Out From Egypt: From Slavery to FreedomSample

Out from Egypt: From Slavery to Freedom

A New Identity

The day had finally arrived for the Hebrews, the moment that they had been anticipating for hundreds of years—they were going to be set free! The Hebrews were told to take a spotless lamb into their home, to slaughter this animal at twilight on the fourth day, and then paint their doorways with its blood.

This seems like a strange ritual to us, but threshold sacrifices were a common ancient practice. In fact, the Egyptians slew a pig every year across the threshold to their homes, to make a covenant with Osiris, the god of the underworld, and protect against evil and death.

Threshold sacrifices were also made to welcome a visitor into ancient homes. When the person stepped over the blood-covered threshold, the action was considered a binding covenant—a contract that could not be broken except by death. The person was then considered a permanent part of the family.

So in obeying Yahweh’s instructions, they were not only protecting their sons and ensuring that death would pass-over, they were actually inviting him to pass-over their thresholds and welcoming him into their homes! Anyone whose doorway was not covered in blood was therefore rejecting the free gift of protection from the Angel of Death and turning away Yahweh’s offer of a permanent relationship.

We see a beautiful picture of the Lamb of God in the memorial feast of the Passover. Just as the bread the Hebrews were told to eat for seven days had no leaven, Yeshua was completely sinless. Willingly, he was beaten and bruised, his back was shredded with jagged whips, his body tortured beyond belief, he was humiliated and berated and mocked.

Why did he endure such suffering? Because we needed a new identity. We had been separated from our Creator by sin—destined for eternal separation. Our labels said: Dead. Enslaved. Condemned.

So Yeshua came, laid his life down willingly, and became our threshold sacrifice. He offered us the gift of his blood to cover the doorway of our hearts, not only to free us from condemnation, but so Yahweh might step inside our lives and transform us from the inside out. We become one with his eternal family and are given new labels: Alive. Free. Forgiven.

Questions to Consider:

Have you invited Yeshua to “cross the threshold” into your heart, into permanent relationship? If so, spend a moment thanking Him for becoming the blood sacrifice that made a way and for paying the penalty for your sin. If not, what obstacles are standing in your way?

Alive. Free. Forgiven. Which of these “new” labels is especially meaningful to you today, and why?