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Tonight: Suffering. Tomorrow: Victory.

A Passover Devotion

Reading: Exodus 12:21 - 12:51 & Numbers 28:16 - 28:25

Tonight begins the time of our redemption in more ways than one. Tonight, approximately 3500 years ago the mighty hand of God prevailed over the gods of Egypt. The Children of Israel slaughtered the Passover lamb for the first time, applied its blood to the doorposts of their Egyptian homes, "roasted on the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it” (Exodus 12:8). But it wasn’t a leisurely meal like it is today. They were to eat it as the LORD had prescribed:

In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. (Exodus 12:11)

Is Holiness Contagious?

Many people work their way through the book of Leviticus like a new sailor staggering across the deck of his ship hoping his sea legs will kick in. Navigating through the complex laws of sacrificial procedures and ritual purifications can be a challenging endeavor. It is a venture into uncharted and difficult waters. But if we desire to truly understand the rest of the Scriptures, taking time to map out these difficult concepts is essential. For instance, take this example from the book of Haggai:

No Sacrifice For Sin

I can’t help but get excited when I begin studying the book of Leviticus. It’s an amazing book that deals with a wide range of topics, but has a primary focus on the levitical functions that take place within the Tabernacle. It wastes no time getting into its subject matter and immediately begins by discussing the details for the olah, or the whole burnt offering. From there it begins explaining the various aspects of each of the types of offerings that a person may bring to the LORD. 

An Eternal Priesthood

What comes to mind when you hear someone speak of an “eternal priesthood”? If you are a disciple of Yeshua, then Yeshua’s ministry automatically comes to mind. As the book of Hebrews says, he is a high priest forever, continually ministering before his Heavenly Father on our behalf:

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19–20)

Kindling A Fire

In most years, Parashat Vayakhel and Parashat Pekudei are read together to conclude the book of Shemot (Exodus). When many people read these parashot, they seem to experience a sense of déjà vu. “Didn’t we read about this already?” they might ask. This is because these portions run nearly parallel to the earlier portions of Terumah and Tetzaveh, and even to Ki Tisa. Whereas the previous parashot detailed Hashem’s instruction to Moses about the preparations needed for the service of the Tabernacle, this week’s portion begins the process of Moses conveying this information to the Children of Israel and beginning the actual work. Therefore, there is a lot of overlap and repetition from previous portions in both Vayakhel and Pekudei.

Freedom On The Tablets

Parashat Ki Tisa is the transition between Moses’ encounter with the LORD on top of Mount Sinai and his return to the Children of Israel at the base of the mountain. While in the sublime presence of God, he was given a very special gift, “the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18). The midrash tells us that these tablets were brilliant to look at, because they were made with lapis lazuli, a deep blue semi-precious stone with intense color. The Torah uses the following description for the tablets:

Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. (Exodus 32:15–16)

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