Feelings versus obedience in God's covering

Our class was discussing the importance of worship. When a heated discussion started on feelings. I don't remember my professors name or even his face, but this lesson is a lesson I have taught alot through the years. Lately, I have shared it so much that God gave me a visual to try to illustrate it.

Imagine with me in the Old Testament when Moses was asking Pharoah to let God's people go so they could worship their God. Do you remember the battle of the plagues? There were ten in total. Each plague was used to illustrate that God was greater than any other god. Egypt had many gods that "plagued" the land. God used the plagues to demonstrate His sovereignty over all of creation. His people were to worship Him and Him alone. They were to have no idols before Him.

But the final last plague came with a warning and promise.

And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” (Exodus 4:21-23)

We must first recognize that Pharoah was viewed as a god. The last and final plague was to prove God's power and authority over Pharoah and Egypt.

This is where our illustration began. My professor shared...

Imagine all of the different families across Egypt as word spread that Moses said, "You must cover the lentil of our door posts with the blood of a lamb that has been sacrificed. When the Spirit of God passes over Egypt when He sees the blood, He will Passover and the first born son will be saved from death. If there is no blood covering the first born sons in that household will die."

One family in fear would cover the door frame with great detail ensuring the blood covered the frame and lentil completely trying to not miss a spot. Focused on the details. Painting up and down as their hands shook wondering if they got it right.

Another family would argue over what makes up the lentil and the frame while loudly discussing how much to stroke across the top and down the sides. Their voices tense and rude with one another.

Yet, while another family known for being noisy and finding laughter in everything, would slap the blood on in  swift strokes across the lentil and fast strokes down the frame while laughing and telling stories to each other. Not really caring if it covered every nook and cranny. Having fun despite the seriousness of the situation.

While another family will ignore the command to cover the lentil and frame. They didnt feel the need, but they felt they had peace about their relationship with God. He would pass over because they were good.  So they would ignore the command about covering the lentil and door frame with the blood of the lamb because they were too busy focused on other things that distracted them.

Which family's experienced the blessing of death passing over them?

I hope you said, the three that put the blood on the lentil and frame.

Their emotions and discussions DID NOT play a factor in what God did. However, their obedience did matter. For the LORD said, "When I see the blood, I will pass on."  It did not matter if it was a lot or a small amount. It simply mattered that they obeyed and were covered by the sacrifice of the blood of the lamb.

While the family that did nothing suffered because they did not obey. They lost their first born sons that resided in their homes because they did not cover their door with the blood of the lamb.

Often, we make excuses for our lack of obedience because of a feeling. We feel, "I am okay with God. I have peace. I am good", but if we do not obey His Word, we do not honor Him.

In our own way, culturally we have made ourselves little gods. We make our feelings, wants, and desires that are contrary to the Word of God more important than God. That is false worship. It is the worship of ME. What I want, they way I want it, and when I want it. These feelings will not save us. Only obedience to God's Word will bring forth His grace.

As I have been meditating on this for several weeks, God gave me this visual in a painting to show what the coverings could have looked like. One morning, I woke up with the image of the cross and Jesus' blood in the middle of the doors.

Just as God provided a plan for Moses and the people of God to get out of bondage many years ago, He has provided for us a way to have His covering for eternal life. It is believing that God sent Jesus to die on the cross, rise from the dead, conquer sin once and for all (John 3:16). We are given the promise that if we believe in Jesus, we will have the gift of eternal life. It is His shed blood that covers us and causes death to passover eternally.

Have you covered your heart with the blood of the Lamb? 

Jesus' blood sacrifice is the covering we are given as our promise today. This is how we get His presence with us and are able to walk in true worship of God.

Shalom! Shalom!

Why are oil & vinegar significant to Easter?

As I was grocery shopping, I saw a beautiful jar filled with oil and vinegar and I thought, maybe I should buy this for the kids for Easter this year instead of a chocolate bunny. So, I picked up a couple of jars. I thought the jar was beautiful because it had two jars nested within one another making it look like they are one. I couldn’t wait to give them the gift. 

On Easter morning, while I was reading my Bible and praying a thought came to me. I had the visual in my mind of the jar I just bought, and I heard the question, “Why is vinegar and oil significant for Easter?” I had a few ideas that I already knew but decided to research it just the same. 

Once again, God caught me and showed me the beauty of who He is! 

When we toured in Israel, we were able to see how much the people cared for their olive trees. We even saw an olive tree that was believed to be well over 2,000 years old. We were told that the olive tree represents life, longevity, stability, prosperity, and joy. It has the capacity to go through a fire and being chopped off and still grow. It has the resilience to endure the seasons both the drought and the rain. 

The olives that are grown on an olive tree are used to press into oil. The olive oil is thought to symbolize divine presence. 

While in Israel we toured a mock village of Nazareth and one of the things we were able to see was an olive press. The olive is placed on a massive stone press that has a huge round boulder that is pushed with a large log. As the log is rolled in a circle around the press, the huge boulder would squish the olives to produce oil. We were told that the first press is believed to be the holiest of oils. This oil is used for anointing oil and to bring light to the temple. It is then pressed again a second time. 

The second press of oil is used for healing. It will become medicine. 

While the third press of the oil is used for cleansing. It will be made into soap. It is also used for common lights like what will be found in the home. So the pressed olive oil becomes anointed light, healing medicine, and cleansing soap. 

As I reflected on what Jesus did for us at Easter, I was reminded of Jesus going to the Mount of Olives to pray. His prayers set Him apart as holy anointed as at the Light of the world. 

As Jesus prayed, He felt the first crush of the weight of what He would bear in our behalf. Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but your will be done” as sweat filled with drops of blood fell from His brow (Luke 22:42). Imagine Jesus enduring His first press in becoming the anointing oil that brings life as the Light of the world. 

I then was reminded that Jesus was beaten, scourged, spit on, and crucified. This was His second press. In this press Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). He chose to press in and become our eternal healer. Our medicine from heaven. He was willing to provide forgiveness as healing for our souls when His own body needed relief from the humiliation He suffered. He chose us over Himself. 

The final and last press came when Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. It is finished” (Luke 23:46). In His last breath, Jesus became the one who cleanses us of all our sins. He was crushed for our iniquities. He became our cleanser. 

Light, Healer, and Cleanser! Jesus our anointed One! The symbolism of the oil washed over me. 

I then heard, “What is the significance of the vinegar?” Oh, I knew they put it on a sponge and offered it to Jesus. 

Even though the Romans would hang people on a cross, they would offer to the person on the cross a cheap vinegar wine that was laced with a drug to help the person endure the suffering. The person dying on a cross would become very thirsty because the wounds would leak, and dehydration would take over their body as they would sweat. So, the Romans would dip the vinegar wine in a hyssop and lift it up to the person so that they could endure their suffering. When Jesus cried out, He was thirsty they offered to Him on hyssop the vinegar wine, but Jesus refused to drink it (Matthew 27:34). 

Why would Jesus refuse? Did He refuse because He didn’t want to dull His senses? Did He refuse because He wanted us to know He bore the full weight of the crush from our sins? Did He refuse because the pain was so unbearable? We don’t know. But He refused. 

The second time Jesus was offered the vinegar it says that when Jesus received the drink on the hyssop, He gave up His spirit (John 19:29). 

The hyssop was very symbolic to the Jews. It was on the hyssop at Passover that they soaked in blood to paint around their door posts so that the Angel of Death would pass over their home (Exodus 12:22). Jesus died on the cross so that the Angel of Death will pass over our lives because Jesus paid the debt so that our sins and shame are forgiven. In that moment, His blood became the Passover lamb for you and me. 

With a clear mind and intentional heart, Jesus refused to take the vinegar as He was becoming our anointing oil that brings life, light, healing, and cleansing. Jesus willingly allowed Himself to go through the press of the cross to become our eternal life and light that give us stability, prosperity, and joy as well. 

Hmmm… I had no idea when I picked up the jar of oil, how much it would mean to me. It will now sit in our home as a symbol of the gift Jesus gave us at Easter some 2,000 years ago.

God is Looking for Obedience not Emotions

He drew on the chalk board three doors and then he slowly went to each door and began to draw so that his hand motions matched the emotions he was describing. 

On the first door, he drew fast with large sweeping motions as he described a family with fear. Their shoulders were hunched and they walked around with worried expressions. He said, "This family was terrified they would do it wrong and not fast enough. They felt like they must hurry before the LORD passed over Egypt to take the first born son."

On the second door he drew with very slow and precise motions to make sure every part of the frame was covered. He said, "This family was subdued, quiet, focused on the details with very little interaction. This family felt that it was all about the details and getting it just right."

On the third door he slapped a quick line on the top and a quick line of each side. He shared, "It was sloppy but done with laughter and alot of noise as the family gathered."

He then drew one more door, but he didn't draw over it. He then turned to us and said, "Which families were passed over?"  Everyone agreed the first three but not the fourth.

"Why was the last door not passed over?"  

We answered, "Because they didn't obey God! God said to cover the door post with the blood of sacrifice and all doors with the covering would be passed over."

"Did the emotions matter as they obeyed? Did their emotions stop the LORD from doing what He said He would do?"

"NO!" We all cried out.

"So as you go to do ministry you will face many highs and many lows. Your emotions will want to drive you, but you must obey what the LORD has called you to do and trust that He will do as He said."

His words are echoing in my heart and mind today!

I don't even remember my professor's name! But, everytime I read this passage or let my emotions get the best of me, I remember this truth! God is looking for the one that obeys Him. My emotions do not determine God's faithfulness. God is faithful. He will do what He says. 

Today, I will remember the promise that He is my ever present help in a time of need.

How about you? Which family most represents you right now? Where do you need to walk in obedience regardless of the emotion? 

For some, it might be at the very start, believe on the LORD Jesus and you will be saved. 

Did you know that this passover moment was a foreshadowing of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and that anyone who believes in Him will have the gift of life? Regardless of your emotion your belief is like the blood covering over the doorpost when death comes it will not hold its sting. 

Shalom y'all!