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Commentary on "Worship and the Exodus: Understanding Who God Is"
Day 3: Monday, July 4, 2011 - The Death of the Firstborn: Passover and Worship
Overview
Today’s lesson introduces the Passover and states that it introduces the gospel--which should be the center of all our worship. The lesson then moves into a discussion of the “firstborn”, that Christ was “the firstborn” who was to die, and He was represented by the blood of the Passover. The lesson ends with the questions, “How can you learn to better appreciate and love the Lord? How does sin tend to dampen that love?”
Observations
Again, the lesson skates on the surface of the biblical passages and actually trivializes this archetypical event. The Passover was the moment that God actually saved Israel. Before He led them out of bondage, they had to place themselves under the blood.
The saving of the firstborn was not the primary significance of the Passover; that was just the tangible effect of obeying God’s directive for sacrificing a lamb and painting its blood over their doors. To be sure, the salvation of the lives of the firstborn was symbolic and important, but the real importance of the story was the death of the lamb and the Israelite’s placing themselves under the blood.
Passover symbolized Christ’s saving us by His death on the cross. Just as each Israelite family had to place itself under the blood in order to avoid death, even so we have to place ourselves under the blood of Jesus. We cannot hope to have life unless we submit to the cross of Jesus and place ourselves at His mercy, repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus and accepting His blood as payment for our sin.
God determines how we are to worship Him, and from the time He gave the Passover, He made it clear that no one can be saved without the offering of blood. God did not lead Israel out of slavery until they placed themselves under His blood. He will not transfer us from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son unless we place ourselves under His blood.
There is only one way to God; we cannot approach Him in our own ways. We must obey His commands and approach Him the only way He gives us: through the blood of Jesus.
There is only one way to better appreciate and love the Lord: it is to repent, allow Jesus to cover us with His blood, and be born of the Spirit. If we are born again, our love for Jesus will be real and deep. We will not even have to discuss how we can better appreciate Him. Our relationship with Him is not about appreciation. Only being born again by the Holy Spirit bringing our spirits to life will give us a real awareness of love for God.
Knowing Him is not about thinking, acting, or appreciation. It is about passing from death to life.
Summary
- The Passover was the shadow of salvation.
- God did not lead Israel out of Egypt until they put themselves under the blood of a slain lamb.
- Being under the blood of Jesus is what yields freedom for us.
- There is only one way to the Father; that is the blood of Jesus.
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised June 29, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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