The Deliverer

I was inspired by a wonderful, timely, meaningful, and most important of Sunday School lessons this week.  The story of God delivering the children of Israel from Egypt is epic.  So epic in fact I think it's easy to miss the main point and incredible applicability to our lives today.

The Israelites, the Lord's chosen people, had been in bondage to the Egyptians for many years.  They may have wondered if the Lord had forgotten them and His promises to them through Abraham.  The Lord tells Moses He has not forgotten His children.  He has seen their afflictions and heard their cries and He will come to deliver them (see Exodus 3:7-8).  He tells him he will go into Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.  Moses wonders how he will do this - he doesn't seem to understand at first that it's the Lord that will do this.  He is the Deliverer.  He will be with Moses.  He will save His people.  Moses still worries about His weaknesses, but the Lord again promises and reassures him that He will be his mouth and teach him what he should say and do (see Exodus 4:10-15).

After many trials and plagues the Israelites are delivered out of the hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians after the Passover when each of the firstborn of the Egyptians die and the Israelites are saved by the blood of the lamb painted on their doorposts.  What a significant memorial and symbol of the Son of God, the Deliverer, and Savior.  They are instructed on how to precisely prepare for and then always remember this feast and how the Lord saved them.  The destroying angel passed by each of them because of the blood of the lamb that was prepared (see Exodus 12 and 13:2-3).

He is the Deliverer, the great and last sacrifice, the Way, the Truth, the Light, the Bread of Life.  We remember Him and the blessing of the Passover every Sunday as we partake of the sacrament that was instituted by the Him at the Last Supper (see Matthew 26:26-28).

Elder Holland taught, "Do we see [the sacrament] as our passover, remembrance of our safety and deliverance and redemption?  With so very much at stake, this ordinance commemorating our escape from the angel of darkness should be taken more seriously than it sometimes is.  It should be a powerful, reverent, reflective moment.  It should encourage spiritual feelings and impressions."

I sit here on Passover and contemplate how the Lord has saved, remembered, rescued, and passed over me....and I am grateful.  #BecauseofHim....the grave has no victory, we can start again and again, no goodbye will last forever, we are free, we have hope and can change and press on in our journey towards the promised land.

We will still have trials.  As soon as the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptians they came to the Red Sea and even after being miraculously saved as they crossed on dry ground they wandered in the wilderness for forty years.  The Lord remembered them and sustained them and led them.  He continued to deliver them and he will deliver and lead and direct us, especially as we recognize and seek for His hand in our lives!