"For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him."
2 Chronicles 30:9
Godly King Hezekiah is preparing for the next Passover. At this time in Israel, the Kingdom is divided between Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Hezekiah is leading Judah to follow the LORD. Israel has been stubbornly rebelling, and God is ready to send them into captivity.
Passover is their sacred feast where the nation looked back in time to their captivity in Egypt when God rescued her. God sent Moses to deliver the Children of Israel. He went to visit Pharaoh multiple times, to ask for Israel’s release. Each time he declined to let Israel go free. After God sent the first nine plagues on Egypt, Pharaoh is still not ready to let Israel leave the land. Finally, after the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, including Pharaoh’s son, he is willing to give Israel leave.
The name “Passover” comes from the work of the death angel that night. Israel and the believing Egyptians were commanded to slay a spotless, pure lamb, and to wipe its’ blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes. As the death angel went throughout the land, wherever he saw the blood on the doors he knew God-lovers lived there, and he “passed-over” that home and went to the next home. Those who had the blood of the lamb on their homes were spared, those homes that were bloodless, lost their firstborn male child, and the firstborn of their livestock as well. It was then Pharaoh, let God’s people leave the land; God delivered His people. The “Passover” commemorates that significant event in Israel’s history. It is an annual reminder of God’s mercy, grace, and love for His people. This act by God was the very emblem of redemption for God’s people Israel.
The Passover is a picture of what Jesus, the Lamb of God accomplished for all sinners on the Cross of Calvary. The spotless Lamb of God, Jesus, was sacrificed. His blood was shed that those guilty sinners might be saved and go free. As the blood of the Passover lamb was applied to the doorposts and lintel to save the family inside the house, today Jesus’ precious blood may be applied to the sinner, that he might live and go free. The death of the Lamb secured the salvation of lost sinners. Back in Israel’s day in Egypt, it was the faith of each family that believed God’s Word and put the blood on their doors that saved them. Today it is also simple faith, believing what God’s Word says about your sin and God’s salvation, provided through the blood of Jesus Christ for those who will genuinely believe in Him. Since the payment for his sin has been made by Jesus, no more punishment is necessary and the sinner can go free.
Here are those beautiful, well-known verses that tell us of salvation through faith.
“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God,” (John 3:15-18).
As Hezekiah sent that kind invitation to that evil, rebellious bunch in northern Israel, to come and worship the One who could rescue their souls, even now God’s call for sinners to repent and come to Him still stands. Won’t you come to the Lord for Him to save your soul today? “…for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.”
Believers, let’s not forget that God has saved us and called us to go and preach the Gospel into all the world, bringing sinners to Him!
In our verse, I’ve learned that My God is Compassionate, Merciful, and Gracious!