Friday after Septuagesima Sunday
Posted on February 22, 2019 by under
Scripture: Exodus 12:29-42 (NKJV)
12:29 And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. 30 So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said. 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”
33 And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. 35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
37 Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38 A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.
40 Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night of solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the LORD, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations.
Devotion
The Lord fulfilled His word. He passed over the blood-marked houses of the Israelites and brought no destruction there. The destruction He brought against the Egyptians finally purchased the Israelites’ release from slavery. On that single night God’s people were saved from death and released from slavery. And so it became known as the “night of the Lord.”
That night pointed ahead to the greater “night” of the Lord, which began on the night of Maundy Thursday and culminated in the night of Holy Saturday—the beginning of Easter Sunday by Jewish reckoning. At that time the true Paschal Lamb suffered, died, rested in the grave, and finally broke the bonds of death, delivering His faithful people from their slavery to sin and death.
The words from the traditional rite of the Vigil of Easter recall this connection:
“It is truly meet and right, always and everywhere, with our whole heart and mind and voice, to praise You, the Invisible, Almighty, and Eternal God, and Your Only-Begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; for He is the true Paschal Lamb, who at the feast of the Passover paid for us the debt of Adam’s sin, and by His blood delivered Your faithful people. This is the night when You brought our fathers, the children of Israel, out of bondage in Egypt, and led them through the Red Sea on dry land. This is the night when all who believe in Christ are delivered from the gloom of sin and are restored to grace
and holiness of life. This is the night when Christ broke the bonds of death and Hell and rose victorious from the grave.”
We pray: O Father, we thank You, through Jesus Christ, our Paschal Lamb, for Your night of deliverance, for Israel and for us. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
