Who's Your Lamb?
| Written by Sam Nadler |
What makes for a life of spiritual freedom as opposed
to a life of spiritual bondage? Our identification with the Lamb.
Yeshua the Passover Lamb fulfills God's prescribed "type," or picture
of Messiah. In fact, the entire
New Covenant is
based on this redemption (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7). Let's look a little
deeper at this picture as it appears in Shemot, or Exodus.
Prioritized Identification with The Lamb
Exodus 12:1-2 states, "This month shall be the beginning of months for you." Though the civil Jewish calendar begins in September, the biblical year was to begin at the month of Nisan (or, March-April). Why did God want the year to begin then? It was to emphasize God's priorities.
Passover is the redemption of Israel from bondage, and with God, all things begin with redemption. As Passover was to mark their redemptive beginning, so also faith in Messiah marks the redemptive beginning of those who have believed:
"If any person is in Messiah he is a new creation, old things have passed away, new things have come" (2 Cor. 5:17).
So just as the yearly biblical calendar is to be based upon and oriented around Passover (giving direction and stability to the entire year), our lives need to be based upon and oriented around Yeshua. Redemption in Messiah, the Lamb of God, is the sure foundation upon which all else will properly develop. It is this sure foundation that determines your security that may come throughout the rest of the year.
A Personal Identification with The LambIn Exodus l2:3 the lamb to be sacrificed was to be selected "on the tenth day of the month" and kept until "the 14th day of the month" (12:6). Why? During that time the lamb had to be inspected to certify that it was "without blemish" (12:5). For redemption, the lamb had to be flawless. Though the Israelites were anxious to flee bondage, it was better to take the time to insure having a perfect redemption, than to merely make a quick escape from their circumstances.
Yeshua entered Jerusalem at the same time, on the tenth of the month when the Passover lambs were initially selected. During that week, Yeshua was also inspected. He was questioned, interrogated and tortured, until on the 14th of the month of Nisan, the head of government declared, "I find no fault in Him!" (Luke 23:22). Therefore, Yeshua was declared fit to be our Passover Lamb, to die for our redemption from the bondage of spiritual slavery.
In this twelfth chapter of Exodus there is a progression regarding the lamb: the Hebrews were to select a lamb from the flock (12:3); once selected, it is referred to as the lamb (12:4); it was inspected for several days and then called your lamb (12:5); and only then it was killed (12:6). When you first realize your need for salvation you may see Yeshua as a lamb; any Savior will do, like a port in a storm. But in choosing Him, one realizes that He is objectively the Lamb, the Savior, indeed the Lord! Finally, it is in personally depending upon this One - making Him your Lamb, recognizing that His death was for your sins - that you receive salvation.
A Public Identification with The LambIn Exodus 12:7 we see that the death of the Lamb was not the last part of their redemption. Those that trusted in the lamb had to place the blood on the outside of their doors. Oy! Why blood on the door? In verses 12-13 we see the reason:
"The blood will be sign for you...and when I see the blood I will pass over you and the judgment shall not come upon you."
It was the application of the blood that marked a home out for redemption on from judgment.
But why would the Hebrews need to do this? God was not going to merely redeem a people of the flesh, but a people of faith. Think about it: what would be the essential difference between a Hebrew and an Egyptian? To put it another way, what is the difference between a believer in Yeshua and a non-believer in Yeshua? The difference is the blood of the Lamb! Only those that responded in faith and applied the Lamb's blood were redeemed from bondage.
Those who have confidence in His atonement are to confess His redemption as well. For Yeshua said in Matthew 10:32-33, "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven." Have you confessed Yeshua and experienced the fearless freedom He brings? He who the Son sets free is free indeed!
A Private Identification with The LambThe Passover was also a time for families to privately find nourishment in the Lamb (Ex. 12:8-9). There were three items to be eaten at the Passover meal, yet in the Lamb of God, these all point to our redemption in Messiah:
1) Bitter herbs, which remind us of the purpose of redemption. We remember the pain of life in bondage before redemption came. Remember, too, the bitterness of pain that Messiah endured that we might live!
2) The matzah unleavened bread, which reminds us of the results of redemption. As yeast, or leaven represents sin, pride and unbelief (Lev. 2:11; Matt. 11:16,17; 1 Cor. 5:6-8), the unleavened bread speaks of the 'sin free' life that Messiah brings.
3) The lamb itself, reminding us of the price of our redemption. Never forsake the sacrifice of Messiah! Passover reminds us to remember privately in our souls the Messiah's redemption.
A Prompt Identification with The LambThe people were exhorted to quickly respond to the opportunity for redemption. They were not to delay in "leaving the lamb over until morning" (12:10). Identifying with the Lamb demands an urgent responsiveness. Three times the Scripture exhorts us to leave nothing over till morning: with wilderness manna (bread from Heaven) in Exodus 16:19; with the thanksgiving offering in Lev. 7:15; and finally here, with the lamb.
The manna speaks of the 'daily bread' of the word of God. Don't put off the word God has for you today: it's for today's needs. The thanksgiving offering speaks of the need to respond in faith with thanksgiving today. It is not faith to merely wait to 'see how it turns out' before you give thanks to the Lord. We know by faith that "all things work together for good to those that love God and are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28). Therefore we are to "give thanks in all things for this is the will of God for us in Messiah Yeshua" (1 Thess. 5:18).
Redemption too is for today, while it may yet be called today, so we are to "seek the Lord while He may be found" (Is. 55:6). There are to be no 'spiritual leftovers': redemption won't wait. Don't put off responding promptly. The ate with their "sandals on their feet and their loins girded and their staff in their hands" ("we are talking fast food"). They were ready to go on a moment's notice at the Lord's command, living for and looking toward their deliverance. In the same way, we too are to live we're going somewhere! Are we ready to leave in the "twinkling of an eye"? "No man knows the day or the hour" of Messiah's return: He comes as 'a thief in the night'.
"What's the rush?" you may say, "there's plenty of time." Not unlike a bridge with structural damage: it's better to fix it five years too soon than five minutes too late! Your present salvation, future security, and eternal satisfaction come by your faith in the Lamb today! Happy Passover!
