conquests and eternal life.
Therefore, cast away “Egypt” and everything it represents; embrace the wilderness of godly chastisement and divine providence to stop sinning; and prepare to crossover for prophetic conquests of the land of “Canaan” in these last days; for in us, all the families and nations of the earth shall be blessed through our faith in, and faithfulness to, the Passover Lamb of God (Galatians 3:6-9)!
This is the Spirit of Passover, and the grace of the Cross, for today.
Where are you in your Passover journey, and how are you carrying the cross, today?
You may wish to read my previous posts, “Our Response in Times of Shaking” and “The Hope of Glory in Times of Shakings“, for greater understanding of our required response in these prophetic times.
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