The crucial question that we will be asking throughout our lives is a complex and daunting one. It is in scripture that we must seek the answer to this mighty question. We will get to the question later in this blog, but first I want to talk about Exodus 12 and 24. In short, what has happened up to the point of Exodus 12, is God has instructed Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. We have had nine of the ten plagues occur, with the tenth on the horizon. The tenth plague being the plague on the firstborn. So in Exodus 12, we have God telling Moses what must be done in order to keep Death from claiming the Israelites firstborn. Don't miss the fact that the Destruction comes to all of the doors, not just the Egyptians. We all will face Judgement, believer and none believer.
As for the Israelites, each family is to take a spotless lamb into their home on the tenth day of the current month, and on the fourteenth day, use this lamb as a sacrifice to God. They were then to "take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses..."(Exodus 12:7) For when the Destroyer comes, the blood of the spotless lamb will save the families firstborn. It is by grace that this sacrifice is acceptable to God, and through the faith of the Israelites the sacrifice was applied to them.
In Exodus 24, God's covenant was confirmed by blood. Moses and the Israelites were delivered from Egypt at this point and the Lord told Moses to "Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel."(Exodus 24:1) Moses was to approach the Lord alone however, and when he returned he told them the words and laws of the Lord. They then sacrificed young bulls to the Lord. I recommend reading the entire chapter of Exodus 24, but I want to focus in particular on Exodus 24:8, "Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.""
Then Moses and those with him "...saw the God of Israel."(Exodus 24:10) Now they didn't actually see His face, as it says they were under his feet and "...God did not raise his hand against these leaders..."(Exodus 24:11) Now behold the significance of God's law, and the beauty of His Mercy. God's people are forgiven by blood. Moses and those with him were covered in the blood of the sacrifice they had made to God, and because of this they were able to stand in His most holy presence.
Now, to the question I spoke of earlier... How can a just God be loving toward rebellious sinners who are due His wrath? Think about this, God is the holy Judge, He is who we must all stand before and give an account of our lives to. He is infinitely perfect, and His almighty wrath is to be poured out on sin. How can God express His holiness without consuming us in our sin? If a rapist murderer stood before a judge in our court system today, and the judge without hesitation declared that man forgiven... We would have that judge off the bench in a heartbeat. Is this not what we believe God, the perfect Judge, is to do for us? Now I am not at all saying that the murderer should be freed, I am just trying to paint a picture of how complex this question is. The most holy of holy, God Himself, the perfect Judge of all, how can He forgive us sinners. Just look at Proverbs 17:15, as it quickly points out that those who are wicked are an abomination to the Lord. So how does God justify the wicked?
Satisfaction through substitution brings salvation. Know that the totality of God's character is expressed. Yes, He judges sin and brings His wrath upon it. But, salvation is achieved through God's Son. 2 Corinthians 5:21, "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." The essence of sin is this, man substitutes himself for God, in our sinister times we try to call the shots for ourselves. The essence of salvation is this. God substitutes Himself for man. The blood of the Lamb of God satisfies the wrath of God and saves the children of God. Romans 3:25, "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood--to be received by faith."
See the connection that is made with Exodus 24 and Jesus Christ. In Exodus 12, the blood of a spotless lamb kept Death from claiming the families firstborn. The blood of Christ saves us, the children of God, from His wrath on sin. Just as the sacrifice of the Israelites was acceptable and applied to them it is so with us. Christ's sacrifice is acceptable to God, and it is through our faith that His sacrifice is applied to us. And I will leave you with this, and please don't miss this. Now matter how dark your past is, no matter how filthy your past is, when you are trusting in the blood of Christ over your life, you are saved from the wrath of almighty God! Not because you are better, or more religious, or have checked off all the boxes, only through faith in His blood are you saved. It is through this that we will gaze upon His glory and celebrate in His presence.
God Bless!!
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