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Daily Devotion: Exodus 12:41-49

Exodus 12:41-49     "And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations. And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you." 

For four hundred and thirty years, the children of Israel had lived in the land of Egypt. They were welcomed at first because of their relationship with Joseph.  Eventually a Pharaoh arose who did not acknowledge the contributions that Joseph had made to the land of Egypt. Sometime after Joseph died, the hard bondage and great oppression of the children of Israel began.

God heard the cries and groanings of His people and delivered them with a mighty hand. At the end of four hundred and thirty years, God brought about the deliverance and subsequent exodus of Israel in a single day. Without any modern machines, the LORD brought six hundred thousand men and their families out of the land. 

So powerful was the LORD’s hand in that last night of Egyptian bondage that Israel was told to observe it for the generations to come. No strangers were allowed to partake in the keeping of this ordinance. Only after a man and all the males of his household were circumcised would they be allowed to partake. Each household would eat it together under one roof. 

Dear ones, to this day, no stranger can partake of the body and blood of the Lamb of God. This is reserved for those who are circumcised of heart. Only after the natural man is brought under subjection to the spiritual man are we able to be partakers. We should find great comfort in the revelation that the blood of Jesus has cleansed us from all sin and made us able to walk in the light of His grace. It is indeed a great blessing to understand that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free form the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2)!

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