The Judgment of Egypt And The First Passover

Each year, around Easter, the Jewish people celebrate the passover. This story goes back to when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt.

God had taken Abraham out of his country and promised him the land of Canaan. Four generations later, his descendants went to live in Egypt to escape a famine. 

After some time had passed, the Assyrians had taken control of Egypt and were reigning as Pharaoh.

Isaiah 52:4- For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.

The Assyrians enslaved the Jewish people, and even went so far as to kill all their baby boys.

Exodus 1:11, 14, 22- Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

Through Moses, a child saved from the death decree, God sent plagues to judge the Egyptians. Each plague was to prove to both the Egyptians and the Israelites that the Lord God Almighty was more powerful than those Egyptian false gods, which was impressive since Egypt had a complex pantheon of deities and they were all rendered powerless by the God of the Hebrews through just 10 plagues.

Exodus 12:12- For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

• Plague 1- the Nile is turned to blood 
• Plague 2- Frogs came up and covered the land
• Plague 3- the dust of the ground became lice- This was also the first plague that the demonic magicians couldn't replicate, and this proved that the Lord God Almighty is the God of the creation of life. 
• Plague 4- swarms of flies swept across the land- This plague was the first that didn't affect the Israelites. God was showing that not only was He able to send these wonders, but He was also able to control where they manifested and on whom they preyed.
• Plague 5- the infectious disease of cattle
• Plague 6- the outbreak of boils on both human and animal
• Plague 7- the tempest of hail and fire
• Plague 8- the swarm of locusts which devoured the crops
• Plague 9- the darkness which could be felt
• Plague 10- the death of the firstborn

Here are some of the most prominent Egyptian gods and their descriptions:

• Sobek, the lord of the crocodiles and the creator of the Nile
• Khnum, the god of fertility, water, and procreation (Egyptians also believed that he could prevent famine)
• Nun and Naunet, the Egyptian creation gods of water and chaos
• Heh and Hauhet, gods of infinity or eternity
• Amun and Amaunet, the Egyptian creation gods of unseen forces
• Thoth and Seshat, the gods of writing and books, wisdom, knowledge of magic, and secrets
• Ptah, the Egyptian god who created all other gods in some stories; the god of craftsmen
• Sekmet, the goddess of war and healing
• Kheper,i the god of flies and beetles and the renewing of life
• Horus, the god of healing and protection, kingship, the sun and sky
• Hathor, the goddess of love, fertility, beauty, dancing, music, maternity, 
• and protection
• Bastet (also known as Nefertum), the goddess warding against evil and misfortune, home, fertility, and childbirth
• Heka, the god of health and medicine, creator of magic
• Set, the Egyptian god of chaos, violence, storms, disorder, warfare, and the desert
• Shu and Tefnut, the Egyptian gods of the air and moisture
• Min, the god of harvest and fertility
• Khonsu, the moon god that protected travelers
• Geb and Nut, the Egyptian gods of earth and sky
• Horus, the sky god, protection, kingship, and healing
• Mut, the mother goddess known to the Egyptians as the Queen of heaven
• Amun-Re, the Egyptian creation god of the sun and air (combination of Amun and Ra)
• Kek and Kauket, the Egyptian creation gods of darkness
• Atum, the Egyptian creator god of the creation of the universe
• Osiris, the lord of the underworld and judge of the dead, also god of fertility, agriculture, and vegetation
• Isis, the goddess of resurrection, healing, protection, and magic
• Anubis, the principle god of the dead, mummification, funerary rites, guardian of tombs, and guide to the afterlife

As you can see, some of these false gods could be judged by many of these plagues.

Psalm 82:1- God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

Psalm 86:8- Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.

Psalm 96:5- For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

The judgment of the Egyptian gods was the first purpose of the plagues. The second was to show the Jewish people that He was the God of their father and that He could do what He promised to do.

The Passover, however, is something very special that points to a future event. It's one of the reasons Jesus had to rebuke the religious leaders of His day. He told them, "Moses wrote of me", but they stopped reading the Scriptures long ago and instead read commentaries and traditions written by rabbis of the past.

The tenth plague, the death of the first-born, was against all who wouldn't obey the Lord God Almighty. Just being of Jewish descent was not a guaranteed protection from this judgment. It was setting a precedent for the ages. 

Exodus 12:3,5-8,12-13- Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 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 ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: 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. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn 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.

The only way to escape this was to obey God's command to sacrifice an innocent lamb and put the blood on the doorposts, then get inside the house and stay there. Whoever had the blood on the door was safe from the death angels.

Psalm 78:49-51- He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them. He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:

When the plague started, those angels didn't look inside the house to see whether those therein were worthy. They only looked for the blood. Once they saw that blood had already been spilled at that house, they passed over that home and went to the next.

What does that mean for us? Let's look at the instructions.

The people were to take a perfect lamb, one with no blemish whatsoever.

Hebrews 4:15- For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus was the sinless lamb of God, and because He was sinless, He was the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Next, the whole congregation was to kill it.

Matthew 27:1-2, 22- When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

After the lamb was killed, they were to take the blood and strike it on the top and on each side of the door of their house.

Mark 15:27- And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

 

Then they went inside the house and were protected by the blood.

Romans 5:8-9- But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Colossians 1:14- In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Blood has to be spilled. The price has to be paid. God promised the Jews long ago that He would pay that price!

Leviticus 17:11- For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

God manifest in the flesh gave His blood to make atonement for our sin and pay the wages required for your soul by death.

Hebrews 9:12- Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

This Passover sacrifice was only performed once. It never had to be repeated. That’s the same with Jesus Christ’s sacrifice- once was enough to pay the sin debt for everyone for all eternity!

The only thing you have to do is choose. Do you pay the debt with your blood? OR, do you accept His payment for your sin?

If you want to accept Christ's payment, then you must believe that He was God manifest in the flesh and that He died for your sins, was buried, and then rose from the dead to live forever more. Then you confess that you believe these things and ask Him to apply His payment to your sin debt and save your soul from the wrath that will fall on your soul when you die.

I Corinthians 15:1-4- Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Romans 10:9- That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Will the death angel pass over your soul? OR will he collect it at the end of your life to pay your debt?

Israel, Hamas, and the Red Heifer

 In 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu predicted a new era of peace and prosperity in the Middle East, based on growing acceptance of Israel within the region. Today, that vision is gone.

In 2024, when an Hamas spokesman spoke at the mark of the 100th day of the current war, he explained to everyone's surprise that the reason Hamas opened the war was because the Jewish people are preparing to bring the Red Heifer. This is evident in the name of the war- Tufan al-Aqsa, or the al-Aqsa flood. The massacre which started the war was all about the Temple Mount.

According to the historic scribes in Judaism, the last war will be a religious war between the evil forces of Amalek and Israel. The month of Nissan, which was set as the month of the final redemption, is preceded by four specific events:

~Shekalim- each adult male Jew contribute half of a Biblical shekel for the upkeep of the Tabernacle or Temple

~Zachor- a remembrance of the attack of Amalek while the Jews wandered the wilderness and also a remembrance of Haman's plot to kill the Jews

~Parah Adumah- the sacrifice of the red heifer

~Hachodesh- the beginning of a new month

The problem for Hamas is that they know the majority of Jews don’t go into the Temple Mount (al-Aqsa) because they aren't considered "pure". The way they become pure is found in the book of Numbers 19, and can only come about once a Red Heifer has been ritually sacrificed and the ashes are used to undergo the process of purification. Then the Jews can enter the Temple Mount.

The Muslims are very scared of that event because they believe that "redemption" of the Jewish people will then take place (once Jews enter the Temple mount), and they will be forever doomed.

In Balaam's prophecy in the book of Numbers 22, he said, "Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever. '' The Jews believe this teaches that Israel's first war was with Amalek and also their last war will be with Amalek before the arrival of the Messiah, who will usher in the Messianic Age (or the Millennium, as Christian's call it).

They believe that means that the Jews in this present age are facing a war with Amalek. But who do they consider to be Amalek today?

We are accustomed to thinking that only the Germans are the Aryan race that is against the Jews, since the Nazis claimed to be the pure Aryan race. However, Scripturally speaking, the original races began in the middle east where Noah's family lived (Genesis 7), and all the races divided from that area after the tower of Babel (Genesis 11).

In the Hebrew people's mind, since Haman was Persian, they believe that the Amalekites are descendants of the Persians, who are an Aryan race. Therefore, when the Jews read in the Torah about "remembering Amalek", they interpret it as the last war indicated by Balaam that will take place with Persia, which is modern day Iran.

The October 7th Massacre is over the Temple Mount, and is an attempt by the Muslims try to delay the coming of the Messiah to set up his kingdom and destroy them. Hamas leaders have even called on Muslims to go to the Temple Mount and remain there until Passover evening, in order to “protect Al-Aqsa and prevent Jews from defiling it and making sacrifices there.”

What they fail to understand is that the Messiah has already come. There is, however, another need for the heifer- to remove the blood curse.

You see, when Jesus Christ came the first time, the Jews were looking for the Messianic Age. But that wasn't His purpose. His first coming was to keep the promise made to Adam and Ever- to pay for the sins of humanity.

His second coming will be to set up the Messianic kingdom, but it won't be until after the Jewish people have endured enough to admit their error from two millennia ago- their Messiah came a long time ago and they rejected Him.

Also, the man they will accept as their Messiah will turn out to be their greatest foe!

In To the Deep Freeze (video sermon)

Life Is But A Weaving (poem)

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside. 

Not ’til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why. 

The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned. 

He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him. 

–Corrie ten Boom

It Is Well (Elisha's Song)

Where Did It All Come From?

Where did it all come from? This is the question that everyone asks. The answer has to have this basic element- 1) something has always existed (it's eternal), and 2) it is powerful enough to create everything. Since none of us can recreate the beginning of the universe, we have to accept the answer by faith.

The Bible defines this something as God, an eternal being that is powerful enough to create the universe.

Genesis 1:1- In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Some people have a problem with this, so they come up with different answers. It began when nothing collided and caused a bang that generated matter and energy. This really is a silly one because first you have to believe that matter and energy (which can only be transferred from one thing to another according to the laws of science) came about from absolutely nada- spontaneous generation! And second, you have to accept by faith that this accidental stuff created and abides by scientific laws.

Like the ever so popular multiverse theory. Movies and tv shows are really capitalizing on this one. But there's still a problem, where did they all come from? You not only have to believe in an infinite number of universes that you have never seen, but have faith that something or someone created all of them without knowing who or what that is or where it came from.

Let's forget the universe and focus on just a small piece, a single cell. 

All cells come from pre-existing cells. So, where did the first cell come from? And, we're back to the problem of an eternal being powerful enough to create life.

Colossians 1:16- For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

The hope of every scientist, though they may not out rightly admit it, is to explain the supernatural through scientific experimentation and processes. Thoughts are just impulses in the brain and attraction is just the release of hormones, etc. 

For many millennia, people believed there was a higher being who oversaw the world. This God gave them direction in their life, a reason for existence, and an answer to what comes after death.

Micah 6:8- He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Different cultures began to associate different attributes with different deities. Instead of one all powerful God who knows all and sees all, it became many gods. And instead of an unchanging, infallible God, they imagined gods who were volatile and controlled by their emotions just like humans were. Religion was the end result.

It became a list of do this and don't do that or there will be dire consequences. Then, the rise of zealots took the place of these gods as judges and dealt out the ramifications for the transgressions of the rules.

People became disillusioned with the idea that a being would judge their every action and started to look for a new ideology that wouldn't be so opinionated.

Darwin's original theory of natural selection was that the world would reject that which is bad and preserve all that was good for the benefit of each being. That sounds nice, doesn't it? This is the basic premise of evolution. We no longer have to deal with faith, we can know by the absolute certainty of science.

The problem is that not everything can be researched in a chemistry lab. Historical documents, for example, are not something that can be tested to ascertain whether or not the information is factual. For this, we must rely on a different source- like, how many different documents contain the exact same information?

There was a lot people could learn from evolution, however, the problem was that evolution did not distinguish between what was observed and what was assumed or postulated. And, it still was not good enough to explain how something could jump from simple to complex, or nonliving to living.

To get around this, they inserted philosophy, nature is capable of doing this all on its own or nature finds a way. This is still assumption and not based on any scientific observation- it can't be tested and have consistent results.

This, too, failed as time saw theories change and factions formed, and "science" became dogmatic and just as divisive as religion.

Social Darwinism taught that different races of people were at various stages of evolution, and this thought justified evils like eugenics and mass genocide to study a specific evolutionary "stage".

Once people realized the terror that ensued, they began to view truth as an illusion. Reasonable certainty was then accepted and people began to insert their opinion as fact and forced everyone to acknowledge "their truth" as the standard by which they should live their life.

The inevitable end of evolution is that there is no right or wrong. Morality is based on your preferences and no one has the authority to judge you except yourself.

But, the problem comes in when their lifestyle puts your life in jeopardy. Their truth is they like to hurt, they enjoy dealing out destruction, your pain pleases them.

Somewhere there needs to be a line between good and evil. There needs to be rules and laws so that one person's freedom to swing their fists doesn't infringe on the other person's freedom to walk around. And these regulations need to be accessible to all and observed by all for there to be true freedom and peace in all aspects of our lives- physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

The only way you can truly answer all of these questions satisfactorily is if there is a God who has always been and is powerful enough to create you. If He has given you life, then He has a purpose for your life and will judge you according to how you live that life.

Acts 17:30-31- And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

The Rapture Of The Church

 If you have ever spoken to a Christian, especially a Protestant Baptist, you will have likely heard them reference the Rapture. The word rapture isn't in the King James Bible. In fact, that word would only be found in an early AD 400 edition of Jerome's Latin Vulgate. Though the word itself is not in the Bible, the teaching or doctrine of it is. 

There are three main passages that teach the Rapture.

John 14:1-3- Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

In this passage, it's not exceptionally clear that Christ is referencing taking both the dead and the living. Some people read this as if Jesus was speaking of our eternal dwelling place in heaven after our soul departs from our body at death.

The concept of the rapture was a mystery until Paul. It is in his letters to the churches that we find the Scriptures that detail exactly what it is.

I Corinthians 15:50-57- Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In this passage, Paul is telling us a mystery that has been revealed to him. There a few mysteries in the Bible that Paul has the privilege of sharing with the world. The mystery is that not all of us will die (sleep). When the Bible mentions "sleep" in reference to death it has to do with the soul's relationship with the body. If the soul is still in the body, or will once again be in the body, the person is considered asleep.

John 11:11-13- These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

Lazarus died, but Christ was going to call his soul back into his body and raise him from the dead. So, when Paul talks about someone being "asleep in the Lord" what he means is they are dead, but they won't stay that way forever. At some point in time their soul and their body will be brought back together.

In I Corinthians 15, Paul is saying that those that are dead will be raised. Their bodies will be brought forth out of the ground, all the atoms reassembled in a way that it will be the same body, but it will be an eternal, perfect, undying one. The people who are still alive won't die. Their atoms will be changed from mortal to immortal and they will raise in an eternal, perfect body.

I Thessalonians 4:13-18- But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

This passage gives us more of the protocol of the rapture. There will be a shout from heaven, where Christ is at the right hand of God. It will be accompanied with the voice of the archangel (Michael- Jude 1:9) though we don't know what it is that he is saying. And the trump of God (the sound a trumpet makes). When God speaks it can sound like rushing might waters, loud thundering, or a trumpet blasting out a note.

Many people believe that God will say "Come up hither" because that is what He said to John in Revelation 4:1, and John describes that hearing this sounded like a trumpet speaking to him.

After the loud noise, the dead will be reanimated and raised from their burial spots, and the living will be taken up from wherever they may be at the time to come together as a great host in the atmosphere. There we will meet the Lord Jesus Christ in person and be escorted into the spiritual realm of the Lord God Almighty.

There are types, or pictures of this in the Old Testament, however no one understood what they were or what they meant at the time. Enoch was a human that was translated from the earth to live with God in heaven before God sent the flood of waters to destroy the earth in Noah's time. Lot was a Gentile living in a wicked city that was taken with his wife and two daughters out of the area before God rained fire and brimstone on the place to destroy it for the evil that was prevalent in it. Rahab was a Gentile who lived in Jericho that had gone against the orders of her people and saved the two Jewish spies lives; she and her family were safely taken out of Jericho before the Israelite army slaughtered the town.

Those are just a few in the first part of the Bible. I'm certain if you know any Bible stories that you could come up with more examples. But the important part is this- they were taken out before God's wrath fell. What does that mean? The rapture will happen before the Tribulation.

I Thessalonians 1:10- And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

I Thessalonians 5:9-10- For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

There are a few other verses scattered throughout the New Testament that allude to the rapture: Philippians 3:20-21, Colossians 3:4, II Timothy 4:8, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 9:28, I Peter 5:4, and I John 3:2.

What do all these verses have in common? They reference Christ's coming and that we will get a reward if we are looking for Him. If you are saved, you should not only be living like a Christian and working to tell others about the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, but you should also be anticipating and hoping for the time when He calls your name and takes you to live with Him for all eternity in Heaven.