The Blood Sign of Redemption

Israel as a nation was in Egyptian bondage. It came to pass that the Almighty God heard their cries. God then chose Moses to mediate between Himself (God) and Israel. Since it was God’s desire to deliver Israel from their slave-masters, Moses represented God in pleading with Pharaoh for the release or freedom of Israel.

As we may already know, for a nation to get freedom doesn’t happen all that easily. Some people lose their lives, some property is damaged, etc. This was the case in Israel’s release (it took ten plagues before they were freed). The king (Pharaoh) was defiant in not allowing them to go from his land. But is there anything too hard with God? No, not at all.

Even the apostle Paul observed the same: “If God be for us, who can be against us?” God was with Israel. Who was Pharaoh then before the eyes of the Almighty God but a creature of dust and ashes?

It is in the tenth plague that we see even more of God’s mighty power at work. The people He wanted to redeem were given some instructions in order to evade the hand of the destroying angel of every firstborn child in the Egyptian families. The whole story is in Exodus ch 12. What were the instructions for Israel? A young lamb’s blood on every Israelite door post and on the sides of the doors. Blood was the sign of redemprion.

Now let us look at this as a type. Egyptian bondage of Israel is a type of our natural sinful life in Adam. In the case of Israel, the blood of animals gave them their redemption. The animals’ blood then foreshadowed the blood of Christ: “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”.

We see God’s love right in Eden, in that He provided a covering for our two ancestors and He still does that for every sinner in Christ Jesus. His shed blood is for the cleansing of our sins. Looking at Jesus, God said, “This is my beloved son. Listen to him”.

God gave His Son to show His love for us. Are we ready to believe in him? Yes, if we do believe our redemption is assured. Our first parents had free will either to obey God’s words or to disobey. There is a lesson for us. The choice is ours.

Brother Sylvester Tembo (Mzuzu, Malawi)