For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah. (Psalm 61:3-4)
On the eve of the first Passover, Israel was instructed to place the blood of a lamb upon the doorposts and lintels of their homes. The Lord told them that upon seeing the blood, which was to serve as a sign between them and Him, He would pass over that house, and not allow the plague to destroy them (Exodus 12:13). For so many years, I was under the impression that to “pass over” them meant that He would “pass by” that house because it was marked with the Passover lamb’s blood. However, the word passover doesn’t mean to pass by; the root word’s meaning connects to the notion of shielding someone from danger.
To be more specific, the Hebrew term is related to the idea of a mother hen, upon sensing danger, brings her young chicks under the shelter of her wings to shield them from the threat. And so, when God said He would pass over the homes whose door was marked with the blood of the lamb, He meant that He would shield that home from the Destroyer as he passed through the land. In other words, because God passed over them, the Destroyer was compelled to pass by — they were abiding under the shelter of His wings. And so once again, in speaking of his own experience, David acknowledged the fact that God has been a shelter and strong tower for all of His people, at all times.
Israel’s history is replete with examples of how God sheltered them from danger and delivered them from their enemies. But David’s statement speaks not just to the past; as followers of Messiah, we too can find shelter under His wings. As it is written, “But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:2). It is important to remember what provoked the Lord to pass over His people — He saw the blood.
Only those who have been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb are promised that, in times of danger, the Lord will pass over us and shield us from the Destroyer. Furthermore, only those who have been cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb will be permitted to abide in His tabernacle for all eternity. Therefore, we should continually thank our Heavenly Father for providing the perfect Passover Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world, for our redemption.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments