Monday May 7, 2012

In Hebrews 10 we are called to spur one another on to love & good deeds. How can you do this today?

 

Read Deuteronomy 16:1-8;  Exodus 11-12

 

The month of Abib was the start of the Jewish near year, even though they celebrate Rosh Hashannah (the head of the Year) later on in the year. They had at least two new years! How is this possible?

 

While the Israelites endured exile in Babylon and were eventually released, they took on Babylonian culture and marked the start of the year towards the middle of their traditional year. The Passover Feast marks the anniversary of the day when God led his people out of an earlier exile, namely in Egypt.

The Israelites kept both as their new year!

 

Passover was a special celebration for the Israelites for another reason. It was in this month that the Lord brought the final and worst plague upon the Egyptians. It was the night that God freed His people and began to complete their redemption. That night, the first born of every household was slain by the Destroyer. Anyone who trusted in the blood of the lamb was spared the judgement of the Lord. Anyone who trusted in God’s provision was led out of captivity into freedom.

 

It’s not hard to see the New Testament parallel, is it? Paul writes to the Corinthians

Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

 

Christ, the Lamb of God, has been slain and everyone who trusts in His spilt blood will not face the wrath and judgement of God. Anyone who trusts in the Lord’s provision will be freed from captivity to sin and will enter the glorious freedom of the children of God. And for those who do trust in Him, God calls us to get rid of all the yeast in our lives. Biblically yeast pictures sin. We are called to be a holy people because we, like Israel, have been saved by a holy God.

We are called to live in sincerity and truth. That means we are not to speak deceitfully to each other. We are not to swear falsely nor are we to use false measures and scales in our dealings with each other. Put simply, we are to love each other as Christ has loved us. We are to be a holy people because we are saved by a holy God.

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray that God would continue to dwell with His people, the church and do great and awesome things in them and among them. Pray that the non believing world around us would see the greatness and majesty of our God and be drawn to worship Him.

¥ Pray that we would not sin wilfully but rather would strive to be all that Christ has saved us to be. Pray that there would be a deep desire for holiness in all your brothers and sisters in Christ.