The beginning of months

This month shall be unto you the beginning of months

Most people at some time or another have expressed a wish for a new beginning, and many people may have made a resolution to do better or forsake a bad habit from the beginning of the new year. We have all at some time or another resolved to be different, perhaps because of dissatisfaction with our way of life.

The children of Israel were God's people, (Exodus 9:1) and they were in bondage in Egypt, (Exodus 2:23). God had determined that they should be brought out of Egypt (Exodus 6:6) into the promised land (Exodus 13:5) so that they could live for Him and serve Him (Exodus 8:1). The start of this was to be marked by what God called the Passover, and it was to be to them the beginning of months (Exodus 12:2). As we consider that, what a wonderful thing that God should devise a new beginning for mankind, and how reassuring to think that it was all of God's doing, and that a person's life could even start with God. How infinitely better then, to ask God and then allow Him to change us and our lives, rather than trying to change ourselves or our own way in life. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 14:12). God's interest in us and His thoughts towards us are ever and always for our spiritual and eternal well-being (Jeremiah 29:11).

God's intention was that the children of Israel should be brought out from the bondage that they suffered under, and to leave behind the old life. We too need God's salvation, so that we can become something for God, like His Son (Romans 8:29), and "in Christ a new creature --- behold all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). In order for them to be redeemed the children of Israel had very simple instructions to follow. It is all detailed in the second book of the Bible - (Exodus 12). They basically had to take a lamb, keep it, then kill it, and finally apply the blood, and make sure that they were sheltering in their houses when the angel of death passed over. This required two things from them and no more: these things were first of all obedience (obedience is rarely a persons strong point), (see 1 Samuel 15:22), and secondly faith (Hebrews 11:28). This means simply trusting God and taking him at His word, just as the Psalmist did, (Psalm 56:11). If they did what God had commanded them, then they would be safe and secure (Exodus 12:13).

If we move forward to our present day then God would have us be saved by simply trusting and believing on His beloved Son - if our desire is to be saved and be right with God, then all we have to do is to "believe on the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ"., and then we shall be saved (Acts 16:31). Just as the Passover Lamb was slain and it's blood was shed so that those individuals sheltering in the house and under the blood could be redeemed; so it was that Christ died and shed His blood at Calvary when He was crucified, so that He could become our substitute (Hebrews 9:12-14), and "bring us nigh unto God" (Ephesians 2:13). dying for us as individuals (Romans 5:8) and for our sins too (1 Corinthians 15:3); this as was the case with the children of Israel, that we "might be delivered from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:10), and "be saved from wrath through Him" (Romans 5:9). The plan of Salvation is all of God, but the response is our responsibility, for which one day "every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12).