Tuesday 10 April 2012
- Bible Book:
- Exodus
"At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock." (v. 29)
Background
The killing of the firstborn is the last of ten plagues sentupon the Egyptians as they stubbornly held the Israelites incaptivity as slaves. The angel of death delivers the plague ofdeath across Egypt, but passes over the homes of the Israelites whohave marked their homes in lamb's blood (
God sees and protects. The Israelites are God's people and he istheir God. As Christians, we too see ourselves as marked out byblood. Every time that we symbolise this through wine at HolyCommunion (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) we remember God'scompassion for us; compassion that is won through the death andresurrection of his own son - which brings us all into communion(ie into covenant) with him.
The Exodus depicts not just freedom from slavery for the Israelitesbut victory. Pharoah cannot get rid of them quickly enough - sogreat is his fear of their God after the tenth plague. So keen isPharoah to set the Israelites free from their long years of slaverythat they plunder his kingdom simply by asking for what they want(verses 35-36). It is total victory - even though the Israelitesare still afraid, and still rush.
Yet victory comes at great cost. At an inter faith Seder I attendedrecently, the local Rabbi talking about this (and the subsequentdeath of the Egyptians crossing the Red Sea) recalled an ancientRabbinic saying - "as the Israelites escaped it was said the angelssang with joy, and God said, 'How can you sing when my children aredrowning in the sea?'" The point is that rejoicing in victory isalways sour since there are always people who have been vanquishedtoo.
God's children are more than just the group we happen to belong to- God loves, and celebrates, and weeps with people of all faithsand none, of all colours and cultures.
In our Christian story God becomes as the Egyptians - suffering thedeath of God's own firstborn, Jesus - feeling that same pain at hissuffering, the same wailing at his passing. And on Easter morning(still with memories of those infants who died at the hand of Herodat Jesus' coming (Matthew 2:16-19) - the pain amidst the glory inour story), angels again sing with rejoicing for the victory of allof God's people - the whole creation - as the resurrection unfoldsand is slowly understood.
To Ponder
Who are the victims of war who you want to prayfor now?
To what extent is it appropriate to rejoice invictory? What might the alternatives be?