Passover offers profound and powerful lessons for all of us to learn. One of these lessons is the protection God has promised to His people. In this thirteenth part of the Passover Bible study series, let us take a deeper look at how the Passover reminds us about how God protects all His people, both physically and spiritually.
Israel protected from the tenth plague
After a series of plagues sent by God to the Egyptians, it has now come to the tenth and final plague. Pharaoh was very stubborn and didn’t want to let go of the Israelites. For this reason, they have to suffer from the death of their firstborn. Notice the description of this plague:
Genesis 11:4-6: “Thus says Yahweh: ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and ALL THE FIRSTBORN IN THE LAND OF EGYPT SHALL DIE, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. THEN THERE SHALL BE A GREAT CRY THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT, SUCH AS WAS NOT LIKE IT BEFORE, NOR SHALL BE LIKE IT AGAIN”.
For Israel to be saved from the tenth plague, God instructed them to take a lamb or goat, kill it, and smear the blood to their doorpost. The lamb or goat will then be roasted and eaten inside their house. The people inside a house with no blood in their doorpost will not be spared from the tenth plague (Exodus 12:13).
Thus, during that night, the LORD pass over the Israelites and the plague did not come upon them because they had followed the instruction of God.
Obedience is needed for protection
There is no doubt that the Israelites understood very well the consequences of not heeding God’s instruction. It must be noted that God made specific instructions for them to follow. Failure to do so will result in the death of their loved ones.
In this story, we can see that it is NOT enough to just believe in the existence of God. Our belief and faith must be coupled with works or actions (James 2:17). If we only believe and do not follow the commandments of God, we are no better than the demons who also believe in the existence of God (James 2:19).
Imagine if an Israelite family did not keep the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month? Imagine if they chose a defective lamb or goat? What if they did not stay inside their house? What if they did not follow the specific instructions of God?
So you see, God will not protect those people who are not willing to yield to His authority (though God can always decide to protect anyone whom He chooses). Obeying God is the acknowledgment and the confirmation of our faith that our ULTIMATE PROTECTION is only found in Him.
Protection for God’s people today
If God can protect ancient Israel, surely, He can also protect His people today. Yahshua or Jesus, as our Passover Lamb, is sacrificed for our sins (I Corinthians 5:7). We know that sin brings death (Romans 6:23) and through the redemptive act of love of God and Jesus, we shall be saved.
THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS MADE IT POSSIBLE THAT WE WILL ULTIMATELY BE PROTECTED FROM ETERNAL DEATH.
We can read that the Israelites had to stay within their house to be spared from the tenth plague. In the same manner, we need to stay within the House of God for us to be saved from the sure death brought about by sin.
Furthermore, we have become the temple of the Holy Spirit by the time we were baptized. Therefore, being within the House of God and having the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, God will save us by the life of Christ and become a future member of God’s family.
Passover and God’s protection
As we partake of the Passover emblems, we need to realize that these emblems remind us of the divine protection God has granted for us through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. Partaking of the Passover is the outward evidence of our faith in the power of Christ’s sacrifice for us. The Passover is not just about the forgiveness of our sins but it also portrays the protection that God grants us from eternal death.
