"Twenty Pieces of Silver"... written for an assignment 2010

This was written to an assignment "what the passover means to me". This was a non-exclusive article.



http://voices.yahoo.com/twenty-pieces-silver--5471503.html?cat=34




"Twenty Pieces of Silver"
So Begins the Journey that Lead's to the Passover,



What does Passover mean to me as Christian? You may think it would not mean very much at all to me since this is generally thought of as a Jewish Holiday. It is the time when Jews worldwide remember when God used Moses to lead them out of slavery.



You see the Jews, also known as Israelite's, or Hebrew, were slaves in the land of Egypt. How this came about is of some importance. What happened to cause this slavery was a case of sibling rivalry.


The Jews are descended from Jacob. Jacob had two wives, Leah, and Rachel. Between his two wives he had many children. Two of these children belonged to Rachel. The names of these two children were Joseph and Benjamin.



Of all the sons that Jacob had Joseph was his favorite. He even made him a coat of many colors, causing his brothers to be very jealous. His brothers were so jealous that they wanted to kill him.



They were given the opportunity to kill him, one day, when Jacob sent his son Joseph out to check on their welfare. They did not however kill him. Instead they sold him into slavery. You can read more about this in Genesis 35:2-36. Also see Genesis chapter 37. This is the story of where Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. It is also where the story of the Passover begins.



We would have no Passover to remember if it were not for the fact being, a young man by the name of Joseph was sold into slavery by his siblings. This is the beginning of the story, if you will.



Now when Joseph's brother's sold him, they did not do so with the thought that they would create a serious problem for their descendants. This problem would be so serious, that God would have to send someone to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians.


 
The man that God would use to deliver the Hebrews out of the land of Egypt would be Moses.



Moses was also in fact saved by God especially for this purpose. He was born into a Hebrew household. At a time when the Pharaoh of Egypt was afraid of the Hebrews, he was so afraid that they would overtake his kingdom that he had ordered all baby boys to be killed. This was or would have been a mass genocide on the part of the Egyptians, but the mid-wives feared God more than man.



They told the Pharaoh that the Hebrew women were already delivered before they arrived, so they could not kill the baby boys. So the Pharaoh ordered that all male children should be thrown into the river.



This was a very dangerous time to be born, yet this is the time in our history that God allowed Moses to be born. Also not only was Moses born during this harsh time, God preserved him alive through the Pharaoh's own daughter.



You see it is not easy to hide a baby from soldier who may have orders to kill any baby boys that are found. Especially as the baby grows older, now the parents of Moses were able to keep him hidden for a time. But when he was about three months of age, they no longer could, so this is what they did.



The mother of Moses made a small ark or basket, she lined it with pitch or a type of tar, so that the basket would not sink, then she placed a blanket in it for the baby Moses to lie on. This basket had a lid or cover so he would be protected from the sun, and animals that might be found along the water's edge. (You'll find reference to this in Exodus 2:3)



Moses had and older sister, who went to watch the basket, I would assume she may even have been told to do so, although the scriptures do not say this.



Now while Miriam the older sister of Moses was watching the basket with baby Moses in it. The Pharaoh's daughter came down to the river to take a bath. (Back in that day this was common practice, for people to go to the river to take a bath.) (You'll find reference to this in Exodus 2: 6-7)


 
Now Miriam was no dummy she could see that the daughter of Pharaoh, liked the baby, that she was compassionate towards this baby. So she went to her and asked if she'd like for her to find a nurse of the Hebrew women for her. (Exodus 2:6-7)



The Pharaoh's daughter was agreeable to this and gave her the baby, and also told her that she would pay the wages for the baby to be nursed.



So as the Pharaoh, was concerned about the Hebrews growing strong and overthrowing his kingdom, the one who would have a hand in the ultimate fall of his kingdom, would be raised in his own household, even, named by his own daughter. His daughter gave Moses the name Moses because she found him in the water, his name means "drawn out of the water".



This is a doubly fitting name for Moses because not only did God preserve the life of Moses, by allowing him to be found by Pharaoh's daughter, but in time God would clear a path through the Red Sea, allowing Moses and all those with him to cross safely through on dry ground.



I wanted to give you a little background to the story before I go into detail of what the Passover means to me as a Christian.



The Passover was a very real event that really did happen, exactly as it has been recorded. It is also something that God has told us to remember. God specifically gave the Hebrews or Jews a particular order to remember this event in. The reason God wants us to remember this event is because this event also symbolizes for us what happens to every person who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.



The Passover is first mentioned as the Lord's Passover, in Exodus 12:11. God is the one who started this particular observance. He specifically told the Hebrews that they were to prepare for this particular Passover.



The Passover referenced in Exodus chapter 12 is when Pharaoh finally came to his senses and decided to allow the Hebrews to leave. But it he would not stay faithful to his word to allow them to leave, he would rapidly change his mind, when it dawned on him that he would no longer have them as slaves.


In other words he would have no one to do the jobs that he wanted to have done. The Hebrew's were forced to do many jobs, so their leaving would cause a major problem for the Egyptians, as they would now be forced to do all their own jobs, plus the jobs the Hebrews had been forced to do.



There were many Hebrews in Egypt very near one million, by some estimates, possibly more. This was not a small number of people we are talking about.



If you do not happen to be familiar with how God moved so that Pharaoh did allow the Hebrews to all leave, lock stock and barrel, you can read about that in the book of Exodus. It is really a very interesting and fascinating story, all of it true.



I won't go into all the details of the traditions of what is done during the feasts or celebrations of Passover, because others have already done that.



Instead I want to talk about what the Passover symbolizes to me as a Christian.



Remember I told you the story of the Passover begins in the book of Genesis, and it goes back to sibling rivalry, jealousy really, also parental favoritism.



Moving into the story I have also told you how the Pharaoh, was afraid of the Hebrews, even to the point of ordering all male babies to be thrown into the river. Then I went on to tell you how God preserved the life of Moses through the Pharaoh's own daughter.



For me as a Christian this tells me that God is able to work even in the harshest and cruelest situations, even delivering someone out of very wicked and evil homes.



Pharaoh was very wicked and very evil; anyone who can condone the slaying or innocent babies for any kind of reason is very wicked. Also Pharaoh worshipped idols, he did not worship the God of heaven, he instead worshipped things made by the hands of man, or things that were made by the hand of God. (Things like rivers, the sun, and other creations that God had made.)



Pharaoh rebelled repeatedly over and over again. Failing over and over again, to trust or believe in God. Instead he chose to go his own way. This led to his ultimate death and the destruction of his kingdom. This is also what happens to all those who reject God they will face eternal destruction.



Now Pharaoh is not alone or unique in his rebellion, and disobedience towards God. The Bible tells us that "ALL" of us our sinners, (see Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;)



God showed his power to Pharaoh repeatedly over and over again. In ways that would cause many others to have changed their ways, and thinking, but God wanted to show us an example of what happens to those who harden their hearts, refusing to hear.



Why God chose to show us an example via way of Pharaoh may have been because of how this particular Pharaoh treated others, or maybe it was because of who he was. I really don't know.



What I do know is this God allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery, and many other things to come to pass before he delivered Joseph's family out of Egypt. Joseph did not live to see God deliver his family out of bondage, but he was not forgotten, because when the Hebrew children left Egypt they also carried out the bones of Joseph. Joseph believed God would deliver them even to the point of telling them to remember to carry his bones out of Egypt.



Now I am rambling a bit, as usual. But I am trying to get to my point. Basically to me, the Passover represents the power of God, to deliver us from anyone and anything. It is also when Jesus Christ paid for our sins freeing us from the bondage that we were in, freeing us from an eternal hell.



You see Joseph's siblings sold him into slavery; later on due to circumstances (a famine to be precise) they themselves came under bondage, moving into Egypt, coming under control of the Egyptian government. This would not be so bad for a time, since the ruling Pharaoh, at that time liked Joseph.



There was a period of peace; this was due to God's grace. This is similar to the age the church is in now. Those who are saved, are no longer under the law, but are under grace. God allowed a fairly long period of time before deciding to come move his people out of the land of Egypt.



The reason that God did move his people is because that the government leaders *in particular Pharaoh who became the step-grandfather to Moses. Who was very wicked, ordering the slaughter of innocent babies, being very harsh and cruel to the Hebrews, overall just being a very wicked man, who did not fear God.



God is never quick to anger, his ways not being as ours, he allowed things to go on for a long time. As I've mentioned before. But finally God decided enough was enough, and that is when God decided to deliver his people through Moses. This is similar to what is going on now; God is being patient waiting for us to turn to him. But sooner or later He is going to say enough is enough, and he will return. Removing those who are saved, then bringing judgment to all those who have rejected him, this will not be a good time to be living on Earth.



Moses to me, is similar to Jesus, in the fact that both of them were born at a time, when people were very wicked, rulers were ordering the slaughter of babies even. People did not fear God. Fear meaning reverence; those who did reverence God or believe God often being mocked and ridiculed, similar to today even if you take time to think about it, just a little bit.



Now God delivered the Hebrews out of Egypt in the way he did in order to show his power, and his might. He moved to save their fleshly bodies out of a wicked and cruel area. He used Moses to lead them out of Egypt. When God comes back to remove the Christians from this world through the Rapture, it will be so fast no one will have any doubt that it was not God, who removed His people. Also it will be a horrible time for all those who will be left.



But when God chose to break the bondage that we have all been committed to, do to our sins, beginning with Adam, he chose to first save our spiritual bodies. He chose to do this through his son Jesus Christ.



When God told Moses to tell the children of Israel to apply the blood of the lamb on the doorpost to protect their household from the Angel of Death, any who did not would not be protected.
Only those who obeyed and applied the blood were able to be spared from the Angel of Death.



This is the same thing with the blood of Jesus Christ, anyone who has accepted in his finished work on the cross must accept that it is by His Blood we are saved. We have to accept that he was and is the Lamb that was slain for all of our sins. If we don't then we end up staying in "Egypt" spiritually speaking. Meaning we've committed ourselves to stay under the bondage of Hell. All of us have earned a wage for our sins, that wage is death. Where that wage is paid is in Hell. None of us have the ability to meet the requirements to pay this debt, so we must accept God's grace, if we are to be relieved of this debt. If we don't we will spend eternity paying this debt. Not a good idea in my opinion, especially when God has already paid this for us, and made a way for us to go to Heaven.



Moses, led the children of Israel out of Egypt, and led them all the way to the land that God promised to them. But Jesus leads all who trust in him alone to the Father who is in Heaven.



No one enters into the Kingdom of Heaven lest they have accepted in the finished work of Jesus Christ.



When I think of the Passover, I remember it is because of His Blood that death has no hold on my soul. True my fleshly body will one day die, but my soul will never die the second death, instead I will enter into heaven, having received my reward for accepting and trusting in the Lamb that was slain for all my sins. I will not go into "Egypt" which is the spiritual equivalent in a way of the second death, or Hell, all those who are not covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, will die the second death, dying forever in a horrible place called Hell.



Heaven is real, Hell is real, the Passover mentioned in the book of Exodus was real, and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour is the only way anyone will ever enter into true peace and happiness in Heaven.



Last of all to me the Passover is God's grace, mercy and hope fulfilled not only for the Jewish people but also for all that name the name of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.


 
Moses brought us the Law, but Jesus fulfilled the Law, and granted all who accept him mercy, and grace.



http://www.fbnradio.com/


http://www.bbnradio.org/wcm4/bbnmedia/HowtogettoHeaven/Readtheanswer/tabid/639/Default.aspx


http://www.holidays.net/passover/story.html


http://judaism.about.com/od/passover/a/pesach_story.htm


http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1827/jewish/In-a-Nutshell.htm


http://holidays.kaboose.com/passover-about.html


http://www.crivoice.org/seder.html


http://www.religioustolerance.org/mess_jud.htm


All scripture references from the King James Version

Genesis 50:25
And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.


Genesis chapter 37:28
Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.


Exodus


Matthew


1 Thessalonians 4:16-17