Passover

The Passover (well really all of Exodus) is one of those sections in scripture that, when I saw myself in it, blew my mind. In the chapters leading up to 14, the Israelites are in slavery, under oppression of the new Pharoh. When things get tough, they begin to doubt God's sovereignty, His goodness and eventually their relationship with Him. In their discouragement and cruel bondage, they refused to listen to Moses when God promises to rescue them in chapter 6.

 I think we've all been there at least once...

Next come the plagues. God is working on Pharoh's hardened heart. He throws 6 natural disaster upon the land trying to get Pharoh to let up and let the Israelites out from under his rule, but alas, he refuses. The next one, the plague of the first born (chapter 11), cuts to the heart; but not before God gives special instructions: the Passover. 

Slaughter and feast on a perfect lamb, then paint some of the blood over your door so that "when I come to strike down every first born and bring judgement on all the gods of Egypt, the blood will be a sign, and I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt." - Exodus 12:12,13

Ok. Let me make sure I'm reading this right. I'm in slavery, hating life, despising God to the point of rejection, and God gives me provision anyway to prevent me from destruction?!?!?! 

I totally don't deserve that!!!!! 

That's what makes The Gospel so awesome. God loves us - a sinful, rebellious human race - so much that He sent his sinLESS, perfect son as the sacrificial lamb to die for the likes of us so that we could be rescued from ultimate destruction. 

So to celebrate the Passover, I did this. Not in legalism, but as an artful display of my gratitude for Jesus - my rescuer, my redeemer.