September 7, 2016
Exodus 12:48, 49
(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)
Today, let’s look at Exodus 12:48 and 49:
…when a stranger sojourns with you and wants to keep the Passover to
the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near
and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircum-
cised person shall eat it. One law shall be for the native-born and for
the stranger who sojourns among you.
All were invited to become God’s people, to be a part of the nation of Israel! And all are invited to come to Jesus and be born into His family!
• Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13 – “…whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” It is written twice in the New Testament for emphasis, quoting from Joel 2:32. And the emphasis is on whoever!
• John 3:15, 16 – “…whoever believes in [Jesus]…should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Verse 16 is called ‘the gospel in a nutshell,’ and is perhaps the clearest succinct pronouncement of the plan of salvation in the whole Bible!
• Jesus “…Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but also for the whole world.” He would not have died for everyone’s sin unless He wanted everyone to come to Him and be saved!
• Revelation 22:17 – “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take of the water of life freely.”
✞ The Spirit is, of course, the Holy Spirit! Anyone who comes to Jesus Christ and accepts Him as their Savior is drawn by the Holy Spirit! (See John 3:5; 6:44; Romans 8:11; Ephesians 4:4). According to Matthew 12:31 and 32, the only unforgivable sin is “…blasphemy against…the Holy Spirit….” For if it is the Spirit who draws the person to Christ, how can that one be saved if he or she continually pushes that third Person of the Trinity away?
✞ Since Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one (see John 14:16-18 – God is Three in One) then Jesus, through the Spirit, is issuing this invitation of Revelation 22:17: “…whoever desires… Come! ”
✞ “…and the bride say[s] ‘Come!’ ” (Revelation 22:17). We are the bride of Christ! (See Romans 7:4; Ephesians 5:31, 32). We have a big part in inviting others to come to Jesus Christ! (See Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8; Philippians 2:14-16). Don’t neglect to say “Come! ” by life and lips!
✞ “And let him who thirsts come.” (Revelation 22:17). The invitation is open to all, but only those who thirst will respond! As Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:6: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” You have got to desperately want the Lord Jesus to benefit from Him and His gift of salvation!
✞ “…whoever desires, let him take of the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17). In John 4:14, the Lord told the woman at the well, “…whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water…will become in him a fountain…springing up into everlasting life.” How much of a fountain? “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink,” Jesus said. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37, 38). Rivers of living water! He said this concerning the Holy Spirit dwelling within and flowing out of us (see John 7:39).
But, although everyone is invited, we have to come God’s way! That’s the only way!
• Back in Moses’ day, when our featured Scripture was written, God’s way included the physical mark of circumcision! “…no uncircumcised person shall eat [the Passover meal].” Of course, as Saint Paul later wrote in Romans 9:6 through 8:
…they are not all Israel, which are of Israel, nor are they all children
because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall
be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are
not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted
as the seed.
The promise in which true Israelites were to believe was that God would give Abraham and Sarah a son – an heir when they were both well past childbearing age! (See Romans 4:19; 9:9). And that took faith! (See Romans 1:17; 4:20-22).
• Today it is also by faith (see Galatians 3:22) – faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on our behalf at Calvary! (See I Corinthians 15:1-4). God’s way is through His Son! And that is the only way! (See John 14:6). As Jesus said in John 10:1, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”
One more thing that may be easily overlooked in Exodus 12:48: “…let all his males be circumcised….” The call to respond is not just to the individual, but also to his whole family! Likewise, we – when we are called to put our faith in Jesus Christ – are to help bring our whole family into that relationship with God! (See Acts 16:31). That lays quite a responsibility upon us!
“Whoever desires…then let him come….” (Revelation 22:17; Exodus 12:48). Come to God through Jesus Christ and be saved! There is no other way! And bring all your loved ones with you!