The Jewish nation is preparing for the coming holiday, Passover. On Friday evening, most Jewish families will sit around festive tables, and read the story of the Exodus. Parts of it will be sang, we will play some games with the kids, and eat for what seems like forever. We will also recall the ten plagues that God had brought upon the Egyptians, beginning with the very first one – Blood.
Most Jewish housewives go through a thorough cleaning of every corner in their homes in preparation for this high holiday. Drawers, piles of things long forgotten and untouched for months, everything is dusted and organized. Some joke and say that this holiday is to commemorate our freedom from slavery, only so that we can be in bondage again, this time to cleaning.
But what about our hearts? How can we remove old stains and hidden dust from our hearts? The Bible teaches that the cleansing of our hearts can be done only with blood. Interesting. Ask any housewife. She will clearly tell you that blood only stains. Moreover, blood stains are almost the hardest to remove from any fabric.
But God’s logic works so differently. No matter what contaminated your heart, memory or imagination through the years, it can be cleaned, redeemed and purified. And only through blood. No bleach required.
All it takes is to apply it to the wound or memory or negative feeling. Similar to what the Israelites did when they smeared blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their houses before they left the land of slavery.
How do you smear that blood today, on the doorposts of your hurting heart? I do it through repentance and forgiveness. I simply listen to His knocks on closed doors of my heart, and open them. I invite Him to sit as Lord over anything that bothers me, whether it be something in my circumstances, feelings, or thoughts. I take an imaginary piece of hyssop, and spread His blood (by faith) over anything in me that cries out for freedom from slavery.
So as a whole nation prepares for the traditional meal, you can pray for our hearts to be cleansed as well, not just our homes. Pray that we will understand who the real Lamb is, and how powerful His blood is. Though history made us think His blood contaminated us, the truth is it is what we actually need in order to stand clean.