“Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”
(Ex 12:13, NKJV)
Readers should please not forget the greater framework in which the teachings unfold. We are currently still concerned with examining various facets of the cross of Jesus, which, amongst other elements, is also symbolized by the altar of the burnt offering in the tabernacle. Thus we now explore the rich implications of the blood of Jesus.
The Scripture quoted above derives from the history of the Israelites waiting to gain Pharaoh’s sanction to move out of Egypt. [An interesting aside – Because Pharaoh had so often hardened his heart against the Israelites and against God (Ex 5:1-2), God later hardened his heart (Ex 7:3 and 14:4). Unfortunately Ex 7:13 is often wrongly translated – in the original language it does not state that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but rather as the Revised Version attests – “Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.”] As part of God’s goodness He created nine opportunities through which Pharaoh could, through the miraculous signs of the different plagues, convert himself and allow the Israelites to leave, but instead he attempted to trump these signs with his own occult priesthood (Ex 7:11&22; 8:7, 18-19; 9:11). From this tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, we read in Ex 11:4b-5 – “Thus says the LORD: ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die …’” Ex 12:7 spells out how the Israelites will be protected from the Angel of Death – “And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it … Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (verses 7 and 13).
The word sign in the Scripture quoted could also mean witness in the original Hebrew. In the light of this it is imperative that the Scripture in 1 John 5:8 be read along with it, providing a New Testament perspective – “And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.”
Blood is thus first and foremost a witness. Dictionary definitions of the words witness and witnesses point to its usage within formal judicial contexts, and that it is often accompanied by the swearing of an oath under a higher authority, and that it thus carries legal validity. It is considered as proof of actual events, from the perspective of someone who offers his presence at that particular point in question, as substitute.
In the teachings of Day 20 and Day 21 we already started discussing the meaning of having been born from water and spirit (John 3:5), but it is necessary to explicitly point out that the necessary element of the process of being born again is the blood of Jesus. All three do however only have one voice. This means – on the earth this is all that witnesses, but they must witness with one voice. In the new covenant the spiritual life (as counter pole to death) is nestled in rebirth, but rebirth only has a voice on account of the blood of Jesus.
- Sela: Explain to someone the central role blood plays in the gospel.
- Read: Lev 10; Neh 7; Isa 50
- Memorise: Isa 50:4
- For a deeper understanding: Read chapter 8 in R.A. Torrey’s Difficulties in the Bible.
