The first passover feast, had to do with God killing all Egyptians first born sons. Something caught my attention the other day, they Hebrew people were told either use a sheep or a goat, a first year lamb. Now you and I know that sheep and goat are not even the same species, but they both are used in the sacrificial sin offering. Two goats used in the sin sacrifice one as escape goat that lead outside the city and let go and the other was used on the altar and later only on a family altar after the time of Christ. No longer part of the Christian church but still apart of tradition of the Jewish people. Only one lamb was used in sacrifice for sin, so value of these animals apparently differed to some degree. Yet for the passover either could be used and how large a sheep or goat was determind by who was eating this one meal.

There is a point I am making this morning, though we are way past this part in the Easter celebration it was the reason for the passover meal. There often information over looked when reading scripture, some because of blindness and other things because God is pointing something out. The price of kid(goat) and a lamb being different but not impossible for every one to be able to perform the request by God for all the Hebrews for marking of the door post and meal within the home. Much like any federal holiday many people get enough meat for the celebration or what they can afford. For Thanksgiving and Christmas it is usually ham or turkey. The price goes down so all can buy or nearly all can buy one or the other. It only leaves a few people out of the celebration. Yet substituting is not unheard of for the meals surrounding the holidays. A nice meal seems to be the requirement for most people.

The ability to prepare for the passover was not lost in tradition, it would be remembered for ages to come much like our own days of feasting for Easter. Without the story of the cross you loose Resurrection Sunday, time to arise and shine for God's glory. Now the Hebrew people were to be prepared for their flight out of Egypt wearing their traveling clothes and prepared for departure. Is that not what the cross was about the sacrificial lamb on the cross and the departure of the Jewish people in the since of rising again or rising up out of the tomb at the crucifixion(Matthew 27:52-53). Christ was also the first born from the dead. The dead meaning those in faith in him had yet to die since his rising to die for the sins of the world, to die for the killing of the Egyptians babies, to die for the first Adam who was kicked from Eden. Christ dying because of anything that seems unjusted by the law or ideas of man.

Now some say you sound like you accusing God of sin, not exactly, I believe God's laws are justified, but also believe man does not view God's law as always being just or justifiable. Man thinking is often not God's without his Spirit or his word in place in a person's life. When Christ was crucified he died not only for unbelief but for the sin of think our way was best. Man can not destroy God nor Christ Jesus. Jesus may of bleed and died but he rose again after the Sabbath day rest. God kept his law by Christ not arising, his rest being established as the seventh day of the week. Then God got up and raised his Son, His Son rising up to victory. As believers do we break the Sabbath by celebrating on Sunday the first day of the week. Not exactly, because the seventh day was the rest day of who God, and we kept it in rememberance of his day to examing all his work he did.

The Hebrews rose up and departed from Egypt after the passover lamb. After the death angel march through Egypt killing all the first born of Egypt and passing over all the house who door post were marked. Why does death come in a plague across the land with no explanation, because of God's calling the first born to judgment of those that reject him to judgment. It was Egypt time of judgment.

Does God still judge the world today by the standards of the Old Testament? Or does God judge the nations by their faith in him and the covering of His Son on the life of the believer. We seen the judgment in the church by the Holy Spirit in Acts 5, the story of Ananias and Sapphira, then we see judgment in Paul's life for persecuting the church, as he would face persecution after receiving Christ as Savior and testifying of the love of Christ. Persecution in Paul life not coming from God but the world who rejecting the teaching about Christ. Did Paul judge the church, at times for purpose of correction. Did God's Spirit judge the church definitely. Did God's Spirit come to judge the church? No the Spirit of God comes to enable the church to do the will of God, by loving the world as Christ loved us. Then what is the plagues and judgment that Revelation speaks about in regards to end times. It is definitely a horrific judgment to come to the world and not the saints of God for when the final judgment comes we will be in the sky above.

As we explore the reason the saints must rise up and tell the story of Jesus and his love, we must rise up and tell the story of God's wrath to come too. We must tell the whole story of God's love for man but not man's laws that in opposition to his laws. His main law is to love Him and others as you would yourself.

God would not continue to allow his people to be mistreated that is why they were ready to rise up and leave Egypt for the promise land. Yet was God's ways abusive, or love? Was the journey with God simple if you had faith? Was judgment in the storms of life a lesson to be learned. Was the judgment of God a fair warning? Let us rise up not for judgment but to spread the hope of eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dear Heavenly Father thank you for making it possible for all to follow and to heed your will by believing in Jesus. Thank you for the sacrificial Lamb called Jesus, who died for the world and my sins. Cover us Lord and may your mercy and grace shine brighter then your judgment so all men can see your love. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Romans 5:8-11 KJV
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.