Passover  this year began on April 23rd followed by the days of Unleavened bread and ended seven days later on April 30th.  Passover also, was in itself, the beginning of  the Exodus. I have touched on the Passover in a previous blog but it’s always good to remember that Passover is of special significance to both Jews and Christians.  In this article, I hope to show how every element of the feast is symbolic of our Lord and the ceremony which was commanded in Exodus will continue until the Lord himself returns.   God himself declared Passover (Pesach) to be a permanent celebration for all eternity (Ex.12:2,6, 13-14). Although this commandment was given to the Jewish people we find the stamp of the Messiah in every detail.  Also since our Lord was the Jewish Messiah, he kept the yearly Passover as well as becoming the Passover Lamb himself!  We Christians take a form of the Passover in our Lord’s supper…..or holy communion as it is called. We remember the death and suffering of the Lord but also his glorious resurrection.

1. Passover was the beginning of months. The Passover in Exodus was  the beginning of the Jewish  year so  Nisan is the first month of the religious calendar.  When we receive Yeshua into our lives it  also is  a new beginning. Passover is the first of the feasts.  Likewise when we come to faith it is the first step in our walk  with God.  We feast on His words and carry them in our hearts.

2.A baby lamb, (which was the sacrificial offering) was kept by the family for four days to be sure it was without spot or blemish.  (Exodus 12:5) .  The sacrificial lamb was to be perfect in every way.  Yeshua  (Jesus) was the Lamb of God.  During crucifixion week, he was “examined” by many in fulfilling this Scripture, including the chief priests and elders.  (Matt. 21:23)  John the Baptizer called him the Lamb of God. (John 1:29). He was the sinless Son of God.  He truly was without the filth of sin and would serve as the sinless lamb offered on Passover. 

3. The lamb was of the first year (first born) and to be a male. Yeshua was the first born of Mary (Miryam) and the first born of God spiritually (Matt. 1:24-25; Romans 8:29 ; Rev. 3:14) Because Adam, the first male, sinned, another male, Yeshua, must die to atone for the sin of Adam and for all mankind.  No human is without sin. (Romans 5:17-19)

4. It is a lamb for the house (Exodus 12:3-4. There is progressive revelation of the Lamb in the Bible.  First there was a lamb for a house; then a lamb for the nation (John 11:49-52) and finally, a lamb for the world ( John 1:29). 

5.  A Passover lamb was to be killed between evenings.  The Jewish day begins and ends sundown which is roughly 6:00 p.m.to 6:00 p.m. This time period is divided into two 12 hour periods.   Each period is then divided into two smaller portions, so when Jesus was crucified it was during the division of the day that was commanded by the phrase “between the evenings” (Ex. 12:6). Our Lord was hanging on the cross at the ninth hour of the day (3:00 p.m.).  He was dying for the sins for all of us. Indeed he was fulfilling the role of the sacrificial lamb.

6. Not a bone of the lamb was to be broken (Ex 12 43-46) No bone of the Lord was broken (John 19:33)

7. After the Exodus, God told the people to kill the lamb outside of the city (Deut. 6:5).  Jerusalem was a holy city. It was called Zion. The temple would be built there and would be a sacred space.  Therefore since the lamb represented sin,  the sacrifice must take place away from the sacred place of the Lord.  Jesus was crucified outside the gates of the city in a place called Golg0tha.  He became the sin offering and therefore had to die outside of the city.  His cry for mercy seemed unheard by God…….”Why have you forsaken me“? He was not in God’s sacred space and had to bear the guilt away from his father. However, his borrowed tomb was back in Jerusalem.  His resurrection was the crowning achievement of his ministry.  He brought the ultimate victory over sin and death. 

I have only listed a few of the significant commandments of the Passover and their fulfillment in the death of our Lord.  Many of the rituals of Passover have changed through the years.

 The Passover that Jesus and his apostles observed also testify to his divine appointment. Every element of the feast has religious significance, to his fulfillment as the Passover lamb and in the Seder service itself.  Perhaps some of you have gone to a Seder service.  Always keep in mind the role of Jesus and how the elements of the meal relate to the Lord and what he has done for us. 

When we take of our “Seder” meal………we  honor Him and His sacrifice………”Do this in remembrance of me.”

What is this all about?  How do we get from the Exodus story of the Red Sea crossing to baptism?  I hope this blog might help.  I never imagined how saving  the Hebrews from Pharaoh’s army had anything to do with baptism. 

Actually there is some dispute as to where the Red Sea might be.  Some believe it was called the Reed Sea from the words Yam Suf and the words Red Sea was a mistranslation from the Greek text.  This particular area of water was quite accessible to the slaves that were now on their way out of Egypt.  Normally it would have been shallow and marshy  except during monsoon season when the small streams became raging torrents.  We will let the “experts” decide that.  However, there is one area where chariot wheels have actually been located.   Could they be from Pharaoh’s army?  

But this we know.  The miraculous crossing of this sea, wherever it might be, was completely orchestrated by God.  Truly divine intervention.  How I remember Charlton Heston raising his arms and saying, “behold the glory of the Lord,” or words to that effect.  Those of you who are old enough remember that scene in “The Ten Commandments” and
recall it as one of the memorable highlights of the movie. 

So how does this miraculous crossing predate the idea of baptism? According to Jewish historians and rabbis, this crossing was a type of baptism or cleansing . 

Pharaoh was considered a personification of Satan, who demanded the “souls” and allegiance of his people, while Egypt was the place of sin and corruption. Paganism
consisted in the worship of the Pharaoh himself and other idols. some in the form of animals which were considered sacred.   (Remember the Golden calf episode?)

When the Hebrews escaped Egypt they were leaving their old life of “sin and corruption.” In other words they “died” to their old life, entering into a new life of promise.  They passed through the “waters” and came out on the other side as free people  having left the old behind and were “cleansed” to become a new people belonging to God.   They were no longer slaves of sin but “reborn” by passing through the water into a new life.

This symbolism may be equated with
baptism.  So baptism isn’t a Christian idea.  Far from it. Cleansing was originally a  Levitical purification rite found in the Hebrew scriptures. The priest used some form of water to ritually “wash” as way of preparing  himself to present sacrifices to a holy God. 

During the 2nd temple period…..the time of Jesus…. most purification ceremonies such as leprosy; a woman after her menstrual period; anyone touching dead body….all these
required immersion before worshipping
in the temple .

People would immerse themselves in a water filled pool called a mikvah.   Many such sites have been located around Jerusalem as well as other sites in Israel that were places of worship.  People knew they were sinful and needed to be “cleansed” before offering sacrifices or prayers to God.  They did this as a form of repentance before entering God’s presence.

The Greek New Testament expresses immersion into the mikvah with the term baptizo where we get the word baptism.   The person entering the mikvah immerses himself or herself by wading into the water and bending the knees to completely submerge in the water.  This “dunking” might be done several times to wash away  ritual uncleanness and in repentance, praying while immersing themselves. 

To the Jewish people, the immersion ritual also symbolized death and resurrection.  This was to remember their freedom from death in Egypt to a new life (resurrection) in their promised land.

 So when we read Acts 2 and Peter’s
 sermon to those gathered for Pentecost, the idea of acknowledging Yeshua (Jesus) as Lord and immersing themselves for repentance, was not a new idea. John the Baptizer, also employed immersion as the physical token of repentance.  The penitent entering the water of the Jordan, died to sin and emerged from the water reborn to a life of repentance and righteousness. 

One of the rites that Jews required of a Gentile to be accepted into their faith was the rite of baptism…..along with circumcision for men.  Baptism was important for all new proselytes to Judaism. 

Paul emphasized that his new Gentile converts need not undergo the rite of circumcision in order to accept the Jewish Messiah.  They need not become Jews. But he  did write in his letter to the Romans (6:3-7),
“Do  you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin. ”

Is Paul remembering his Jewish roots?

I have always enjoyed reading Exodus.  The good guys, vs. the bad guys.  Of course the good guys, are Moses, Aaron and all the Hebrew slaves that had been so mistreated by that villainous Pharaoh.  He and his magicians are the bad guys of course.  They  made slaves of God’s people and wouldn’t let them return to Canaan or for that matter even release them for a few days to worship in the desert.  It’s time for action. However, there is a very strange paradox here. The Bible tells us that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh.  Why would God seemingly decide to harden this man’s heart, apparently making him more resistant to allowing the release of these Hebrews?  We have to dig deeper.

God did not arbitrarily or capriciously decide to harden Pharaoh’s heart.  First of all, the Hebrew word for “hardened” actually means to “strengthen or make firm.” God actually strengthens Pharaoh’s resolve to do what he wants to do.   God does not override  Pharaoh’s freedom of will but reinforces it.  So what does this actually mean?

From the outset, God explained that He intended to make His a contest with the Egyptian pantheon of gods into a public affair.  He said, “Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments —I am the Lord” (Ex 12:12). Pharaoh was considered a God, after the Sun God, Ra.  His word was the same as a god speaking.  Our God intended to use this  as an example of man’s power as opposed to the real power of God. He would establish His name (reputation) and His identity in the eyes of His people Israel, in the eyes of all Egypt, and in the eyes of the whole world.  “The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst. (Ex.7:5)

Don’t forget, the Hebrews had been under the influence of Egypt for 500 years. Undoubtedly they had forgotten the “roots” of their faith.  Now God intended to show them.   He was preparing them for deliverance and  to make them into a nation…. not only for Himself but ultimately to bring blessings to the whole world.

God not only would use the so-called gods of  Egypt to bring the Egyptians to their knees but He seeks to reveal His sovereignty to all human beings,  so that they can truly know Him and reflect His image….not some god of man’s creation.

Pharaoh is a free moral agent, genuinely responsible for his own deeds, yet God is behind it all, orchestrating everything for His own redemptive purposes.  He also desires that Egyptians repent and come to belief in the God of the Hebrews, the only God they need.

Of course, we know that Pharaoh does not repent even after the terrible plagues that Egyptians  suffered.  But Pharaoh is finally crushed by the weight of the final plague which culminated in the death of his first born son. This final act brings the mighty Pharaoh to his knees and under duress releases the  Hebrew slaves.

  The Hebrews are told to avoid this final plague by putting the blood of a lamb on their houses. That terrible night is now recalled in the Passover which is celebrated in most Jewish homes today. It is called the Seder. There is a whole ceremony which has evolved to commemorate that night and this year, Passover, will begin on the 23rd of April.

Jesus and His disciples celebrated their Passover meal because it was commanded by God in remembrance of their ancestors’ deliverance from their oppression in Egypt.

We as Christians also celebrate this ceremony but we call it the Lord’s supper or Holy Communion.  I wonder how many of us really understand the true meaning of that observance. We remember our “Lamb of Sacrifice” with the matzot (unleavened bread)  reminding us of His body and  the wine of His shed blood.  We take this “meal” as a reminder of the  night before Jesus became our ultimate sacrifice.

God has a plan that will not fail and our choices still matter.  We need to remain alert so that we don’t fail to play our part or worse, like Pharaoh…. resist it.  Each of us has a real responsibility to God and His plan to bring others to know Him as Creator and Redeemer. How are you and I fulfilling our share of this responsibility?

God made His grand entrance onto the stage of world history and sent a message to the whole world.  “I exist, I am God, there is none like Me!” Israel as a nation, is the trophy of His victory. We as Christians are blessed because God has saved us through them.

Oh my.  I guess you would call me judgmental. I do judge.  I am sure we all do to one extent or another.  Not outwardly perhaps, but I can very well spot something I don’t like in another person.  Hey, I’m a Christian. That’s wrong!  The Torah of God which Jesus quotes says……”Love your neighbor as yourself”. We call it the Golden Rule.  It’s not an option.  We are so commanded.  This type of judging is petty and sinful.

Here’s another one. “Judge not, that you be not judged.”  People who don’t even read the Bible know that one.  Without reading the Bible. they have only heard  that verse  and use it frequently against  Christians or those whom they consider are judging their actions.  By the way, that verse comes from Matthew 7:1.   Here’s lies a problem for them.

When you tell someone he has no right to judge someone else, they have judged you for judging!  My, what a conundrum!  Each one of us has a world view on which we base our lives…..suppositions on which we operate  and upon which we make our decisions.  Christians should be basing their decisions, their life style, their world view on what we understand in the Bible.

Ask the man on the street if lying is wrong.  Of course, he would say “yes”.  “My parents taught me or it just is wrong.” Parents should be honored but at the same time they are not the final authority on matters of morality.  They are mere humans whose opinions are subject to change.

It is a worthy exercise to ask ourselves where we get the moral values that govern our lives.  Is it each person for himself or do we acknowledge a higher power with authority to declare such?  Perhaps we feel that’s its ok to do something if it isn’t hurting anyone else. For example…  watching pornography by oneself is rationalized by saying that it isn’t actually hurting anyone. That means that we are making our own moral decisions  based on what we want to believe rather than submitting to God.

All my thoughts on this don’t mean anything.  But I defer to my “higher authority”…the only One who has priority to set the rules.  Perhaps, I would be more lenient with moral behavior.  But I didn’t make the rules.  God did.  Now, if you don’t believe that God cares about what you do…then perhaps you had better change your mind.  I’m not your judge.  I am only judging your behavior in the light of what God tells us.  Don’t blame me.  But I do believe that we all must answer for our behavior sooner or later.

 So can I as a Christian, judge your behavior? Yes!!… I also believe that as a Christian I am morally obligated to judge immoral behavior. There are many examples in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament of God using people speaking out against immoral behavior.  I am not being” holier than thou.”  I am guilty of sin as much as anyone.  But I do know that whatever I do or say must be pleasing or displeasing to God.  I must do my best to follow what He has declared in His Word.  He has set the perimeters of my behavior.   He is the absolute authority on judgment.

So when we allow others to intimidate us with the words on judging…or they say, “who are you to judge me?” then you can rightly say to them…”I didn’t set the rules.”

When I walk the neighborhood during the lovely summer evenings, I can smell  outdoor grills cooking steaks  for an evening supper. Makes me rather  happy to know that friends and family will be gathering to share a delicious meal together.

In Leviticus 1:9 we read that God also enjoys the smell of a good roast.  The writer says when the smoke of the offering rises to heaven, it will be a “soothing aroma to the Lord”.  God takes great delight in  the sacrifices of His people.  He graciously accepts them and the smoke that rises from the altar fires is as a soothing aroma to Him.  So does God really like the smell of cooking meat?  Is that what this is all about?

I have read various commentators concerning this passage but I must admit to favoring  Rabbi Rashi who interprets the “soothing” aroma as a metaphor for man’s obedience.  He explains the aroma of the sacrifice is pleasing to the Lord because it is a token of His children’s obedience. When God “smells” the sacrifice, He delights in the human being who has gone to such effort to draw close to Him.  This makes good sense to me.

 However this seems difficult to reconcile with many statements in the prophets where God speaks out against the sacrifices.  For example in the book of Isaiah (1:11-13), He says, “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle, and I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.  …bring your worthless offerings no longer.” Likewise the book of Jeremiah (6:20) “Your burnt offerings are not acceptable and your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.” In Malachi (1:10) He says, ” (if only) you might not uselessly kindle fire on my altar….nor will I accept an offering from you.” The early church fathers often cited these texts to prove that God had never wanted the sacrificial system.  They argued against the Jewish people, claiming that Jesus had done away with the sacrifices because God had always hated them.  Really?

If God hated them why did He command the Hebrews to bring them in the first place?  Why did He state over and over that He was pleased with them?  Here is what makes sense to me.

The prophets aren’t speaking against the sacrificial system, however they are condemning the worshipers.  In every instance the prophetic rebuke is directed toward the immoral, disobedient people among the Israelites who were violating the covenant of Torah while continuing to go through the motions of the sacrificial system.  Their hearts were far from God, but they continued to perform their religious rituals. If God really hated sacrifices…..then our Savior actually died in vain because God wouldn’t recognize His life given on the cross for us…..He is our ultimate sacrifice.

However, let this be a warning for us.  We must be careful not to develop any sense of right standing with God because of any “ritual” observances.  God is more interested in the state of our hearts. ….what we do in our every day living really matters to God.  We can’t expect God to listen to our prayers on Sunday, when our daily life is far from him.

Our outward “rituals” should reflect the inward condition of our thinking and  having a mind  completely focused on God.  Just remember that when we meet together and participate in our cooperate  worship,  we need to have our hearts committed to serving our Lord.

So I do believe God “smells” our sacrifices.  Its a heart thing.  He knows and He cares

When God gave instructions to Moses on building the tabernacle He also included instructions for the garments  of  the High Priest.  Moses is to have two onyx stones engraved with the names of the sons of Israel and set in gold.  These were to be placed on the shoulder pieces of the Priest’s garment as stones of remembrance.  Aaron was to bear their names before the presence of God for remembrance of each family.   So God had a faulty memory?  Is that what this is all about? 

No, I don’t think so.  But why would the great Creator require a reminder?  Yet even though we ask these questions, we all have experienced times when it seems as though God has forgotten us; times when we’d be thankful if someone with connection in the heavenly court could mention our name in His presence.  So why would God who knows all need this reminder? The rabbis have pondered this for centuries.

When we face deep disappointments, a serious illness or loved ones who wander from God’s ways, financial pressures that only increase with time…..what a comfort it would be to imagine a High Priest who comes into God’s presence daily carrying our names upon his very clothing.

 But, thanks be to God, we have a living High Priest, Yeshua (Jesus) who bears the stones of remembrance engraved with our names, continually before God.  He is the ultimate High Priest and has an unchangeable priesthood.  Because Yeshua intercedes for us, God never forgets us. This means that whenever we pray in His name, God “remembers” us. It means that He always hears us when we call upon Him in prayer.

Prayer, then, involves revisiting the goodness, power, and mercy of God continually.  In prayer, we not only ask God to remember us and our needs, but we remember Him with thanksgiving and a sense of awe.

The stones of remembrance teach another lesson which is perhaps the most striking.  In the presence of God, the priest does not bear his own name, but the names of his fellow Israelites.  Indeed, the names of the children of Israel are part of the clothing the priest must wear if he is to come into the Holy Place at all.  Without them he has no priesthood. 

As we learn about prayer from our Savior, our High Priest, we will begin to bear the names of others, as He does, into the presence of God.  Prayer is not just a satisfying spiritual activity; it is a discipline we practice on behalf of others. 

In this way, we not only benefit from the Messiah’s priesthood, but we participate in it as well.  Through our Messiah, we have access into God’s presence but we do not use this access just for ourselves.  Rather, we bear the stones of remembrance before God on behalf of others. 

Prayer then, involves remembrance: God remembers us, we remember God, and we remember others when we come into His presence.  This then becomes our service to others.  It is part of our discipleship. 

Not many of us are really interested in reading the account of building the Tabernacle during the wilderness wanderings.  We know that Moses received the details of its construction directly from God.  But do we realize how important that place of worship really was……or is?  Why should it be significant to us? After, all God now doesn’t dwell within a building or tent.  He is within us.  However, perhaps this structure has meaning for us that we have overlooked.

The Torah ( the first five books of Moses) tell the story of the golden calf in conjunction with the instructions for building the tabernacle.  One was God’s way the other was man’s way of worship.

Aaron, was the crowd pleaser.  He, as yet didn’t realize that he would become the High Priest over Israel.  If only he had waited for Moses to return, he would have learned that God  had chosen him to represent the people before the Lord.  Now he listened to the people pressing for a godly image.  They chose the calf, reminiscent of Egyptian deities. 

This golden calf was a poor substitute for the glory of the Tabernacle.  The Torah tells about the work of making the golden calf in contrast with the work of the Tabernacle.

In Exodus 32, we read that Aaron made this idol with a graving tool. Then he  built an altar for idol. It was to be a way of worship.  The Tabernacle on the other  hand was to be a resting place of God’s divine, invisible presence. Instead the people made a visible, idolatrous representation of God.  All things that Israel desired God had already planned to give them. 

The Tabernacle represents God’s way of  spirituality while the golden calf represents man’s way of doing spirituality.  They were each attempting to create a medium whereby man could worship God and celebrate their relationship with Him.  Their method on accomplishing that end were in direct conflict with each other.

So here we are constructing our own forms of worship.  Some through meditations, incantations, reaching for the “higher power” or by denying the realities of life.  Man is searching for Nirvana, or worshipping the creation itself instead of the Creator!  That’s our Gold Calf.  “I shall have no other God’s before me”.  As one Jewish rabbi said……”there really are no other Gods”.  Only in man’s imagination can we create a replacement for true worship of the only One who really loves us and has planned our life ahead of what we can imagine.  Patience, then is a virtue.  Don’t plan ahead of what God has in store for us.  Don’t build a “golden calf” to satisfy our desires or replace our worship of the only One who can satisfy our spiritual hunger. Our trust then is always in Him.  Have no other “god’s” before Him. 

When I read more of the Exodus wanderings I find myself in sympathy with the poor Israelites crossing the vast expanse of desert…with only the word of this man Moses, that they  soon will come to the land that their forefathers had left 400 years before.  Of course they had seen God working for them.  Food, water, parting the sea and the tablets of stone with His own commandments written on them.
Now here they were…….just about to enter this land of Promise.  There was bounty to be hand, fields of grain, grapes for wine, a land flowing with “milk and honey.” But wait….not so fast!  Other people had moved in.  There were huge cities with high walls…well fortified and strong armies of men with the latest in fighting equipment.  Their ancestors were afraid to take the land and were punished for lack of faith.  Now that generation was dead……and here is the new generation, but once more, facing the same problems.  But no returning to Egypt.  This time it was different.  Yes, they were afraid, but God had provided for them.  Now they knew this was it. They must take this land……a land they could claim for themselves and their families.  Plus there was a forceful leader……Joshua  son of Nun.

 This generation had the courage that their ancestors had lacked.  Joshua had courage and it was contagious.  Courage determines which will dominate.  The same trials that wear down the fainthearted motivates the courageous and  gives them new strength and dedication.

Yes, courage is contagious and so its it opposite, discouragement.  How do we respond to our trials?

  1. We lose courage and try to second guess what will happen.  Will we return to “Egypt” or prepare for a future that God is leading us?

2. We lose courage when we allow our selves to complain trying to blame others, instead of taking responsibility for our problems and seeking a solution.

3. We lose courage when we have negative feelings, instead of remembering what God has done for us in the past and that He will bring about the best for us in His own way and in His own time!

We can be courageous and we can pass our courage on to others through our words of encouragement and prayer. Yes courage is contagious.  It’s not enough just to survive our trials and difficulties, for if we view them courageously they become a blessing not only to us but others!   Look what God is doing!! How can you and I encourage not only ourselves but be a source of encouragement to others?

Think about that……..

I have been writing more on the Old Testament lately.  Of course it isn’t really “old” at all.  That is a designation added when Bible translators decided that perhaps there was time line involved between the writings of the Hebrew writers and the time of Jesus coming on the scene.  There was an Inter-Testament time also….so much happened then but that’s  for another writing.

As I was reading through Exodus I found myself relating to those thousands of Jewish immigrants who left their old life (terrible though it was) and entering a new phase of living.  They knew about the God of Abraham but not much else.  Some of the traditions had been passed down but now this same God was taking them to a new land.  They were in the desert……..the wilderness.  No food, except for their few animals which they needed for their  new life: no water except for this leader, Moses, who said God would provide; and what would they find when reaching this so-called Promised Land?

Now you and I are sometimes wandering in a wilderness.  Where are we going?  What’s lies ahead?  I only see dry, hot desert in front and an enemy behind.  Yet we have the promise of God.  He will provide.  We see the bread from Heaven coming to us just as he provided for them;  Water flows from the Rock;  Birds to roast on the fire. We have an abundant life but yet we face the dangers of the “wilderness.” Where is our Moses?

  Jesus didn’t say that our life as Christians would be easy.  In fact it is usually the opposite.  If God is there for us then why do we have these struggles in life? We expect the wilderness will vanish into the Promised Land without too many unnecessary problems.  Wish it was true.  God didn’t make it easy for those Jewish pilgrims and he doesn’t make it easy for us.  But then there is something else.  Its our faith and hope.  Just as for them.

  We as believers know there really is a Promised Land to those who believe in God’s Messiah.  We call him Jesus (Jeshua in Hebrew).  He becomes our Moses.  He is leading the way.  Its dark and we can’t see ahead but He knows.  He will provide.  Not always in the way we expect.  But look back.  See where He has taken you? Now look ahead.  Did he fail you before?

  As I write this and review my own life, I know that God was always there. He really was in control.  He was there all along.  He is there now, and will be there tomorrow.  The wilderness wanderings will indeed lead to the Promised Land.  Expect it!

Remember the story of Jacob and the night he wrestled with God….or his angel. ( Gen 32) All we know from the story is that Jacob said……”I have seen the face of God”.  Yet he was using that phrase  to mean that he knew God wanted something from him and interacted with him personally.  Jacob won the fight but was given a bad hip . However, Jacob ( the Deceiver)…now was given the new name of Israel (one in  whom God rules).

God asks Jacob, “What is your name” (Gen. 32:27) .  How would we answer that question? What is our name? Doesn’t He know that I am Barbara?  I think that God doesn’t need my given name.  He already knows (plus the hairs on my head). What He really wants from me and you is our true identity.  What does that mean?

I do believe that means we must confess who we really are.  Inside.  Not the person we appear to be.  This involves some introspection on our part.  Are we the dedicated Christian that we pretend?  How do we feel knowing that we are not really in control our of life? Do we still struggle with our old “man”… the real me?  Are we kidding ourselves that we are so strong in faith that nothing can move us?

As I have written before….sometimes we can’t find God or even know Him.  He is distant and aloof and doesn’t seem to care about my life or my problems.

Yet, I know that God is there for me and you.  He’s ready to forgive us.  He wants to give us a “new name” if only we are willing to confess that we are weak and sinful and need His unconditional love.  He gave that to us at the cross.

When we walk by the Spirit, we no longer need to justify ourselves. We confess our own lack of faith and our willingness to rely in God’s power to transform us and be a person after God’s own heart!