March 31st

The Essential Elements of Redemption

Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. Exodus 12:40

Have you ever gotten lost? Now, I know none of the men reading this have ever been lost, but let's just pretend for a second, okay, that all of us have been lost at one point or another in our lives.

What do you do when you're lost? Or let's make it even worse. You're in another country and you don't speak the language. No one can give you directions. You don't have a map. And somehow, you got lost in a maze of streets and find yourself in who-knows-where.

This is essentially what happened to Israel. They went to a foreign nation and got stuck there. It's like they were lost, trapped in a country that was not their home. Only, for Israel, they were lost for 430 years!

Now, if you ask me, after 430 years, the place where my great-great-great-great grand pappy got lost would probably feel a whole lot like home. But that's not God's perspective on this. God says that Israel was sojourning in Egypt for that whole time. It never became their home, not once, not ever, not even in 430 years.

Let's make this personal for us. Our great-great-great-great grand pappy, Adam, got lost. He stepped into a world of sin that was separated from God and he settled there. Ever since then, all of his descendents were born into a place that was not their home, no matter how at home we have felt there. We-you and I-were born into a world that is not our home. It's like we're living in Egypt, waiting for God to set us free into the Promised Land.

To set Israel free, God told them to sacrifice a lamb and put its blood on the lintel and posts of their door. Covered, so to speak, by this lamb's blood, the angel of death passed over them and Egypt kicked them out. They were on their way home after sojourning for 430 years.

To set us free, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die as the fulfillment of the picture we see in the Passover Lamb. Now, covered by His blood, we are redeemed out of sin, slavery, sojourning, and death, set free to return to the place where we were created to live-a place with perfect fellowship with Him.

You don't have to be lost anymore. Your Passover Lamb already gave His life and His blood for you so that you could be free. But here's your choice: As Israel had to take the lamb's blood and put it on their doors, we have to receive Jesus' shed blood on our behalf and let it cover us.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for dying for me so that I can be free! Please cover me today. Show me how to live for You as You lead me all the way home.

Amen