KneEmail - a devotional by Mike Benson associated with Forthright Magazine
Righteousness 2
THE EVENTS SURROUNDING the tenth plague and the Passover are particularly instructive with reference to how God's part and man's part blend together in the accomplishment of deliverance from bondage...
God's part was to pass through Egypt in judgment, but to pass over every house where the blood of the lamb had been applied on the two side posts and upper door post of the houses (Exod. 12:1-3). But, wait a minute. How was the saving blood going to make it way up the door posts? God gave this responsibility to man. Man's part was to apply the blood at the appointed place and to trust in God's power to deliver. And that is exactly what the Israelites did, for "the children of Israel went away, and did as the Lord has commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they" (Exod. 12:29). Do you suppose that any of the Israelites who applied the blood to the door posts boasted of how they had accomplished their deliverance separate and apart from the power, grace and favor of God? Or do you think that they quibbled and said, "Why if we apply this blood to the door posts we will be nullifying the grace of God and meriting our deliverance"? Of course not. Their works of obedience to God's commandments did not detract from the recognition and appreciation of the One by Whose grace they were delivered. In fact, Moses reminded the people, "by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place" (Exod. 13:3). He told them that the time would come when their children would question the meaning of their sacrifices. Moses told these parents, "thou shalt say unto them, by strength of the hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage" (Exod. 13:14). (B.J. Clarke)
KneEmail: "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted of him" ( Acts 10:34-35; cf. Eph. 2:8-9).