Message topic: Are we displaying the signs God desires?
Scripture text: Exodus 12:21-28
Did you know that God is always desiring the company of mankind? We find these words in (Genesis 3; 9) and the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him where art thou?
We also learn that of all the creations of God, only man was made by his own hands and in his own image: He, God was so pleased with His own handy work, that He took from Himself His own breath and put it in the man: and man became a living soul, so that they could always communicate always, at any time.
It is no wonder that when God looked at all His creations, it is only the man whom He made in His Image and likeness was able to communicate with Him, because He had taken something of Himself and placed in the man in His image.
Now the question is, why did God had to go looking for the man? The man had come to realized that he had done something wrong, and was unable to stand in the presence of God any mare, so he and his wife tried to find a place where they could hide from God.
God so love the man whom He made in His own image and likeness, He desires a constant connection with him, so he went looking for him and desire to help him: so He made a sacrifice to keep His word that the penalty for disobedience is death, someone or something had to die to pay the penalty of disobedience which is blood, so God created a temporary blood covering with the blood of an animal.
We as believers in God the All mighty through Jesus Christ do believes that we serve the – High God in all the universe: and we do believe these words which are recorded for us in (Psalm 139: 1-6).
O Lord, thou hast searched me, and know me. Thou knows my down sitting and mine uprising, thou understand my thoughts afar off. Thou compasses my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways: for there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me, such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Did someone say, Now I can understand your question, if God knows everything about us, why am I asking if we are displaying sings that God can see and know who we are?
In Isaiah 41:8 we find Abraham being referred to as a friend of God: before the prophet Isaiah wrote these words, we hear God, in a conversation with Abraham in Genesis 15:-13 God said to him: Abraham, know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years: and that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterwords shall they come out with great substance.
We know that the descendants of Abraham, are the Israelites, and we know that they are the ones who came out of Egypt with great substances: after four hundred years in of suffering.
How were these people to be identified as the descendants of Abreham after four hundred years of marriage and intermarriage?
God said to His servant Moses in these words, say to the people of Israel, take a lamb or a kid of the goat that is an year old without blemish, and keep it for fourteen days, and the whole assembly of Israel shall kill it in the evening: They shall take the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the house, wherein they shall eat it.
They shall eat the flesh that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs; you shall eat it with your loins grided, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste, it is the Lord’s Passover.
Many may have asked, what is the reason for this strange act? The answer is from the Lord in these words; I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt this night, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgement: I am the lord.
The blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
God was sending death angels to all the houses in Egypt but there was a sign they should look for: the houses with blood stain on their door posts, they should not enter, God’s people are in that house. Is God still looking for signs among people today?
What would happen to these people when they leave Egypt, the only land they knew for four hundred years? They were promise, a better land, a land that is often referred to as the land of milk and honey: they would have good houses which they did not build, vineyards and fruit trees which they did not plant, and wells of water which they did not dig. It would be a place of content.
Where was this land, and what would they have to do before they could get there? They would have to pass through strange lands whose people were not friendly to them and would have to fight their way through this land: one such places was Jericho.
Joshua who became the leader of the Israelites after Moses led them out of Egypt, when they came to Jericho and knew that they would have to fight their way through, sent two spies to see what they would have to do so that they could easily take that city.
These spies were recognized as Israelites by a harlot whose name was Rahab, who expressed her faith in Israel’s God after seeing what the Israelites had done to the other areas through which they had passed, so she hid them when the officials came and inquire for the men who came in unto her: they are gone she said, and gave then the direction they went. Then she caused the spies to escape from Jericho by letting them down through her window by means of a rope made of scarlet thread.
Listen to this promise which the spies made to Rahab which is found in (Joshua 2:18) behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household home unto thee. They will be saved along with you.
We have seen that God gave a sign to the Israelites to put lamb’s or kid’s blood on their door posts, He gave the harlot woman a sign to put a scarlet rope hanging from her window through which she had caused these two spies to escape so that they were saved: are there any signs that God is looking for so that we can be saved?
God gave these words to us through His prophet Ezekiel which is found in (Ezekiel 36:26-27) a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: I will take away the stoney heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them, and you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers and you shall be my people and I will be your God.
What are the attributes or signs that Jesus is looking to see in us so that He can say in presenting us to His Father and say: this is one for whom I died?
- God is looking to see Charity: the pure love of Christ for others.
(2) God is looking to see Virtue: a pattern of thought and behavior based on the highest moral standards.
(3) God is looking for Knowledge: the understanding of all things, both spiritual and temporal.
(4) God is looking to see Patience: the ability to endure afflictions and trials with faith and hope.
(5) God is looking to see Humility: the recognition of one’s dependence on God and the willingness to submit to His will.
(6) God is looking to see Forgiveness: the act of pardoning others for their offence and seeking reconciliation.
(7) God is looking for Prayerfulness: the habit of communicating with God and seeking His guidance.
(8) God is looking for Gentleness: the quality of being kind, tender, and respectful to others.
(9) God is looking for diligence: the earnest and persistent effort to accomplish one’s goals and duties.
Now the question is, how many of these signs or attributes of Christ Jesus which He put in the heart of flesh which He exchange for the heart of stone which was in us can He see daily in us?