Tag: Passover

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The best party ever!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Nik on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 2 Chronicles 35.

What would make you exclaim, “This was the best Christmas (or birthday or other celebration) ever”? It might be the presents you received. Or the people gathered with you. Maybe the food was outstanding. A live band, fireworks, or an open bar could make an occasion the best ever. How about the amount of debris left to clean up the next day?

“Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 35:1). Boy did he ever! “No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the day so Samuel the prophet” (35:18).

What made this Passover so memorable?

First, the numbers are amazing. 37,600 lambs and young goats were slaughtered and roasted, along with 3,800 bulls. It’s close to twice as big as the Passover King Hezekiah kept, which was best one since Solomon was on the throne (2 Chronicles 30:23-26).

Josiah kept this Passover “according to the word of the Lord by Moses” (35:4). Those repairing the temple discovered the Book of the Law of the Lord. A convicted but repentant King Josiah made sure they followed God’s instructions to the letter.

Finally, the king kept the best Passover ever during the decline of the southern kingdom of Judah. In just a few decades after Josiah’s reign, Babylonians would capture and burn Jerusalem, and take whoever was left into an exile that would last seventy years. Those whom God loved rejected him and every messenger he sent to warn them. He had no choice There was no remedy (36:16).

What’s the best worship event you’ve ever experienced? Anyone who’s been to church has a story about an amazing service. The more I think about it, the more I add to my list. Mine would have to be my call service at the seminary, my son’s ordination, baptizing my children and grandchildren, and my father’s funeral. They were all very different but powerful moments.

Posted in 2022 Lent Devotions

Let’s eat

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Mirror of the Passion” Lent devotion for March 5, 2022. Photo by Davey Gravy on Unsplash.

Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover” (Luke 22:8).

So there is all this stuff going on. Judas is in cahoots with the chief priests and scribes. These religious leaders are trying to kill Jesus. Judas, a disciple, is trying to find a nice, out of the way place where he can hand Jesus over to them.

And Jesus basically says, “Guys, it’s your turn to make supper.” Let’s eat.

Well, OK, it’s not just any meal. It’s the Passover. A lamb. Unleavened bread. Wine. Stories of salvation. Songs of praise. Prayers of thanksgiving. It’s a meal that the Hebrews, the nation of Israel and the Jewish people had gathered to eat on this particular day for over a thousand years. This festival was commanded by God. The meal reminded them of who he was, who they were, and all he had done for them.

How many have prayed, “Come Lord Jesus, be our guest” before a meal? In other words, “We’d love to have you over for supper, Jesus! No, you don’t have to bring anything. You’ll be our guest.” Whether we’re serving leftover soup or a new dish we’ve always wanted to try, what a privilege to sit down and have a meal with Jesus. How much more special when it’s a holiday, like a birthday or an anniversary or a Memorial Day barbecue.

Jesus knows what’s going on in the shadows. He know about the plot. He knows who the betrayer is. He knows who the denier is. He knows how much tomorrow will hurt. Peter and John know none of this. To them, it’s just another Passover.

We can see ourselves in these disciples because we go about our everyday lives without knowing all that’s going on in the shadows. We don’t know what tomorrow will be like. We don’t know who we’ll meet. We don’t know what will break. We don’t know how we might stumble and sin. We don’t know who will die. We prepare our meals, say thanks with our families, talk about the day, and anticipate the possibility of dessert.

There is so much going on in this world that we know nothing about. I’m thankful for that, because what I am aware of can be overwhelming sometimes. It’s good to know that I don’t have to worry about everything all the time. I can sit down to a meal, invite Jesus in, and enjoy the company of family or friends. He knows what’s going on, and He’s taking care of it. He’s taking care of me.

Thank you, Lord, for being there at all the meals that sustain both my body and my soul.

Posted in Devotions, Lent

2020 Lenten devotion #9 – Blood around the door

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel…The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:7,13)

The moment of truth has arrived. The first nine plagues did not persuade Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go free. Frogs, locusts, disease and darkness did not budge his resolve. The tenth plague would. All the firstborn of man and beast would die throughout Egypt.

But every Hebrew household would kill a lamb, drain its blood, and smear the blood around the doorframes of their homes. Death would pass over their homes that night. No one would die. Plus, they should start packing. It was finally time to leave!

Every spring for generations God’s people would eat a “pass over” meal to remember that night and remember God’s deliverance. Jesus ate that meal with his disciples on the night before he was betrayed. That night he told them it was his blood that delivered them from death. They would soon see his blood running from the wounds on his back, the thorns on his head, and the nails in his hands and feet as he hung from the cross. It is the blood that would once again cause death to pass them by and instead take the life of their Lord, the perfect Lamb of God.

How much sleep do you think they got that night? The Egyptians probably slept just fine. They refused to acknowledge what God could do. As the oldest in my family, I would have tossed and turned all night, wondering if that blood would save me. It would be like one of those nights when the hurricane is passing over, and you wonder if the roof will indeed stay attached to the house.

What a great reminder of God’s grace and deliverance each time I eat and drink the bread and the wine, the body and the blood of Christ. I can always sleep easy, because I know tomorrow’s going to be a great day!

Thanks for the blood, the “pass over” and this sign of your great love, Lord. Amen.