Day 39 - 50 Day Journey To Christ

Daily Reading:

Jeremiah 11

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Reminder of the Covenant

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Listen to the words of this covenant and tell them to the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem. 3 You must tell them: This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let a curse be on the man who does not obey the words of this covenant, 4 which I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace.’ I declared: ‘Obey Me, and do everything that I command you, and you will be My people, and I will be your God,’ 5 in order to establish the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is today.”

I answered, “Amen, Lord.”

6 The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Obey the words of this covenant and carry them out. 7 For I strongly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt until today, warning them time and time again, ‘Obey My voice.’ 8 Yet they would not obey or pay attention; each one followed the stubbornness of his evil heart. So I brought on them all the curses of this covenant, because they had not done what I commanded them to do.”

9 The Lord said to me, “A conspiracy has been discovered among the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors who refused to obey My words and have followed other gods to worship them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah broke My covenant I made with their ancestors.

11 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am about to bring on them disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not hear them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods they have been burning incense to, but they certainly will not save them in their time of disaster. 13 Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, Judah, and the altars you have set up to Shame—altars to burn incense to Baal—as numerous as the streets of Jerusalem.

14 “As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me at the time of their disaster.

15 What right does My beloved have

to be in My house,

having carried out so many evil schemes?

Can holy meat prevent your disaster

so you can rejoice?

16 The Lord named you

a flourishing olive tree,

beautiful with well-formed fruit.

He has set fire to it,

and its branches are consumed

with a great roaring sound.

17 “The Lord of Hosts who planted you has decreed disaster against you, because of the harm the house of Israel and the house of Judah brought on themselves, provoking Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.”

18 The Lord informed me, so I knew.

Then You helped me to see their deeds,

19 for I was like a docile lamb led to slaughter.

I didn’t know that they had devised plots against me:

“Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit;

let’s cut him off from the land of the living

so that his name will no longer be remembered.”

20 But, Lord of Hosts, who judges righteously,

who tests heart and mind,

let me see Your vengeance on them,

for I have presented my case to You.

21 Therefore, here is what the Lord says concerning the people of Anathoth who want to take your life. They warn, “You must not prophesy in the name of Yahweh, or you will certainly die at our hand.” 22 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says: “I am about to punish them. The young men will die by the sword; their sons and daughters will die by famine. 23 They will have no remnant, for I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.”

(Note: Read Jeremiah 25)

Key:  Bold - Verse of the Day

Reflection:  Jeremiah was the Lord's prophet, hand picked from an early age (like Samuel), the Lord placed His words into Jeremiah's mouth (Jer 1:10).  When YHWH spoke to the people of Jerusalem, He spoke through Jeremiah.  This did not make Jeremiah a very popular person, nor the book of Jeremiah a very popular book.  In today's selection the Word of the Lord is calling us to examine ourselves, reminding us that we are His, and we must return to Him.  We have put other things, priorities and altars before our God.  We have made it more about the program, and not the Programmer; the gifts and not the Gift; the lights and not the Light; the tree and not the Tree. We fill our lives with things to do, promising to say grace @ dinner, and go to church on Sunday.  We must repent.  We must turn back to God.  Examine your heart before its too late.  We too have been sealed by a covenant, we too are guilty of the sins of Israel. 

Discussion Topic:  What idols do you have in your own life that you are not aware of?   

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Prayer:  Father in Heaven, Your grace overwhelms my heart, Your judgment my soul.  I long to be made whole in You.  Thank You for Your Covenant, thank You for Your Law.  Holy Spirit, please search my heart and reveal to me the idols I have suppressed  or passed off as normal or tolerable.  Show me, Lord, the things I do that keep me from the fullness of Your grace.  Lord Jesus, thank You for Your obedience, that despite my disobedience, You gave up Heaven to come to earth for my salvation.  You were led to slaughter, docile. You were chopped down for our sins.  Teach me to always make it about You.  It is for Your name, in Your name, and because of Your name I pray.  Amen. 

Acknowledgements: Text - BibleGateway.com, Artwork - Stories Of

Day 33 - 50 Day Journey To Christ

Daily Reading:

1 Kings 17

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Elijah Announces Famine

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!”

2 Then a revelation from the Lord came to him: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself at the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. 4 You are to drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.”

5 So he did what the Lord commanded. Elijah left and lived by the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. 6 The ravens kept bringing him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening, and he drank from the wadi. 7 After a while, the wadi dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

Elijah and the Widow

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.” 10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow woman gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.” 11 As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”

12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”

13 Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, 14 for this is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the surface of the land.”

15 So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. Then the woman, Elijah, and her household ate for many days. 16 The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through Elijah.

The Widow’s Son Raised

17 After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness became very severe until no breath remained in him. 18 She said to Elijah, “Man of God, what do we have in common? Have you come to remind me of my guilt and to kill my son?”

19 But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “My Lord God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the Lord and said, “My Lord God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”

22 So the Lord listened to Elijah’s voice, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, “Look, your son is alive.”

24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know you are a man of God and the Lord’s word from your mouth is true.”

(Note: Please read chapters 18 & 19 for the full story.)

Key:  Bold - Verse of the Day

Reflection:  The land was suffering from a severe famine.  Elijah was hiding from Ahab who was bent on killing him.  The famine was so bad that even God's prophet Elijah didn't have any food to eat, but God made a way out of this seemingly impossible situation.  In blessing Elijah, God also blessed the widow and her son.  Not only did they have enough to eat, but God also brought the widow's son back to life at the pleading of Elijah.  

Discussion Topic: We see time and time again how God provides for His own and often blessing others in the process.  Thinking back over the past few weeks, can you give an example of how God's blessings not only benefited you, but those around you? 

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Prayer:  Lord, I thank You for all that I have in my life.  Thank You for not only blessing me, but for also blessing my family and friends who have benefited from the gifts You have poured out upon me from Your many storehouses in heaven.  Thank You for rescuing me from situations that would seem hopeless to most and I praise You for using those situations to bless others as well.  To You be all the praise and glory forever and ever.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Acknowledgements: Text - BibleGateway.com, Artwork - Elijah Meets the Widow: Pastor Of My House, Elijah Raises Widow's Son: Banah Ministries

50 day journey to Christ - Day 21

Daily Reading:
Psalm 23
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

A Davidic psalm.

¹ The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
² He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
³ He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
⁴ Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger,
for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
⁶ Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

Key: Bold - Verse of the Day

Reflection: The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I will lack.  Think about the implication of this opening sentence. The writer, King David, identifies the Lord of everything, Creator of the Universe our shepherd, and that we will have no needs.  Never be in lack.  Amazing responsibility, enourmous freedom.  

Discussion Topic:  How is the Lord your Shepherd?

Bonus Teaching:  Learn about the 7 names of God and more about his character.  


Prayer:  Father in Heaven, thank you for being my Shepherd, for your provisions, your leadership, your care and your service.  You set us up for success, teach us to keep our eyes on you.  In Jesus name we pray.  Amen. 

Acknowledgements: Text - BibleGateway.com  Image Artist- Unkown, Image Website - http://www.the-covenant-kingdom.com/good-shepherd.html

50 day journey to Christ - Day 16

Daily Reading:

Joshua 5

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Circumcision of the Israelites

5 When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the sea heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, they lost heart and their courage failed^[a] because of the Israelites.

² At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite men again.” ³ So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelite men at Gibeath-haaraloth.^[b] 4 This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males—all the men of war—had died in the wilderness along the way after they had come out of Egypt. ⁵ Though all the people who came out were circumcised, none of the people born in the wilderness along the way were circumcised after they had come out of Egypt. ⁶ For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness 40 years until all the nation’s men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey theLord. So the Lord vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁷ Joshua raised up their sons in their place; it was these he circumcised. They were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way. ⁸ After the entire nation had been circumcised, they stayed where they were in the camp until they recovered.⁹ The Lord then said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, that place is called Gilgal^[c] to this day.

Food from the Land

¹⁰ While the Israelites camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.^[d] 11 The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land. ¹² And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

Commander of the Lord’s Army

¹³ When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”

¹⁴ “Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.”

Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship and asked Him, “What does my Lord want to say to His servant?”

¹⁵ The commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Discussion question: In this portion of scripture, we see Jesus as the Commander of the Lord's army.  We often forget the different aspects of Jesus personality and authority.  Besides being Commander of the Lord's army, can you name some other titles that Jesus has? (Join the discussion on G+)

Prayer: Oh Jesus, as I reflect on what took place between you and Joshua, I am reminded of your authority in commanding the host of heaven.  Your power and glory know no end.  You were, and are and are to come; King of kings and Lord of lords.  You are the Lamb of God and will return as the Lion of Judah. I praise and worship you, Lord.  Holy, holy, holy art thou Lord God Almighty.  Glory to you Jesus, and to our Father and to the Holy Spirit.  May I never forget how righteous and holy you are. May I never take for granted the sacrifice you made for me.  To your name be glory and honor forever and ever.  Amen!

(Acknowledgments: Scripture Text - BibleGateway.com, Artwork from: bookdrum.com)

50 day journey to Christ - Day 15

Daily Reading:

Deuteronomy 18

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Provisions for the Levites

1^{"The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, will have no portion or inheritance with Israel.  They will eat the Lord's fire offerings; that is their inheritance.  2} Although Levi has no inheritance among his brothers, the Lord is his inheritance, as He promised him. ³ This is the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether it is an ox, a sheep, or a goat; the priests are to be given the shoulder, jaws, and stomach. ⁴ You are to give him the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the first sheared wool of your flock. ⁵ For Yahweh your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes to stand and minister in His name from now on.^[c] 6 When a Levite leaves one of your towns where he lives in Israel and wants to go to the place the Lord chooses, ⁷ he may serve in the name of Yahweh his God like all his fellow Levites who minister there in the presence of the Lord. ⁸ They will eat equal portions besides what he has received from the sale of the family estate.^[d]

Occult Practices versus Prophetic Revelation

⁹ “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable customs of those nations. ¹⁰ No one among you is to make his son or daughter pass through the fire,^[e] practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery, ¹¹ cast spells, consult a medium or a familiar spirit, or inquire of the dead. ¹² Everyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and the Lord your God is driving out the nations before you because of these detestable things.¹³ You must be blameless before the Lord your God. ¹⁴ Though these nations you are about to drive out listen to fortune-tellers and diviners, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do this.

¹⁵ “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. ¹⁶ This is what you requested from the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, ‘Let us not continue to hear the voice of the Lord our God or see this great fire any longer, so that we will not die!’ ¹⁷ Then the Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well. ¹⁸ I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. ¹⁹ I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to My words that he speaks in My name. ²⁰ But the prophet who dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die.’ ²¹ You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a message the Lord has not spoken?’ ²² When a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

Discussion Topic: The Israelites were commanded not to participate in the sins of the people who dwelt in the land.  In fact, those who dwelt in the land were going to be driven out by God because of their detestable sin.  God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Even now, He commands us not to partake in the sins that are rampant in the society in which we live today.  Looking at the world around you, can you see any areas in your life where you have been participating in something that the world views as normal but which God views as sin?  (Join the discussion on G+)

Prayer: Oh heavenly Father, I praise and worship You for who You are.  Through Jesus you have set before us the standard by which our lives are measured; an example of a perfect life in You.  I pray that You will reveal to me any areas of my life where I have compromised or have walked in blindness.  Reveal to me those thing in my life that have not brought glory or honor to Your name.  As these areas are revealed to me through your Holy Spirit, I pray that you will give me the strength to make the necessary changes and the wisdom to handle the situation in the correct manner.  I pray that as these changes are made, light will shine in the areas of my heart which were previously in darkness.  Thank you, Lord, for calling me and revealing to me the gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

(Acknowledgments: Scripture Text - BibleGateway.com, Moses speaking to the Israelites, illustration from a 1907 Bible card)

50 day journey to Christ - Day 14

Daily Reading:
Exodus 24

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

24 Then He said to Moses, “Go up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and 70 of Israel’s elders, and bow in worship at a distance. ² Moses alone is to approach the Lord, but the others are not to approach, and the people are not to go up with him.”  

³ Moses came and told the people all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. Then all the people responded with a single voice, “We will do everything that the Lord has commanded.” ⁴ And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early the next morning and set up an altar and 12 pillars for the 12 tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain. ⁵ Then he sent out young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. ⁶ Moses took half the blood and set it in basins; the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. ⁷ He then took the covenant scroll and read it aloud to the people. They responded, “We will do and obey everything that theLord has commanded.”

⁸ Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you concerning all these words.”

⁹ Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and 70 of Israel’s elders, ¹⁰ and they saw the God of Israel. Beneath His feet was something like a pavement made of sapphirestone, as clear as the sky itself. ¹¹ God did not harm the Israelite nobles; they saw Him, and they ate and drank.

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there so that I may give you the stone tablets with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

¹³ So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua and went up the mountain of God. ¹⁴ He told the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are here with you. Whoever has a dispute should go to them.” ¹⁵ When Moses went up the mountain, the cloud covered it.¹⁶ The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day He called to Moses from the cloud. ¹⁷ The appearance of the Lord’s glory to the Israelites was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop. ¹⁸ Moses entered the cloud as he went up the mountain, and he remained on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights.

Key - Purple text - Words of God, Bold text Verse of the Day

Reflection:  This story picks up at the start of an extra ordinary retreat to the mountains.  Moses is called to the mountain, and is called to bring the elders halfway up.  Think about the levels of this climb, beginning with the ceremony at the base of the mountain with the entire assembly.  Sprinkling each of the Israelites with blood to seal a covenant made in regards to the Law given previously on the mountain, Moses then began his spiritual journey up the mountain.  

Discussion Question:  Think about your own walk, beginning with the day you realized you were covered with the blood of the lamb and work your way up the mountain to where you currently are, where would you consider yourself currently and why?

Join the discussion on G+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/112363964604122954663/posts/XSTCRkgFj6L

Acknowledgements - Image artist unknown, website http://www.bibleprobe.com/sinai1.htm

50 day journey to Christ - Day 12

Daily Reading:

Exodus 12

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: ² “This month is to be the beginning of months for you; it is the first month of your year. 
³ Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they must each select an animal of the flock according to their fathers’ households, one animal per household. ⁴ If the household is too small for a whole animal, that person and the neighbor nearest his house are to select one based on the combined number of people; you should apportion the animal according to what each person will eat. ⁵ You must have an unblemished animal, a year-old male; you may take it from either the sheep or the goats. ⁶ You are to keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight. ⁷ They must take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they eat them. ⁸ They are to eat the meat that night; they should eat it, roasted over the fire along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ⁹ Do not eat any of it raw or cooked in boiling water, but only roasted over fire—its head as well as its legs and inner organs. ¹⁰ Do not let any of it remain until morning; you must burn up any part of it that does remain before morning. ¹¹ Here is how you must eat it: you must be dressed for travel, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in a hurry; it is the Lord’s Passover.

¹² “I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. I am Yahweh; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. ¹³ The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

¹⁴ “This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute. ¹⁵ You must eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day you must remove yeast from your houses. Whoever eats what is leavened from the first day through the seventh day must be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶ You are to hold a sacred assembly on the first day and another sacred assembly on the seventh day. No work may be done on those days except for preparing what people need to eat—you may do only that.

¹⁷ “You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread because on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent statute. ¹⁸ You are to eat unleavened bread in the first month,from the evening of the fourteenth day of the month until the evening of the twenty-first day.¹⁹ Yeast must not be found in your houses for seven days. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a foreign resident or native of the land, must be cut off from the community of Israel. ²⁰ Do not eat anything leavened; eat unleavened bread in all your homes.”

²¹ Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go, select an animal from the flock according to your families, and slaughter the Passover animal. ²² Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and brush the lintel and the two doorposts with some of the blood in the basin. None of you may go out the door of his house until morning. ²³ When the Lord passes through to strike Egypt and sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, He will pass over the door and not let the destroyer enter your houses to strike you.

²⁴ “Keep this command permanently as a statute for you and your descendants. ²⁵ When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as He promised, you are to observe this ritual.²⁶ When your children ask you, ‘What does this ritual mean to you?’ ²⁷ you are to reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and spared our homes.’” So the people bowed down and worshiped. ²⁸ Then the Israelites went and did this; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.

²⁹ Now at midnight the Lord struck every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and every firstborn of the livestock. ³⁰ During the night Pharaoh got up, he along with all his officials and all the Egyptians, and there was a loud wailing throughout Egypt because there wasn’t a house without someone dead. ³¹ He summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites, and go, worship Yahweh as you have asked. ³² Take even your flocks and your herds as you asked and leave, and also bless me.”

³³ Now the Egyptians pressured the people in order to send them quickly out of the country, for they said, “We’re all going to die!” ³⁴ So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their clothes on their shoulders.

³⁵ The Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. ³⁶ And the Lord gave the people such favor in the Egyptians’ sight that they gave them what they requested. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.

³⁷ The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 soldiers on foot, besides their families. ³⁸ An ethnically diverse crowd also went up with them, along with a huge number of livestock, both flocks and herds. ³⁹ The people baked the dough they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened loaves, since it had no yeast; for when they had been driven out of Egypt they could not delay and had not prepared any provisions for themselves.

⁴⁰ The time that the Israelites lived in Egypt was 430 years. ⁴¹ At the end of 430 years, on that same day, all the Lord’s divisions went out from the land of Egypt. ⁴² It was a night of vigil in honor of the Lord, because He would bring them out of the land of Egypt. This same night is in honor of the Lord, a night vigil for all the Israelites throughout their generations.

⁴³ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner may eat it. ⁴⁴ But any slave a man has purchased may eat it, after you have circumcised him. ⁴⁵ A temporary resident or hired hand may not eat the Passover. ⁴⁶ It is to be eaten in one house. You may not take any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of its bones. ⁴⁷ The whole community of Israel must celebrate it. ⁴⁸ If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, every male in his household must be circumcised, and then he may participate; he will become like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat it. ⁴⁹ The same law will apply to both the native and the foreigner who resides among you.”

⁵⁰ Then all the Israelites did this; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.⁵¹ On that same day the Lord brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their divisions.

Think of our American feast or festivals that we consume to celebrate Independance Day or even Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Think about how that food reminds us of memories of past celebrations.  Holiday traditions remind us of similar memories as we celebrate the joy of the seasons.  

Discussion Topic:  How do you think the Israelistes responded to the traditions of eating a passover meal fully dressed with staff in hand?  Do you think the bitters and unleaven bread helped put them in a state of rememberance and reflection? Additionally, can you imagine the closeness of living with the family lamb for the 4 days leading up to the mass sacrifice on the night of the passover, what would your own feelings be if you applied that to our modern day thanksgiving feast and say a family turkey?

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Prayer: Father in heaven, we thank you for your sacrifcial lamb that you have given us.  The Lamb of Jesus Christ, whose blood causes the angel of death to passover our house even to this day.  Lord as we approach this time of Thanksgiving, let us prepare our hearts for a time of thankfulness to you, for what you have done for us.  Let us seek the true meaning of this festival, let us seek you in all that we do.  In Jesus, the Lamb of God's name, Amen!  

(Acknowledgments: Scripture Text - BibleGateway.com, Lamb - Artist Unknown from blog of Stephen Sizer http://www.stephensizer.com/2011/09/christ-in-all-the-scriptures-exodus-and-the-passover-lamb/, Passover Door - Artist Unknown from website http://familydads.com/blog/family-passover-feast/ , Turkey - Artist Unknown, from website http://www.businesspundit.com/the-secrets-behind-mass-turkey-production/ )