Tag: worship the Lord
Go and Worship!
Scripture reading for January 22nd: Exodus 11-12
God’s people always have hindrances and battles concerning worship. There are forces in this world opposed to worship. Whenever we set ourselves to press in and worship the Lord, a battle ensues. The battle is often with our own flesh. The flesh is opposed to the Spirit and the Spirit opposes the flesh. Other times, this battle is with wicked spiritual forces that refuse to let us go and worship! This conflict comes to a culmination in today’s reading from Exodus!
Pharaoh had been particularly stubborn about letting God’s people go and worship. Through five plagues, he had repeatedly hardened his heart and refused to listen. Through four more plagues, he had been hardened by God and refused or set limits on how far God’s people could go to worship. Finally, when the last plague took the firstborn of every household in Egypt, men and animals, Pharaoh decided to listen! (Exodus 12:30-32)
God’s people, however, were kept safe from this final plague of death of the firstborn. They had listened to God’s instructions, taken a lamb for each household, and killed it. The head of the house took some of the blood and put it on the door posts and tops of the doors. They had eaten the lamb’s flesh, roasted by fire, while dressed to leave Egypt. (Exodus 12:6-11) Preparation for worship always includes a sacrifice to cleanse and heal God’s people.
This meal was to become a lasting ordinance to be commemorated yearly by the Israelites. (Exodus 12:17-20) This meal was being celebrated about 1500 years later by Jesus Christ with His disciples in the upper room right before He was crucified as the final sacrifice for sins. (Matthew 26:18-20) At that meal, Jesus revealed to them that the unleavened bread represented His body, broken for them. The cup represented His blood shed for them for forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:25-28) His sacrifice would prepare these disciples and all who would believe in Jesus for a life of freedom and worship. This meal was also to be kept as a memorial, remembering Jesus’ sacrifice until He would come again!
What a God we have! He has plans for those who will follow Him by faith! He desires for us to worship Him and has prepared the necessary sacrifice! It is complete and we are able to worship Him any time of day or night! Take a moment and thank Him!