Exodus 12 records the first observance of the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread by the Israelites. A lamb was killed on the 14th day of the first month and its blood was sprinkled on the doorposts of their homes. Obedience to this command protected the life of Israel’s firstborn sons and marked Israel’s release from their bondage in Egypt.
In verses 12 and 13 we read that God will ‘pass through (עבר) the land’ and when He sees the blood He will ‘pass over (פסח) the house’ – keeping those inside safe. Note that two different Hebrew words are used.
The Hebrew word פסח, commonly translated ‘pass over’ actually has a connotation of ‘to hover or surround’ denoting a ‘shielding shelter’. So חספcould more appropriately be translated as ‘cover-over’.
“And when I see the blood, I will cover-over you and no plague will befall you to destroy you”
(Exodus 12:13)
With this rendering we can see that God is right there with His people… in an intimate relationship where He personally covers us as a shield and protects us from harm. He is not remote, somewhere out there in the vast cosmos.
As we celebrate these Feasts today, being under the covering of the blood of Yahshua, let us be aware that the presence of our God is right here with us – shielding us from death and darkness by His sustaining life.
