CHAPTER 1 Jesus Christ, Our Passover CONTINUED…
Abraham was the next stop on the blood chain. God had called him out from the familiarity of his neighborhood. In obedience Abraham departed, heading with his immediate household to a yet to be disclosed destination. In process of time, God’s plan began to be revealed in exceeding great and precious and sometimes even stupefying promises.
By Chapter15 of Genesis, Abraham could no longer contain his amazement.
“And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” Genesis 15:8
In response, the Lord introduced him to a relationship that would thenceforth be consummated upon blood. God had Abraham offer a blood sacrifice. Then Abraham attempted futilely to sustain a spiritual mystery with physical ability. He waited upon his sacrifice of a heifer, a she-goat, a ram, a turtledove and young pigeon, chasing away fowls until sleep eventually overwhelmed him and he has left no choice but to entirely trust God (Genesis15:9-12). He had learned that this new relationship would not be dependent upon his power but upon the grace of God.
Finally, Jehovah arrived, explained His program to a sleeping Abraham and crowned His promises by walking in between the offering (Genesis 15:17). This sealed His promises to our covenant with the father of faith.
Furthermore, the Lord returned in chapter 17 and declared more deliberately to Abraham that this was a blood birthed relationship. He commanded male circumcision. This prepared Abraham sufficiently for God’s ultimate purpose. It apparently made him better acquainted with the imperativeness of blood in this relationship.
Consequently, when God returned to ask for Isaac in Genesis 22, Abraham was at a point in his walk with the Father where he could succumb to any demand or obey any command by God.
Indeed, the bloodline was running.
Through the instrumentality of the circumcision, the generations that followed were kept perpetually reminded of the fact that blood was imperative in their position as God’s elect.
Towards the fulfillment of the Egyptian bondage prophesy, we again step over the bloodline. Joseph’s elder brothers had to kill a kid out of the herds to explain his loss to Jacob their father. What they little understood was that they had through the death of the kid, ransomed Joseph from untimely death not only at their own hands but even the hands of his subsequent masters and adversaries. For instance, it was not only an act of natural mercy that rescued him from death in Potiphar’s house. The blood was talking.
This rather uncanny, circumstantial and evil motivated sacrifice of the kid, killed when Joseph was sold away, would later also become a covering for all Hebrews in the years of bondage to come. The Bible says once the Pharaoh that was well disposed towards the Jews because of Joseph died, the new King became very hostile to the survival of the entire Jewish nation in Egypt (Exodus 1:8-11). Noteworthy, however, is verse 12:
“But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew…”
Once Israel rode upon that one strange, unintentional and accidental sacrifice by Jacob’s sons in the verdant or lush wilderness of Shechem when they killed the kid instead of Joseph, the same preserving mystery went into operation on the behalf of all of them. Came the eve of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and God unloaded the entire package. Jehovah ordained the Passover.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying,… they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:… and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’s passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” Exodus 12:1-14. Emphasis added.
The Passover in Egypt was indeed, the prototype of our New Testament Passover. As it were, God had drawn the bloodline since the day of Adam and Eve when God had to shed blood to have them effectively covered.