Would we have listened if it had been today?
Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, ‘GO AT ONCE and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the door-frame. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. 23 When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the door-frame and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. Exodus 12:21-23
We saw last week how Pharaoh ‘hardened his heart and wouldn’t listen’, bringing increasingly severe judgements from the Lord. As I was reading these verses I wondered how the people of God today might have reacted to such a command? The Western mindset is very individualistic and people today don’t like being told what to do. It seems everyone has an opinion and wants it to be heard. God doesn’t make suggestions, He has His own timetable for events and we need to realise that in our day. This wasn’t a random event!
Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of the 430 years, to the VERY DAY, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt. Exodus 12:40, 41
God had made a Covenant with Abraham and He was fulfilling His word about the people He’d raised up in Egypt. Sometimes (particularly with God) there are no options and no discussions to be had, we just have to follow the plan, His plan. The danger is that if we’re too busy talking and voicing our opinions, we may not hear His Instructions, (which He was speaking through Moses, His leader). I feel as I’m writing this now that some of us need to stop talking (may even be internal chatter – remember the scripture, ‘the fool says IN HIS HEART’ Psalm 53:1) and start walking out the path before us. It may not be easy, but the most important thing is that God is with us (Immanuel), wherever we go. We must lay down our opinions, which may just be distractions and follow His leading and His timing.
There’s a wonderful promise in Proverbs 1:33, right at the end of the chapter;
…’but whoever(it’s for everyone) LISTENS TO ME will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.’
May God give us ‘ears to hear’ this day and hearts to obey what He’s speaking to us.
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 ‘Tell Aaron and his sons, “This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 ‘“‘The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face towards you
and give you peace.’”
27 ‘So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I WILL BLESS THEM.’ Amen, Yes Lord.