Redemption.

Redemption.

For a little while now I’ve been hand copying books of the bible. In hand copying books of the bible I’ve found I take more notice of what’s written there. Things jump out that I hadn’t noticed before. 

I just spent an hour and a half on one page of the bible. Thirty minutes of which was directed towards a semicolon.

I got an awful lot out of it and it all started when I questioned that said semicolon. Who does that? Question a semicolon from a book completed 2,000 years ago? It’s such a little thing; a semicolon. Ah, the joys of being a writer.

Now, explaining what I learnt is the hard part. Putting it all into words is the challenge, but here goes.

The semicolon first…

Ex 12:50 Thus all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

It could also be written as – Thus all the children of Israel did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. A slight variation with the self-same meaning. A prerogative of the author at the time.

Then we move down to Ex 13:4 On this day you are going out in the month of Abib, which is March and April. Further study revealed March/April to be the connection between Passover and Easter. Also, that the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt with a strong hand (Ex 13:9), denoting the futility of resisting God, as Pharaoh had tried to do when God sent various plagues upon his nation.

Having struck down the first born of Egypt, the Lord then exacts a return with the redeeming of the first born of Israel (Ex 13:13). This is a foreshadow of the redemption of God’s one and only Son, His sacrificial Lamb.

The first-born son to be given to the Lord. The first-born animal, sacrificed. The donkey, viewed as unclean, could be redeemed by a lamb. That Jesus (the Redeeming Lamb) rode on a donkey, shows an example of humility. A horse was considered an animal of war, a donkey; meekness.

The whole purpose of these passages are to show us how God will deliver His people from the curse of the Law, our prior condition being one of slavery, and what is entailed to set us free. From Genesis to Revelation God’s hand points us to Jesus, moving us out of sin and slavery and into our King/Priest inheritance.

One more thing today; in looking all this up, God showed/reminded me to enjoy where I’m at as I live my dream. We are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and the devil cannot defeat us if we’re resolute in our faith. We’re not guaranteed earthly success or prosperity. 

I do believe we are overcomers in the Lord, that success and prosperity are within our reach, for God promises to meet our needs and desires. He doesn’t promise wealth as we know it, but peace, joy and longevity. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? Mark 8:36.

We need to be chasing God and not our own prosperity because following God leads to true satisfaction. Psalm 37:4 says; May he grant you the desires of your heart, not He will grant you. If we make God our focal point, rather than riches, it will point us to God and our desire of love towards Him. Delight yourself in the Lord and you won't be disappointed with the outcome.