This month of April includes Passover celebrations from sundown Saturday, April 12, until sundown Sunday, April 20. The first Passover was instituted as outlined in Exodus 12 while the Hebrew people were enslaved in Egypt. To be spared from the tenth and final plague (the death of the firstborn), the Lord instructed His people to select and ultimately sacrifice an unblemished lamb, spread its blood on the two doorposts and the lintel of their houses, and then eat the meat in a specified manner. Exodus 12:13 describes how God would protect His people: “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”

When the Egyptians experienced anguish as a result of the deaths of all firstborns– from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, to all of the firstborn of livestock– Pharaoh finally released the Israelites, and God delivered them to journey on to the Promised Land.

Similar to how the evil ruler Pharaoh held the Jewish people captive by force, today, the evil rulers of Hamas hold hostages by force, using them as “bargaining chips.” Just as in the time of the Exodus, we are praying for the miracle of deliverance to be accomplished by the God of all power; we are praying for God to move mightily and free those in tunnels and those suffering from the anguish of trauma in the nation of Israel.

The Feast of Passover represents deliverance and new beginnings, celebrating hope and life. In Deuteronomy 7:6-8, the Lord reveals why He delivered His people that night so long ago and why He continues to deliver us now:

“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth…because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (NKJV)

The Lord’s love was the driving force behind that first Passover. His love is the driving force behind His pursuit of them and us today.

The Hebrew word for Passover is Pesach, which evokes imagery of leaping forward and being protected/passed over. May the Nation of Israel, the Jewish people, and all of us pass over into the promises the Lord has for us. May we celebrate freedom, deliverance, and joy this Passover season.