This week is Passover week. It is a major Jewish festival commemorating the time God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and passed over them in the plague of death.
On the first Passover, the Israelites killed a lamb with no physical defects at sundown. They took the blood and put it on the two side posts and top of the doorposts of the houses they will eat it in. That night the Lord passed through the land of Egypt and attacked all the firstborn. The blood was the sign for where the Israelites were, so He would pass over them and the plague would not destroy them.
This reminds me of the night last year in August when we had a small family reunion in Missouri and everyone got a message on their phones that there was a possible tornado in the area. We were all in bed, so I didn’t want to get up because I already experienced a night of watching the news of a tornado going through where we lived in middle Tennessee during the spring. Scott got me out of bed when the power went off and because everyone else was up. Scott’s youngest sister and her family were from Oregon so was not sure of what to do. We were all in the living room watching the lightning flash and hearing the thunder crash. Scott’s brother-in-law had a strong flashlight that could shine a beam of light out in the yard to check that everything outside was in order. Scott had unlimited data on his phone so he kept us informed of where the storm was going.
A Miracle
I started telling everyone about our tornado experience earlier that spring. It also happened in the middle of the night. We turned on the tv to watch the weather report showing where the tornado was located. The meteorologist was calling street names and telling people who live on those streets to get in their safe place. When it was obvious that the tornado wasn’t headed in our direction, I was relieved but then the tornado was headed towards the city that we first lived in while we were looking for a home in Tennessee.
A voice in the background of the weather room said that the Mule Day festival was happening and there would be lots of campers and RVs in the park in Columbia. That was near the Airbnb that we stayed at. The meteorologist warned people to get to their safe place and I prayed for those people. Then the meteorologist was quiet. After a short while she said that the tornado disappeared but might touch down again, so she advised those near the area she mentioned to stay in their safe place. The voice in the background said that the Mule Day participants were sent to a nearby high school for safety. There were other tornados that the meteorologist was following and the tornado did touch down again but it was past the city of Columbia.
I said it was a miracle. Sounds of agreement came from the dark room. I was a night owl and the fact that I couldn’t see people looking at me made me talk more than I usually would. Soon the flashes of lightning stopped and it was just heavy rain so people started going back to bed. The severe weather passed over us and we could go back to sleep.
Passover reminds us of the night that Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, was sacrificed for us. Before His death there was darkness all around. Jesus willingly gave His life so that God’s judgment would fall on Him instead of us and we could have eternal life with Him.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Your love for us is so great. Thank you for making a way for us to come back to You and to be called Your children. We are so undeserving of your grace and mercy. Help us to be more like You so that whatever we do, You are glorified.
In Your Son’s name, Amen.
Verses
Exodus 12:1-15
1 Corinthians 5:7b; 11:23-26
Luke 22:20
John 1:29
Song
“This is Amazing Grace” by Phil Wickham
Call to action
If you have already prayed, looked up the verses in your Bible, and listened to the suggested song, then please read the whole chapter of Exodus 12 to find out about the very first Passover. Then please share your thoughts. I am eager to know what you think.