The Passover.
The Passover feast is the first in the liturgical calander of the Jews. In fact, it marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Now, there are certain rules for the Passover. These rules are meant to be reminders of how the Jews were delivered from Egypt. Among these rules was the unleavened bread. In the eating of unleavened bread, they remember that they did not have time to wait around for the yeast to rise, but they had to leave quickly, so they baked the bread without the leaven.
Another was that the lamb's bones could not be broken. Now Israel did not understand the meaning of this until far later. We see why the lamb's bones could not be broken from John. John writes that this was an allusion to Christ's death.
When a person was being crucified, they would choke on their own collar bone. When they wanted to take a breath, they would press up on their feet (that had nails in them) and pull up with their arms (that also had nails in them) and they would catch a quick breath, before going back down, and choking on their collar bone. This agonizing process could go on for hours, even days. But when the Romans wanted them to die faster, they would break the legs. When the legs were broken, they could not be pushed up on, and that person could not breath. Jesus however, died, before his legs could be broken.
The lamb's blood was applied to the door frame of God's people, and they were delivered from death. Death passed over, taking the first born from Egypt, but death passed over the Israelites. In the same way, Jesus was God's lamb, and His blood is applied to the saints. And when his blood is applied to the saints, they do not inherit death.
Another was that the lamb's bones could not be broken. Now Israel did not understand the meaning of this until far later. We see why the lamb's bones could not be broken from John. John writes that this was an allusion to Christ's death.
When a person was being crucified, they would choke on their own collar bone. When they wanted to take a breath, they would press up on their feet (that had nails in them) and pull up with their arms (that also had nails in them) and they would catch a quick breath, before going back down, and choking on their collar bone. This agonizing process could go on for hours, even days. But when the Romans wanted them to die faster, they would break the legs. When the legs were broken, they could not be pushed up on, and that person could not breath. Jesus however, died, before his legs could be broken.
The lamb's blood was applied to the door frame of God's people, and they were delivered from death. Death passed over, taking the first born from Egypt, but death passed over the Israelites. In the same way, Jesus was God's lamb, and His blood is applied to the saints. And when his blood is applied to the saints, they do not inherit death.
The Red Sea
After God's last plague, Pharaoh decides to let Israel Go. And God guides them to the red sea, with a pillar of fire by night, and a cloud by the day time. But Pharaoh changes his mind and pursues them to the sea. The people are terrified, and they call out to Moses, and accuse God, saying "did you deliver us from Egypt just so we could die here!?" But God tells Moses to put his rod over the sea. He obeys, and an east wind splits the Red Sea in half. They walk across on dry ground, and Pharaoh's armies are thrown into the Sea.
Many early Christians, including the Apostle Peter himself, saw this as a foreshadowing of Baptism. The individual is delivered from a sinful world, and inherit a new life. (Israel is delievered from Egypt, and starts a new nation.) The wickedness of the old life is washed away in the water. (The Egyptians were destroyed in the Red Sea.)
Now, there may also be some important parallels to point out between Moses and Jesus. So far, we have the following similarities.
1) Moses and Jesus both had to flee for their lives as infants. Kings were trying to kill them both.
2) Moses started his ministry after being in the desert for 40 years. Jesus started his ministry after being in the desert for 40 days.
3) Moses went to deliver Israel, riding on a donkey. Jesus went to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, riding a donkey.
4) Moses was rejected by his own people. Jesus was rejected by his own people.
There are more to come, for sure.
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