Remembering That Night
Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations. (Exodus 12:40-42)
Thought For Today:
Do you ever wonder what it must have been like that last night in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus would be betrayed by Judas? Picture, if you will, Jesus, in one of His final acts of love for humanity, and yet so many have now so soon forgotten Him. Even when we look at the children of Israel, scripture says that this is the night of the LORD to be observed by all the children of Israel in their generations. As Christians, we relate to Israel. As Gentiles, we have been engrafted into the body of Christ. Israel was instructed to never forget the night that God spared them and brought them out of bondage. But they so soon forgot. Before they ever reached the promised land, they murmured and complained and forgot what God had done for them. They forgot the night. But Nicodemus remembered the night (John 3:1-24). He remembered the night that he came to Jesus. He remembered the night that he learned what true salvation was all about. He remembered the night that he got to listen to the Savior of the whole world explain to him who the true God was. Paul said, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others" (Ephesians 2:1-3). Friend, we were in the night. Darkness surrounded us. But Peter said that God brought us out unto his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). Have you forgotten the night? Have you forgotten what Jesus did for you?
