Keep It

And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. 

Exodus 12:6 

When God gave His people instructions regarding the Passover lamb, with which they were to begin their year, He stipulated that they were to ‘keep’ the lamb until the fourteenth day of the month.  What possible value would there have been in this penning of the animal which was already ‘without blemish?’  This extended period gave opportunity for a through observation of the lamb to establish, beyond shadow of doubt, his fitness to be the sacrifice.  This harmonizes with what we know of the life of Christ.  Christ grew up before the eyes of His people.  They had ample opportunity to observe Him as He came and went before them.  Their testimony was ‘He has done all things well.’  He could issue the challenge, ‘Which of you can prove me guilty of sin?’  Even after His accusers had arraigned Him before Pilate, the verdict of the governor was, ‘I find no fault in Him.’  In all of His dealings and doings over the course of His life and ministry, Christ proved Himself to be perfect in thought, word and deed.  This demonstrated Him to be completely qualified to be the Substitutionary Sacrifice.  As we dwell upon Christ today, let us spend some time considering His perfect life, as the antecedent to His atoning death. 

Our Perfect, Holy Savior, 
we rejoice in Your sinless life. 
We praise You that You have done all that is necessary, 
to satisfy the law in precept, 
and You have done so on our behalf. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning