The Lice Infestation

By Sara Esther Crispe

Every year around Passover, I teach the inner meaning of the ten plagues. And as I do, I try to reflect on which one is plaguing me the most. This year, it is definitely lice.

I would like to believe that I am thinking of lice simply because my child's class just had an outbreak. But no, I don’t believe it was being around children scratching their heads that is making me connect so strongly.

Lice is actually a bit bizarre to even be one of the ten plagues. I mean, looking through them, the others are quite devastating. We are dealing with all the water turning to blood, wild beasts, debilitating and paralyzing darkness, and more. But lice? Sure, it is annoying. An inconvenience. But an actual plague?

Fear of What's Next

by Max Lucado

"I am going away" ( John 14:28).

Imagine their shock when they heard Jesus say those words. He spoke them on the night of the Passover celebration, Thursday evening, in the Upper Room. Christ and his friends had just enjoyed a calm dinner in the midst of a chaotic week. They had reason for optimism: Jesus' popularity was soaring. Opportunities were increasing. In three short years the crowds had lifted Christ to their shoulders . . . he was the hope of the common man.

And now this? Jesus said, "I am going away." The announcement stunned them. When Jesus explained, "You know the way to where I am going," Thomas, with no small dose of exasperation, replied, "No, we don't know, Lord. We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?" ( John 14:4-5 NLT).

What's Important about Jesus Not Breaking Any Bones?

the Case for Christ Study Bible

When God gave Moses and Aaron the rules for the Passover, some might have sounded unconventional—for example, the clear prohibition against breaking any bones of the lamb that was sacrificed and eaten by each household. Why did God insist on this?

This command—that the Passover lamb not have its legs broken—carries symbolic weight. When Jesus, whom John the Baptist proclaimed to be “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), was crucified, not one of his bones was broken. John 19:31–34 tells us that when the soldiers came to Jesus to break his legs to hasten his death, they found that he was already dead, so they pierced his side with a spear but did not break his legs.

My Passover Blessing Prayer for You

Because of your partnership with me in gifts and prayers, I want to pray a special Passover blessing over you. 

The Miracle of Passover

At Passover we are instructed to bring a special gift of remembrance. We remember the miracle of the first Passover and the even greater miracle it foreshadowed — the Passover Lamb (Yeshua) translating us from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light. I am eternally grateful for what Yeshua has done in my life!

My Passover Gift to You

My Passover gift to you is a New Covenant version of the prayer God instructed Moses to pray over the Jewish people. God promised everyone who received this prayer would be sealed with His Name and everything His Name represents (Num. 6:22-27). Please take a moment to watch this brief video prayer. Also, I encourage you to forward this email to friends and family so they can receive a blessing.

Thanking God for Unanswered Prayers

March 26, 2013

Dear Reader: Happy Passover! For the next eight days, we celebrate Pesach (Passover), offering you devotional reflection tied to this very special observance as well as Torah readings for each day. Since no work is done on the holiest of these days, these devotions were prepared in advance for you.
"His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him." —Exodus 2:4

Today is Day 1 of the eight-day Passover celebration. The Torah reading for today is from Exodus 12:21–51 and the Haftorah is from Joshua 3:5–7; 5:2–6:1; 6:27.

What if God answered every prayer with a resounding "YES"? Would the world be a better and happier place or a worse one? For example, what if God had answered Miriam's prayer as she stood among the reeds next to the Nile River where her baby brother, Moses, floated in a basket designed to protect him as he drifted in the water?

As you remember the story, Miriam and her mother had placed Moses in the basket as a last resort. The Egyptians had resolved to kill every single Hebrew baby boy. Miriam and her mother hoped that a non-Egyptian would find the infant and have mercy on him.

Escaping Egyptian Tyranny - Again

During the past month, a plague of locusts swept across Egypt and then into neighboring Israel. While not so uncommon, a number of news reports were quick to point out the significant timing of the occurrence—coming as it did just before the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, which will be observed next week. At this time we reflect on God's deliverance of the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt. To free His people, God sent devastating plagues on Egypt, including locusts. In light of other recent events, there is much more to reflect on at this time as well.

It's been more than a month since I wrote the lead articles for the current issue of The Good News concerning the Arab Spring—covering Egypt's slide into Islamist tyranny and the drive toward an Islamic caliphate throughout the region and the wider Muslim world. Yet of course the threat to Israel remains. In fact, it may surprise you to learn that the Bible even foretells that slavery in Egypt and other lands lies ahead for many modern Israelites. I would like to have addressed this issue in the magazine, but length prevented me—and I'll still only be able to touch on it here.

Some Call it Communion, Some Lord’s Supper, Some Eucharist

By Fred Liggin

Luke 22:14-23 “When the hour came, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood; it is shed for you. But look, the hand of the one betraying Me is at the table with Me!

In Jesus’ last meal He instituted what some call “Communion,” some “Eucharist” and some “Lord’s Supper.” Whatever one calls it, its important to remember not only why He did this, but also with whom He shared this table meal. But first, a very brief background sketch is probably necessary (if you know it already, skip to next paragraph):

This New Covenant meal was instituted during an Old Covenant meal called Passover. Passover was a meal practiced by the Jews that reminded them of their deliverance from Egyptian slavery. This was a meal designed by the LORD to engage all five senses as well as heart, mind and soul. In their deliverance the LORD saved them by requiring each Hebrew family to cover the doorposts and lintels of their houses with the blood of a pure, innocent, sacrificial lamb, which they are to eat as a special dinner before the Lord. In a terrible moment of judgement under the cover of darkness, the LORD would send a deadly plague throughout the land of Egypt in judgment of their oppression, idolatry and disobedience. This plague would kill the firstborn male of every Egyptian family, as well as the firstborn of all livestock. The only way for a Hebrew to escape the judgment aimed at Egypt was to do as the LORD commanded through Moses: cover the doorpost and lintels with the blood of the lamb. The LORD would see the blood and “pass-over” them, resulting in their salvation. It was this terrible yet redemptive act of God that convinced the Egyptian Pharaoh to set His people free to live and worship Him.

God Wants To Do A New Thing In Your Life

Wayne Searls

Isaiah 43:18,19

TEXT: Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

PROPOSITION: To motivate the hearer to seek a new vision and a new in-terest in the things of God.

INTRODUCTION: Isaiah’s writings to the children of Israel came at a bleak period of their history. They are in captivity, they have lost everything they thought they would keep forever, and they were home sick for the land and the blessing God had promised them.

The 1st step to embracing the new thing what God wants to do in your life is to
I. CHANGE YOUR FOCUS -- QUIT LOOKING BEHIND START LOOKING HEAD v.18
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

Making Miracles

As the Passover meal progresses, we go from recounting the Passover story to expressing our gratitude for the great miracles that God did on behalf of the Nation of Israel. What better text to read from than Psalms of thanksgiving written by King David? In Psalm 114 we read about the Exodus from Egypt. The Psalmist reveals that when the Israelites approached the Red Sea, it “looked and fled.” But what exactly did the sea look at that made it split?

Jewish tradition teaches us that the sea saw the bones of Joseph, the son of Jacob, who had requested that the Israelites take his remains with them when they left Egypt. Something about the bones of Joseph caused the sea to react. What? For the answer, we turn to Joseph’s greatest moment.

Joseph’s greatest achievement was not becoming the second-in-command of Egypt. It wasn’t even his willingness to help out his brothers even though they hadn’t exactly treated him with the same kindness that he would later bestow upon them.


Joseph’s greatest moment came when he refused the advances of the wife of his master. After being sold into slavery in Egypt, Joseph found himself working in the home of Potiphar. Potiphar’s wife took a liking to him and tried daily to ensnare Joseph in sin.

Against his grain and natural desires, Joseph was able to refuse her offers: “…‘How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’ And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her” (Genesis 39: 9–10). Tradition teaches that when the sea saw the remains of Joseph it said, “If Joseph can go against his nature, I too can go against my own.” And it split.