DEFINITION OF TERMS

(For Serious Students Only)

LAMB

LAMB OF GOD

SACRIFICE

SACRIFICE AND OFFERING
I. In the Old Testament
II. In the New Testament

The Israelites had lived in Egypt for over 400 years. The family of 70 came as guests of the Pharaoh. Their prosperity caused the Egyptians to persecute them. So their God set the, by now, 2 million free, ready to claim their place as an independent nation.

Jacob's family came into Egypt as a group of wandering nomads. Arriving there they settled in one place, received a written language, learned how to live together as a society and acquired agricultural skills from their captors. The people were ready to build a nation. Problem was, the Egyptians didn't want to let them go and do it! For the Egyptians were doing well from the Jews industriousness and they didn't want to see a potential competitor to their own regional supremacy become established.

God used this 400 years to increase, nurture and train His chosen people, the time had now come for them to claim possess the promised godly inheritance. And His instrument of choice to accomplish the first stage of this plan, was His servant Moses.

Moses was chosen from the beginning of his life for this task. He was saved when Jewish boys were being killed. Was brought up in the Pharaoh's palace and taught the art of governmental leadership. Was called of God. But like Abraham, he couldn't wait and tried to help God out! So after trying to generate an uprising, Moses banished himself to Midian where, over 40 years, he lost his pride and vision, becoming the humblest of all men.

Moses was now prepared for the task at hand. At age 80! God took him and his mouthpiece, his brother Aaron, to the Pharaoh to call for the release of the Israelites from the district of Rameses where they lived. Moses was well known at the palace, likely having been the Pharaoh's stepbrother, no doubt being regarded as the 'black sheep' of the family.

We all know of God's chosen method of persuasion, the 10 plagues. Nine came and went, while the Pharaoh vacillated. So it was now time for the knockout punch, the one that would convince him that it was surely in the Egyptians best interests to let the Jews leave.

But Pharaoh again refused to obey God. So Moses was told how to protect the Israelites from the angel of death. Instructed to sacrifice a lamb (or goat) as a substitute for the life of the eldest son in each family, a life for a life.

And it worked! Well, at least for long enough for the people to leave.

Of course, after they left, the Pharaoh again changed his mind and chased them. But that is another story, another miracle.

So, in the Passover, we have the third picture of the death of Jesus on the cross.

The protection afforded by the blood of the lamb sprinkled on the doorframe of the house speaks of our entry into the 'house' of heaven through the 'door' of the blood of Jesus, shed for us on the cross.

God sent His son Jesus, to be the means of bringing us back into relationship with Him. Jesus in dying on the cross, 'saved' us from death through His blood, His life for our life.

Through obedience, He was made High Priest before God, for all those who will obey Him.

'The Lamb', Jesus, is now the source of salvation for all who will believe.

God provided but one way to be reunited with Him.

It is guaranteed for all those who will believe.

This salvation applies to all those who will accept it through faith.

Contrary to what many believe, salvation is not an event but a process. We have been saved, we are being saved and we will be saved. We are to grow in our salvation.

We need to keep working at our salvation, our relationship with Jesus, through good times and bad, with fear and trembling.

The 'once saved, always saved', live life as you will, philosophy of 'easy Christianity' is false doctrine. If we don't live it, we surely don't truly believe it!

For we will all face judgement in due time.

And finally, by salvation through the 'blood of the Lamb', we have taken the first step in overcoming the power of satan to rule in our life.

Yes, Jesus is the Lamb of salvation, the only one through whom we can restore a relationship with God. Thank you Jesus, for being my Passover Lamb, for dying on the cross as a substitute for me.

This week we are looking at God's first church, the Tabernacle of Moses. As could be expected, every facet of it revealed Jesus.

Let's see how.

The cross simply has to be at the centre of our faith. For without the cross there is no salvation.

May we be those who continually emphasise the importance of the role of the cross.

God illustrated how important it is by showing us its principles three times in typology, through Adam and Eve, then Abraham and Isaac, and now Moses and the Passover, each time revealing a little more.

What an amazing God we have!

Ancient Lamps

In the ancient world there wasn't electricity like today, in fact the inside of a home was about as dim as a 40-watt light bulb. In the earliest of times lamps were stone bowls filled with animal fat. They would float a wick of twisted plant fibers. Later the bowls were made of pottery filled with olive oil. Most homes would contain several oil lamps because olive oil was in abundance and therefore not expensive.

Source: http://www.bible-history.com