Always Faithful!

We are "in between" two very significant holidays on the Jewish calendar that highlight the fact that God is always faithful - Purim and Pesach (Passover).  In writing to Timothy Paul says in 2 Tim. 2:13 - "If we are faithless, He [God] remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself."  The events of Purim and Pesach serve as timeless affirmations of this truth.

At Purim, as recorded in the book of Esther, we see how God used a Jewish young woman (Esther/Hadassah) and her Uncle (Mordecai) to bring about the deliverance of the genocide of all the Jews of ancient Persia planned by the evil Haman.  Interestingly enough the book of Esther is the only book of the 66 books of the Bible that does not specifically mention God of His Name anywhere in the book.  Yet the providence, protection and watchful eye of God over His covenant people is probably nowhere more obvious in the Bible than in this Megillah.  Throughout history, in spite of the suffering and deaths of many Jewish people and martyrs, God has always brought about the deliverance of His people from the genocidal plans of demonic world leaders, from Haman to Hitler - and beyond - God will continue to always be faithful to deliver His people from destruction and annihilation.

At Pesach, as recorded in the book of Exodus, we see how God used Moses to keep His promise to Abraham that He would bring Abraham's descendants out of slavery in a land not their own after 400 years, and would deposit them in the land He promised to give to Abraham and His descendants.  The Pesach story which recounts the emancipation of the Hebrew slaves from 400 years of Egyptian bondage through the 10 awful plagues on Egypt, the slaying of the Paschal lamb and the smearing of its blood on the posts and lintels of Jewish homes and the miracles that followed Israel through their wilderness experience, once again attests to the constant and consistent faithfulness of God to deliver His people from every form of slavery.

For those of us who are believers in Yeshua the Messiah, Pesach attests to God's faithfulness to deliver us from the power and bondage of sin, through the shedding of the blood of God's Lamb, Yeshua, and the application of His sacrificial blood to our hearts and lives.  Yeshua was introduced publicly to the world at the waters of the Jordan River by John the Immerser with the words: "Look!  The Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world!"  When we observe the Passover Seder in a few weeks, we call attention that everything about the Passover is a picture of Yeshua and what He accomplished for us on the cross - from the shank bone of the lamb, to the striped and pierced Matzot - everything at the Seder table and the liturgy of the Seder itself, speaks of Yeshua.

Purim and Passover are eternal pillars of truth attesting to the fact that no matter what life may deal us, no matter what we're going through, no matter what terrible situation we may find ourselves in, God was, is and always will be faithful and true to deliver us from destruction, annihilation and sin because it is His name and reputation that is on the line.  Deuteronomy 33:27 says this: "The eternal God [is your] refuge, And underneath [are] the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, 'Destroy!' "  Think about it and be encouraged by it!