The Remnant is Saved by the Blood (Advent 18, 2022)

The Passover is oddly ranked last among the seven Jewish holidays according to a website called JourneyZ. Historically or as secular Jews, maybe it makes sense, but seriously?  Passover comes in dead last out of 7 Jewish holidays? 
1. Shabbat;
2. Rosh Hashanah;
3. Yom Kippur;
4. Sukkot;
5. Shemini (Sh’mini Atzeret) Atzeret;
6. Hanukkah;
7. Passover

I’m just going to leave that there for your thought.  But let’s turn to the record of Jesus Christ’s actual practice.

As an observant Jew, He would have done all the ones commanded in the Law of Moses, but not necessarily those according to the gospel of JourneyZ.  Furthermore, while silence is not indicative, regarding the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-14,), Rosh Hashanah (no NT reference), Yom Kippur (not a single Gospel reference to atonement but Romans 3:24-26, Hebrews 9:7, 10:3, 19-22), Sukkot (John 7, of particular note is v 37), Sh’mini Atzeret (no NT reference except perhaps John 7:37), Hanukkah (no specific NT reference), and Passover (Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-20; and John 2:13, 11:55).

Of all of them, rather than dead last,
the Passover is highlighted by Christ in the Gospels,
and it formed the occasion for the “Last Supper.” 

Now, let’s return to the first Passover and bring it all together.  You can review the commands in Exodus 12:1-14.  Then God told Moses,

“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt…When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down” (Exodus 12:12-13, 23).

Had there been any firstborn Hebrew by heritage who failed to obey the instructions, preferring instead to be a gawker, maybe waiting for the destroying angel by hanging around outside, that Hebrew—by heritage—would have been destroyed along with the firstborn of Egyptians, foreigners, animals, etc.

In this way, God highlighted the remnant has always been by faith,
preserved by the blood…
and the Passover was to be a lasting ordinance to remind people of that.

Questions for further thought:

Do you think any firstborn Hebrews might have been tempted to go outside to have a look as the loud sound of wailing filled the night air?

Temptation, yes, but think about how that might have been evidence enough to keep one safely inside and one’s curiosity in check.  Fear, that what one was hearing was precisely God doing exactly what He said He would do.  Faith, that God is reliable and does what He says.  Fear of God reminding, “Don’t do it. Stay faithful to what you have heard.” How ought the Word of God Himself be enough incentive to obey?

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord for historically recording Your preservation of a remnant by faith. We praise You and thank You that You distinguished between Your holy people by faith and those of the world who do not follow Your ways, who do not know You, and choose to live in sin and rebellion.  The faithless so often mock those who choose to live in obedience to You. We trust Your Word for we know these words are the very words of life. Lord, please give us the strength, the encouragement, and the perseverance to share Your Word with a watching world.  So that even if they ridicule us, we will have been faithful to share Your gospel with all men before Your return. We praise You Lord Jesus for Your work on the Cross, for the salvation that is possible in You, and we ask, Lord for windows of opportunity to take that good news and proclaim it widely for Your glory. Amen.

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Advent began Sunday, November 27, 2022 and continues to Saturday, December 24th as we explore the remnant spoken of in Scripture and awaken as the end draws near.

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Awaken, Remnant” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

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Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:  

• The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
• 2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
• God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
• Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
• The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
• The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times.  Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence.  His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
• The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology.  They began November 29, 2015.
• Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols.  You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives.  They began November 30, 2014.
• The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John.  It began December 1, 2013.
• The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story.  It began December 1, 2012.