Who writes your story?

I'm reading through the book of Exodus, and I'm loving how the Lord is teaching me.

Play this beautiful composition below of "Nearer my God to Thee" while reading the following :D

I have read through Exodus all before, and yet still, this story is so profound. Last night I finished up to chapter 13, and I don't think I am fully grasping yet the full significance of the passover and all that it implies. It's crazy that up till this point in the story, the Israelites are aching for deliverance from slavery to the Egyptians, and all along God has promised this will come to pass. And day after day of waiting and persevering, God is moving in their midst creating a story of significance, one beyond what they will see in their day and one I am still grasping in its full magnitude while seeing how the story intertwines through out the whole biblical narrative. 

The beginning of the mass migration of the Israelites out of Egypt (the Exodus) is jumpstarted after many plagues imposed on Egypt and its king (the Pharaoh) against his hardened heart to free the Israelites and to establish to the people that the Lord alone is God, the God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac. The passover then was a type of atonement; where God covered over the Israelites and all who identified with the one true God, saving them from the slaughter of the first born of every Egyptian, which was the last of the 10 plagues... 

It could have been a day of celebration of freedom as it marked the beginning of their deliverance; but it was rather set aside by the Lord as a day of mourning for the widespread sorrow. It was a day also of remembrance for the Israelites salvation; that the Lord at a great price fulfilled his promise to the Israelites, he brought them out of Egypt and preserved their every first born from death.

So following this day that is remembered every year, is another ceremony to be remembered; the Consecration of the Firstborn and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I have heard some say that the bread was to be unleavened because it was to be prepared with haste so as to carry with them as they run out the door on their journey; in the same way that they eat their passover feast dressed ready to run out the door to freedom. I have also heard that the bread is to be unleavened since a leavening agent (such as yeast) is symbolism to our sin -in that it can multiply rapidly- and therefore the Hebrews are to ceremonially clean their homes every year to make sure there is no trace of yeast anywhere. Catch the symbolism?

And the consecration of the firstborn I find relief in. Perhaps because it makes me a little uneasy that our God would impose a plague of the slaughter of the first born of a whole nation...and so it gives my heart slight relief knowing that it was not an action to be taken lightly. That following that event, the first born of every person and every beast were to be dedicated to the Lord, and that a sacrifice -an atonement- was to be made for each of them. The children of course would not be sacrificed and so an animal sacrifice would be made on their behalf for their redemption, and the first born of every beast was to be sacrificed to God.

In the end the Lord commands them to not forget who delivers, redeems and atones.

¹⁴ “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ¹⁵ When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’ ¹⁶ And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”_Exodus 13:14-16

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I dont know if your still following with me in this note or not, but if you are, this is the reason I write today:


The last verse noted above in bold, vs 16, reminds me that God is still in control.


I think of my life and how easy it is to forget that! And I can grumble and complain about what I am going through or what I'm waiting for or what I do not have or do not know or the timing of what dreams I pursue... and I find that there is sometimes a lack of seeking God first in all of those things..and its so simple. How much do I life my life dependent on my God, and how much do I give Him credit for the many blessings I have? 


That brings me to this passage, and I feel it concludes this note most adequately! It reminds me that God is in control, he is our provider, our saviour, or redeemer. He is always good, always faithful to keep his promises. We are not the author of our lives, there is so much more God is doing that we do not even comprehend, but we can trust him and he is good.


Be Blessed!


 ¹⁰ When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, ¹¹ houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, ¹² be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery._ Deuteronomy 6:10-12