The first Passover when the people of Israel left Egypt is probably one of the events that is the most referred to in the whole Bible; it was an incredible time of God moving with signs and wonders, the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea. Unfortunately, we also read that it only took a few weeks for the people of Israel to forget all of the miracle deliverance of Passover and decide to build a golden calf as an idol that could lead them forward. “He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt”” (Exodus 32:4). In other words, the idol that was the work of their hands was going to be worshiped as the god that delivered them.
There is always a danger of us going back to what is familiar to us and this is one of the constant warnings that we read in the New Testament, be careful not to become slaves again, do not go back to your old lifestyles or practices. Do not try to complete in the flesh what God has started in the Spirit (Galatians 3:1-3).
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law” (Galatians 5:1–3). The whole book of Galatians must be read as a whole book, as a letter to the church, an important message of understanding the freedom and redemption of Passover through Christ.
Every time we try to take control of what God is doing we end up creating some form of idol that God has to deal with. Abraham and Sarah had the right motivation in seeing the fulfillment of God’s promise, but their attempt produced Ishmael and not Isaac. Whatever we produce in the flesh will end up being a problem in the future, and God will have to deal with it because it usually becomes an idol or a false source of security and trust.
During this time of Passover, we want to learn to receive the provision of the freedom we have in Christ and also to learn not to go back to slavery. Let us take this time to reflect on the power of God that has been released in the resurrection of Christ, the greatest power ever released on this earth and be reminded that He took care of everything, it is done!
Galatians 4:4-7; 5:13-14
John 13:34-35
Isaiah 30:15
Hebrews 8:7-13
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