Passover - have you thought about this?

Exodus 12: 1- 7, 12-13 ¹ The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, ² “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. ³ Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb^[a] for his family, one for each household. ⁴⁵ The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. ⁶ Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. ⁷ Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs.

¹² “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. ¹³ The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

This year at our Maundy Thursday service, the pastor read scripture from both the Old and New Testaments. I know that Exodus goes with the Last Supper. After all they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Passover feast remembering when death "passed over" the Hebrew homes. But for some reason, this year instead of thinking of the Last Supper - Passover feast, I thought about the firstborn......from my perspective.... today.

First off, I am the firstborn. Since I am not of Hebrew descent, I would have perished when death swept through for the final plague that was inflicted on Egypt allowing the Hebrew people to "escape". My mother is the firstborn. I'm not sure about her parents but I think her dad was born first. I'm pretty sure that both of her grandparents - who raised her - were firstborn.

My husband is not firstborn. He would be "safe". But both of his parents were firstborn so they would both have died. I have two sons. One would have died. His wife though was last born so she would have been "safe", except that both her parents are firstborn. Then there is our only grandchild.......

Oh my!!!! I can hear and feel the groans of the Egyptians. Can you?

I'm not certain what the message is here except that I am glad to be part of God's kingdom now. Not only because of the salvation offered but because I can see that without the death and resurrection of Christ, I might not be part of His kingdom. Because of Jesus, I am chosen for God's purposes here.

God of all times and places, I thank you so very much that I was placed on this earth at this time and place. In this way, I was given the opportunity to know You and worship You. Amen.

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