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Lesson 5.Passover | 5.3 Pesach | EXODUS | LIVING FAITH

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⛪ Lesson 5: Passover
📘 5.3 Pesach
✨ Sign of the Blood, Sign of Redemption

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🟦 Introduction

Why blood? This is a question many people ask when they read the biblical sacrificial laws or hear of Jesus as the “Lamb of God.” For us, blood often symbolizes pain, death, or violence. But in the Bible, it is the deepest sign of life—and of salvation.

At the center of the Passover feast is blood. It was the visible sign of faith and at the same time God’s answer to judgment. The Israelites weren’t spared because they were better than the Egyptians—but because they believed God’s word and applied the blood to their doorposts.

This lesson leads us into the heart of the Gospel: Only through the sacrifice of another—the pure, spotless lamb—can a person be saved. And this lamb is Christ.

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📖 Bible Study: Exodus 12:17–23

🔹 1. Context: A Sacred Moment Before Judgment

Verses 17–23 appear in one of the most dramatic parts of the Bible: the final night before Israel’s departure from slavery. God, through Moses, had repeatedly announced that the death of the firstborns was imminent—God’s judgment over Egypt, the symbol of an oppressive world power.

Yet in the middle of this somber announcement, God shifts the focus away from judgment toward salvation—and toward the sign that guarantees that salvation: the blood of a lamb.

These verses form the theological heart of the Passover—and a prophetic picture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

🔹 2. Verse-by-Verse Explanation

📌 Verse 17: “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt.”

God gives Israel a memorial festival—not after salvation, but while it is happening.

Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are not merely commemorations but part of the saving event itself. Remembrance is part of redemption.

Here, God begins shaping Israel’s identity as a people of memory and gratitude.

📌 Verses 18–20: “For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast…”

In this context, yeast (leaven) symbolizes the old way—sin, pride, corruption, decay.

Removing the leaven is not just a household task—it is a spiritual act of sanctification: detachment from the old, readiness for the new.

Paul echoes this in 1 Corinthians 5:6–8: “Get rid of the old yeast… celebrate the festival with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

🔎 Application: God’s deliverance is not only external (from Egypt), but also internal—He wants to remove “leaven-thinking” from us.

📌 Verses 21–22: “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood…”

God gives concrete instructions—not abstract piety, but clear acts of faith.

The lamb must be sacrificed. A life for a life.

The blood is visibly applied to the doorframe—with a bunch of hyssop, a bitter herb associated in the Bible with purification (e.g., Psalm 51:7: “Cleanse me with hyssop…”)

🔎 Symbolism:

  • Lamb: Purity, innocence, substitution (cf. Isaiah 53:7)

  • Blood: Protection, life, atonement

  • Doorposts: The threshold—transition from death to life

  • House: The community of believers sheltered under the blood

📌 Verse 23: “The LORD will pass through to strike Egypt… But when He sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, He will pass over that doorway…”

The judgment applies to all—Israelites and Egyptians—unless they are under the blood.

It is God Himself who passes through—not a “death angel,” but the LORD. It is His judgment—but He spares where there is faith.

The word pass over (Hebrew: pasach) is the origin of Pesach → Passover.

✨ The blood does not change God—but marks the place of faith. God passes over because death has already occurred—upon the lamb.

🔹 3. Theological Depth: Why Blood?

  • Blood = Life (Leviticus 17:11): The life of a being is in the blood. When blood is shed, life is given.

  • Atonement requires blood (Hebrews 9:22): “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”

  • Substitution: The lamb dies in place of the person—a core principle of divine grace.

➕ Typology: Passover is a foreshadowing of the cross:

Passover Element Fulfilled in Christ
The Lamb Jesus, “Lamb of God” (John 1:29)
The Blood His death on the cross
The Doorposts Public confession of faith
The Salvation “Whoever believes… shall not perish” (John 3:16)

🔹 4. Spiritual Meaning of the Passover Blood Today

No animal needs to be sacrificed today, because Christ has made the final offering (Hebrews 10:10). But faith in the blood remains central. It is not the symbol that saves—but what the symbol points to: Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Whoever trusts in the blood of Christ is under divine protection—not just from external threats but from eternal death.

The “application” of blood today is our confession of faith—our personal decision to claim Jesus’ death for ourselves.

🔹 5. Historical and Practical Aspect: The Birth of Israel’s Identity

Passover is not only theologically important—it also establishes Israel’s national identity as a covenant people. United under the blood, united in the meal, united in their exodus.

  • Family Meal: Everyone should take part. No one is alone. Faith is passed on—from parents to children.

  • Eternal Remembrance: God wants this event to be remembered every year—because faith grows through remembrance.

🕯 Christianity continues this through the Lord’s Supper: “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19).

📚 Summary: What Exodus 12:17–23 Teaches Us

Element Meaning
Unleavened Bread Sanctification, separation from the old
Lamb Substitution, purity, image of Christ
Blood Protection, atonement, life
Hyssop Purification, repentance
Doorposts Confession, boundary between death and life
Household Unity in faith, transmission of promise
Remembrance Faith grows through conscious memory
God’s Judgment Serious, yet merciful

🔚 Conclusion of the Extended Bible Study

Exodus 12:17–23 is more than a ritual regulation—it is the Gospel in symbols. The red thread of redemption running through all of Scripture becomes visible here:

  • Guilt is real—and has consequences.

  • But God provides a way out—through the blood of an innocent substitute.

  • Those who humbly place themselves under this protection are secure—now and forever.

The Passover blood was not only effective in Egypt—it points to the cross at Calvary, where the true Lamb of God shed His blood for us.

The most important question for us today is not: “Why blood?”
But: “Am I under the blood of Christ?”

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📖 Answers to the Questions

📌 Question 1: Read Exodus 12:17–23. What role does blood play in celebrating this new festival?

Blood plays a central, life-determining role in the celebration of Passover. It is more than a ritual element—it is the decisive marker between life and death, between judgment and grace, between Egypt and the people of God.

God Himself says in Exodus 12:13:
“The blood will be a sign for you… When I see the blood, I will pass over you.”

This is revolutionary:
Not origin, nationality, or ancestry—but the visible sign of blood on the doorposts determines life or death.

🩸 Why is the blood so important?

  • Blood represents life (Leviticus 17:11):
    “The life of the flesh is in the blood… I have given it to you to make atonement.”
    Blood symbolizes life given for another life.

  • Blood means substitution:
    The lamb dies so the firstborn does not.
    → The heart of the Gospel: Innocent blood covers human guilt.

  • Blood is a sign of faith:
    Applying the blood to the door was a public act of trust.
    The family was saying: “We believe God’s word. We obey, even if it seems illogical or risky.”
    → It was not just the lamb that saved—but the faith, made visible through the blood.

  • Blood is a shield in judgment:
    That same night, countless firstborns died in Egypt—but not one death occurred where the blood was present.
    → The difference wasn’t moral status—but the presence of the blood.

Typologically, the blood points to Jesus:

  • John the Baptist called Jesus: “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

  • Paul wrote: “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Cor 5:7)

  • Peter added: “…redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18–19)

➡ Conclusion:
The Passover is not just about remembering the escape from Egypt—but about the Gospel in symbolic form.
The blood says: “Another dies in my place.” And God sees that blood—and spares.

📌 Question 2: To atone for sin, the blood of Jesus—God’s own blood—was required. What does this show us about the seriousness of sin?

This question goes to the very heart of the Gospel—and of our view of God and humanity. In a world where sin is often trivialized, the Bible reveals:

Sin is deadly. And it is so profound that only God’s own life could atone for it.

➡ The price of forgiveness is not a gentle “It’s okay”—but the blood of Jesus.
Not the blood of an animal. Not a prayer. Not a good deed. But the death of God’s holy Son on the cross.

💡 What do we learn from this?

  • Sin is not harmless—it is deadly:
    “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)
    Not just physical death, but eternal separation from God.

    → If there had been another way to save humanity, God would have avoided the cross.
    → The cross proves sin is no minor issue.

  • Sin destroys relationship—with God and others:
    In Eden, one act of disobedience expelled humanity from God’s presence.
    → Every sin is, at its core, rebellion against God’s rule.

  • Only a perfect sacrifice could atone:
    Old Testament sacrifices had to be spotless—but they could not save permanently.
    “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4)

    That’s why Jesus came—sinless, but willing to bear our punishment.

  • Jesus’ crucifixion shows how seriously God takes sin:
    God could have judged humanity outright.
    But instead, He chose self-sacrifice: The Son of God dies—for the sinner.

    The cross is the ultimate proof of both God’s justice and His love:
    “…so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:25–26)

➡ God does not downplay sin—but He forgives because He paid the price Himself.

💔 Sin is so grave, only God’s blood could cover it.
💖 You are so loved, God was willing to shed it.

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✨ Spiritual Principles

  • Salvation comes only through the blood—not works, heritage, or knowledge.

  • Faith becomes visible through obedience—like applying the blood to the doorposts.

  • Sin is serious—it costs life. But grace is greater—it gives life.

  • Christ is our true Passover Lamb—His blood protects us from eternal judgment.

  • Rituals can heal—when combined with heart, faith, and remembrance.

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🧩 Application for Daily Life

  • Be honest about your sin—and take refuge under Christ’s blood.

  • Talk to your children about the meaning of the Lord’s Supper—it is our Passover.

  • Don’t allow “yeast” in your life: jealousy, pride, unforgiveness—clean house.

  • Believe God’s grace is bigger than your past—and celebrate that!

  • When you take Communion, do it with this awareness: You live because He died.

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✅ Conclusion

Passover is not an ancient ritual—it is a living testimony. It calls out to us:
Trust the blood! Take refuge under the sign of grace. And move forward—free from guilt, ready to live in God’s presence.

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💭 Thought of the Day

“It is not our effort that saves us from destruction—but the blood of Another.”

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✍ Illustration – “The Red Thread”

A story about guilt, protection, and an old coat

Setting: Manila, Philippines – Present Day

Prologue – The Siren’s Echo

Outside, the typhoon raged. The shutters rattled like the rhythm of fear. Above the rooftops of the slums, sirens wailed. People fled into emergency shelters—not for the first time. But this time was different. Authorities warned: “This will not be an ordinary storm.”

Mariah, 17, pulled her little brother Joel tightly against her. Their mother had abandoned the family, their father had passed away. Mariah was what the neighbors called “the strong one”—because she held everything together. But now, even she was shaking.

Chapter 1 – The Old Garment

In one of the boxes they had grabbed while fleeing, Mariah found her father’s red coat—worn and frayed, but still warm. Her father had always worn it when praying after work.

Mariah remembered his words:
“If you’re ever afraid, hide under the red. It’s like God’s blood—it covers what you don’t understand.”

Back then, she had laughed. Now, she cried.

Chapter 2 – The Flood

That night, the river burst its banks. The emergency shelter was flooded. People screamed, children clung to mattresses, doors—anything that could float.

Mariah frantically searched for Joel. When she found him, he was standing on a rooftop shouting, “The wind tore the roofs off!”

She pulled him close, wrapped him in the red coat, and held him tightly.

Chapter 3 – The Sign

The next morning, everything was destroyed—except for their tiny home. Mud, debris, shattered lives everywhere. But a rescue team found them safe and unharmed. When they freed them from the coat, one of the helpers asked:

“How is it that the tree didn’t fall on your house?”

Another said: “There’s something about this place… something protective.”

Later, Mariah hung the coat on the front door. Not out of superstition—but as a reminder. Of grace. Of protection. Of a blood that was not merely symbolic—but truly saves.

Epilogue – A New Generation

Years later, Joel became the pastor of a small church. Above the entrance hung the red coat—in a frame. Below it were the words:

“When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” – Exodus 12:13

🎯 Core Message of the Story:

Just like the blood on the doorposts of the Israelites during the night of judgment, today the blood of Christ is our protection.

We survive not because we are strong, but because someone stronger died in our place.

Passover teaches:

What covers you, saves you.
And Christ is enough.

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/lesson-5-passover-5-3-pesach-exodus-living-faith/

29.07.2025 – Leviticus Chapter 14 | BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS

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📅 July 29, 2025
📖 DAILY BIBLE READING
✨ Leviticus 14 – Cleansing: God’s Path to Restored Fellowship
🔥 God’s grace in dealing with impurity, illness, and exclusion

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📜 Bible Text – Leviticus 14 (KJV)

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

2 This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:

3 And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;

4 Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:

5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:

6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:

7 And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.

8 And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.

9 But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.

10 And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.

11 And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

12 And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord:

13 And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest’s, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy:

14 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:

15 And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand:

16 And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord:

17 And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering:

18 And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord.

19 And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:

20 And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

21 And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil;

22 And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.

23 And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the Lord.

24 And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord:

25 And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:

26 And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand:

27 And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the Lord:

28 And the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the trespass offering:

29 And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the Lord.

30 And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get;

31 Even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the Lord.

32 This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing.

33 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

34 When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;

35 And he that owneth the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, It seemeth to me there is as it were a plague in the house:

36 Then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest go into it to see the plague, that all that is in the house be not made unclean: and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house:

37 And he shall look on the plague, and, behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow strakes, greenish or reddish, which in sight are lower than the wall;

38 Then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days:

39 And the priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look: and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house;

40 Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:

41 And he shall cause the house to be scraped within round about, and they shall pour out the dust that they scrape off without the city into an unclean place:

42 And they shall take other stones, and put them in the place of those stones; and he shall take other morter, and shall plaister the house.

43 And if the plague come again, and break out in the house, after that he hath taken away the stones, and after he hath scraped the house, and after it is plaistered;

44 Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house; it is unclean.

45 And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the morter of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.

46 Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even.

47 And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.

48 And if the priest shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plaistered: then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.

49 And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:

50 And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water:

51 And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times:

52 And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:

53 But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.

54 This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall,

55 And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house,

56 And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:

57 To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.

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🔵 Introduction

At first glance, Leviticus 14 may seem like a long list of ritualistic instructions—bloody, complex, and far removed from our modern lives. But when we take a closer look, we discover a deep treasure: a divine pathway to healing what is unclean, restoring the excluded, and rebuilding broken community. In the cleansing of a person with leprosy—and even a “diseased” house—we see God’s desire for wholeness: for individuals, for relationships, and for entire living spaces.

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🟡 Commentary

🔹1. Cleansing the Leper (Verses 1–32)

In the Old Testament, purity was not merely a medical condition—it had profound religious and social implications. A person with leprosy was not just ill, but isolated, forced to live outside the camp—cut off from both God and community.

The rituals described—two birds, water, cedarwood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop—are rich in symbolism:

  • One bird is killed, the other set free: a powerful image of death and new life

  • Cedarwood represents strength and durability

  • Scarlet yarn and hyssop symbolize purification and redemption

The priest plays a crucial role—not only performing the ritual, but declaring the person clean, a formal act of reconciliation and restoration.

Remarkably, even the poor could be cleansed—God provided alternative offerings. His law was both just and accessible.

🔹2. Cleansing of Houses (Verses 33–57)

Even houses could become “infected”—a biblical image for sin, corruption, or spiritual disease infiltrating our living spaces.

The process is similar:

  • The priest diagnoses

  • A period of observation follows

  • Either purification—or total demolition—is carried out if no healing occurs

  • A final cleansing ritual follows, involving blood, water, and the living bird

This is about more than hygiene: God’s presence is meant to fill every space of life.

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🟢 Summary

Leviticus 14 teaches us:

  • God sees disease and impurity—but also the path to healing.

  • Cleansing is possible—for body, soul, home, and community.

  • The priest mediates restoration and grace.

  • No one is too poor to be made clean before God.

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📢 Message for Us Today

We may no longer live under ritual law, but the need for cleansing, reconciliation, and healing is just as real today:

  • Sin still separates—from God, from others, and from ourselves

  • God still offers healing—through the blood of Jesus, which speaks better than the blood of animals

  • Community with God begins with cleansing—and ends with welcome

  • Even our “house” (our life, our environment) needs renewal by God

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💡 Reflection Questions

🔍 Where is there “leprosy” in your life—things you try to hide, but that truly need healing?

🙏 Are you willing to let the “Priest”—Jesus Christ—examine and cleanse you?

🏠 What does it mean to you that God wants to renew even your “house”—your personal space and environment?

~~~~~ 🔥 ~~~~~

📆 July 27 – August 2, 2025
📆 WEEKLY SPIRIT OF PROPHECY READING
📖 Ellen G. White │ Patriarchs and Prophets – Chapter 20
✨ Joseph in Egypt
📖 Read online here

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🔵 Introduction

Joseph’s life story is one of the most moving accounts in the Old Testament. It shows how God uses suffering, injustice, and severe trials to shape a young man into an instrument of His blessing — not just for one people, but for entire nations. What Joseph experiences reflects divine education, divine faithfulness — and human choice.

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🟡 Commentary

📌 1. Brokenness: Loneliness and Loss (The Beginning of the Journey)

Joseph is betrayed by his brothers, sold, and on his way to a foreign land. His childhood, marked by his father’s favoritism, ends abruptly. He experiences deep emotional wounds and total abandonment. But out of this crisis, something new begins to grow. In his loneliness, Joseph decides to trust God — even when he loses everything else.

📌 2. The Conscious Decision for Faithfulness (Turning Point)

Joseph remembers the teachings about the God of his fathers — and makes a conscious decision: he will remain faithful to God, no matter the cost. This decision becomes the defining turning point in his life. He is no longer a victim of his circumstances but a servant of God — even in slavery.

📌 3. Steadfastness in Temptation (Potiphar’s House)

Joseph is tempted by Potiphar’s wife. The decision lies between secret sin or risky faithfulness. Joseph chooses the harder path and asks:
“How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9)
He does not choose out of fear of people but out of reverence for God.

📌 4. Faithfulness in the Dark (The Prison Years)

Joseph is unjustly condemned. Despite deep injustice, he holds firm to his faith. He does not become bitter. Instead of self-pity, he serves others, helps, comforts, interprets dreams. The years in prison become a school of character.

📌 5. The Elevation (At the Royal Court)

God opens the doors at the right time. Joseph is elevated — not by chance, but by divine plan. His wisdom, insight, and faithfulness in small things make him Egypt’s administrator. The former slave becomes Father of the Land (Genesis 41:43). God honors his faithfulness with influence and responsibility.

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🟢 Summary

Joseph’s journey takes him from his father’s tent, through slavery and prison, all the way to the Pharaoh’s court. In every phase, Joseph remains faithful to his God — not because it was easy, but because it was right. His strength of character and faith make him an instrument in God’s hands.

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📢 Message for Us Today

God’s guidance is not always visible — but it is always faithful.

Trials reveal our character.

He who honors God in the small things will be entrusted with greater things.

Worldly success is empty without the fear of God — but through reverence for God, success gains lasting value.

Character is shaped in daily life, through small decisions, in the unseen.

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💬 Reflection Question

Where am I right now on my “Joseph journey”? In the pit? In Potiphar’s house? In prison? Or in elevation?

What keeps me from remaining faithful to God under all circumstances?

Is my integrity dependent on external conditions — or on inner conviction?

What “small decisions” today are shaping my character for tomorrow?

LuxVerbi | The light of the Word. The clarity of faith.

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/29-07-2025-leviticus-chapter-14-believe-his-prophets/

29.07.2025 | JOSEPH – FAITH THAT CARRIES YOU THROUGH | 4. The Well of Despair | HEART ANCHOR | Youth Devotional

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📅 29.07.2025

🌟 Joseph – A Faith That Carries Through
Devotions from the Life of a Dreamer with Character

🧭 4. The Well of Despair
When everything turns dark – and God is still there

👣 Introduction

The well.
No light. No grip. Just cold and emptiness.

Despair is not a quiet feeling –
it screams in the darkness.
It doesn’t ask politely.
It overwhelms.

It was the same for Joseph.
He didn’t just fall physically into the cistern,
but also inwardly into an abyss.

The voices that betrayed him were still above.
But no one came to pull him out.

No escape. No understanding. No comfort.
Only the well –
and the despair.

And yet:
God was there.
Even there.

🎯 Devotion

📖 Genesis 37:24:
“And they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.”

A pit.
No water – but also no way out.
A place that shows: You’ve hit rock bottom.

Joseph had dreams –
but now he was pushed into darkness.

No ray of light saying, “It will get better.”
No voice calling, “I’m with you.”
Only silence.

💔 Maybe you know wells like that.
Times when you fell –
not because you failed,
but because life pushed you down.

A conversation that changed everything.
A loss that pulled the ground from under you.
A decision made against you, for no reason.

And you sit there –
asking yourself:
“God, are you still there?”

📖 Psalm 88:6:
“You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.”

📖 Psalm 88:14:
“Why, Lord, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?”

These words are in the Bible –
because God knows such times exist.
He doesn’t hide them.
He doesn’t condemn them.
He meets us in them.

📝 Story – How Elias Met God in the Depths

Elias was 19 when his world fell apart.
His mother – seriously ill.
His father? Long gone.
His only anchor – music and faith.

But one winter, he lost both:
His mother passed away –
and in his grief, he also lost the strength to believe.

Where there used to be worship,
there was now only silence.

He stopped going to church.
He stopped praying.
He shut himself off.

“I can’t go on anymore” – that was his constant thought.
“If you exist, God – why did you allow this?”

Then one evening, he listened to an old recording of his mother.
She had recorded a prayer years ago,
just casually – as a voice message.

“Elias, if you’re hearing this – and I’m no longer around –
remember: God has not forgotten you.
You can tell Him everything.
Even your pain.”

He wept.
For the first time in weeks.
Not because everything got better –
but because he realized: God had never left.

The well was there –
but God was deeper.

Today, Elias says:
“I thought my faith was gone.
But God was never gone from me.
I met Him in the depths.”

💭 What We Can Learn from This

  • Even believers fall into dark wells

  • Despair is not a sign of unbelief – but an invitation to be honest

  • God is not only on the mountaintops – He’s in the depths too

  • The pit is not the end – sometimes it’s the beginning of something deeper

🧠 Reflections – What Does This Mean for You?

🔍 Have you experienced times when you felt “trapped” inside?
😔 Were there moments when you didn’t feel God’s presence – and yet hoped He was there?
🛐 Can you bring your despair to God – just as it is?

💡 Practical Steps for Today

✅ Speak your despair honestly in prayer – you don’t have to sugarcoat it
✅ Read Psalm 88 – one of the most honest texts in the Bible
✅ Make space for silence – God often speaks softly
✅ Write down what holds you in the “well” – and what still gives you hope

📖 “The well was empty – but not meaningless.”

🙏 Prayer

Lord,
I don’t know how deep I’ve fallen –
but I know: You are deeper still.

When I see nothing,
You still see me.

When I don’t feel You,
You still hold me.

Today, I bring You my despair.
My questions. My darkness.

Give me hope –
not for a quick way out,
but for Your presence.

Show me: I am not alone.
Not even in the pit.

Amen.

📌 Takeaway for Today

“God is not only the God of the mountains –
He is also the God of the wells.”

🌿 Blessing to End With

May the Lord bless you –
when you fall,
and no one catches you.

May He be near –
when you cry out,
and no one answers.

May He hold you –
when you feel like nothing holds anymore.

And may He lead you out –
not always quickly,
but always surely.

Because He is there –
even in the well.
Even in the despair.
Even with you.

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/29-07-2025-joseph-faith-that-carries-you-through-4-the-well-of-despair-heart-anchor-youth-devotional/

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As presented at the 62nd GC Session of the Adventist Church, the Israel Field reports 75 baptisms since 2022, adding to 860 members in 21 congregations in this territory. This is possible through media and evangelistic efforts in the region. Watch this video report to learn how God is moving through the church in the Israel Field. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKOYF7edXWs

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Tuesday: Pesach

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Daily Lesson for Tuesday 29th of July 2025

Read Exodus 12:17-23. What role does blood play in the celebration of this new festival?

The blood of the sacrificed animal is a key element in this celebration. Those who participated in this feast had put the blood of the slain lamb on the doorframes of their houses. In this way, they demonstrated their faith in God, believing that He would deliver them from what those not covered by the blood would face.

What a powerful expression of the gospel!

Sprinkling Blood on the Doorpost

Image © Phil McKay at Goodsalt.com

The Passover lamb had to be without blemish because it pointed to Jesus Christ, “ ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ ” (John 1:29, NKJV). The animal’s blood played a crucial role: it symbolized protection and was the sign of life at a time of death.

“ ‘ “Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” ’ ” (Exodus 12:13, NKJV).

The whole gospel was associated with the celebration of the Passover because it pointed not only to freedom from slavery and going to the Promised Land but to Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and His ­merits applied to all who are covered by His blood.

Centuries later as Paul looked back on this celebration, he wrote: “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7, NKJV).

Yeast, or leaven, was used to prepare dough of various kinds. When it is first mentioned in the Bible, it is in connection with the preparation of the unleavened bread on the eve of the Israelites’ departure from Egypt. Yeast also had to be removed from their homes (Exodus 12:8,15-20; Exodus 13:3-7). In this particular context, yeast was a symbol of sin (1 Corinthians 5:6-8); therefore, it was not to be used during the Passover festival for a week.

The unleavened bread is a symbol of the sinless Messiah, who overcame all temptations and gave His life for us (John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 4:15). A bunch of “hyssop,” which was dipped in the blood, symbolized God’s purifying grace (Psalms 51:7). In short, all through Pesach, the redeeming work of Jesus is revealed.

What does the fact that it took the blood of Jesus, God Himself, to atone for sin to teach us about how bad sin really is?

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25c-05-pesach/

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