17The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing. Zeph 3:17

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Beauty in the Exodus - Introduction

Every morning my children and I have been reading from a children’s version of the Bible. Currently we are studying the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. 
As I experience it again, I am reminded of the fascinating symbolism captured in the account.  I absolutely love how God hid Jesus in plain sight in the elements of the Passover and the Tabernacle.
Beth Moore does a most amazing examination of the Tabernacle in the study “A Woman’s Heart God’s Dwelling Place.” It is definitely my favorite of her studies, and that says a lot. It gave me a depth of insight into the mind of God I never knew existed.  It would give me no greater pleasure than to share it here and hope that you are as fascinated and enthralled with it as I have been.
Allow me to whet your appetite…
Before the Israelites are led out of Egypt into the wilderness, they are instructed to participate in the first Passover.  During their preparation, they are told to sacrifice an unblemished lamb, precisely large enough for the family – no more, no less.  They are to take the blood of the lamb in a bowl and using a bundle of hyssop, they are to mark the top of the door frame and the two side posts.
Two things are fascinating to me. First, they are to use hyssop.  Traditionally, hyssop was used as a cleanser because of its bleaching properties; hence, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow,” in Psalm 51:7. How divine of our Lord to show us plainly the cleansing power of the blood when it is applied.
Second, as Beth points out in “Stepping Up, the Psalms of the Ascents,” when the blood was applied with the hyssop to the top of the door frame, it would undoubtedly have dripped straight down to the floor. When it was applied to the side posts, it would by human nature have been applied at about the same height on either side.  If you follow the path, up and down and side to side, it makes… A CROSS!
We are told from the time we accept Jesus that we have passed over from death to life, but do we truly understand? Do we see the spiritual truth that is spelled out in this Old Testament physical reality? There is a cross of the blood of the Lamb on the doorframe applied by faith, which, when seen in the heavenlies, death passes over! If you have the cross of blood on the doorpost of your heart spiritual death will pass by you. We are saved from spiritual death by the blood of the Lamb who gave Himself to be our sacrifice.
Wait until you hear about the afikomen!  It will astonish you, I promise! It is overwhelming in its richness…
Until tomorrow, Lord willing!

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