When the Lamb Becomes a Lion

Last month, my Men’s group looked at how the Israelites were instructed by the Lord to practice the Passover.  The ceremony is steeped with symbolism.  You know it’s always easy to celebrate a successful outcome.  It’s an entirely different situation when one has to trust one’s fate to an act of faith.  

The 4^th of July is typically a pretty big deal in modern-day America – Flags, BBQs, and fireworks are all commonplace.  The original 4^th – back in 1776, was arguably a bigger deal.  While the Declaration was bold, its ultimate outcome was anything but certain.  “Celebration” was certainly not the “word of the day” that frozen winter at Valley Forge.

Conversely, the Lord was so confident in the effectualness of His Passover program that the inaugural instructions to Moses and Aaron, while they were still in slavery in Egypt, included a provision to continue to practice it even after they’d passed into the Promised Land.  In fact, He directed it be performed into perpetuity.  Specifically saying,  

    “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony.  And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’”

The Patriots and Founders wrote the Constitution, not only to enshrine our liberties and enumerate our God given rights, but to also list the limitations placed upon the same government they’d conceived and fought for.  The right that protects all others, “…the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”   This argument was made abundantly clear by the Father of our country:

     “Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence … from the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurrences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable … the very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference — they deserve a place of honor with all that’s good.”  

With the Passover, the Lord prescribed a home protection process for His followers that prevented the death angel from delivering destruction.  “ Tell the whole community of Israel…each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household…The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect…Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.   Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs… it is the Lord’s Passover”

The Lord thwarted the original home-invasion with the blood of an innocent lamb.  “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. …When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.”  

The same firearms that purchased freedom from an oppressive king continue to provide home protection today.  However, that was not the fundamental reason our founders wanted our right to bear arms to be uninfringed -- they intended our arms to serve as a check on government tyranny.  President Thomas Jefferson put it this way, “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”  

Thomas Paine, speaking of disarmament, described the likely outcome, “Horrid mischief would ensue were one half the world deprived of the use of them ... the weak will become prey to the strong."  Like it or not, it is often a weapon in the hand of a lamb that enables him to become a lion.

Eventually, in the fullness of time, God instituted a new program – a plan that involved a different Lamb, but this time did not require a yearly renewal -- this was a lifetime plan.  John the Baptist, upon seeing Jesus coming toward him said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  Clearly, not everyone accepts the fact that the substitutionary death of the Son of God can protect him or her from the death angel.  Nor that the Blood of the Lamb can wash away sin.  That can only come through faith.

The author of the book of Hebrews looked back on both the Passover and the offering of the Christ.  Regarding animal sacrifice, the writer rightly points out, “those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins…  Day after day, every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.”  Imagine that, the Lamb that was sacrificed is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for his followers and awaiting His final assignment.

The other day a friend of mine was alternately lamenting that the Church, the body of Christ, had not risen up en masse to stop the onslaught of evil and immorality overrunning our nation and the world – while yearning for the return of Christ to set things right. 

Friends, that day is coming soon, and on that day the Lamb will become a Lion.  The meek shall inherit the earth, and those in opposition, only wrath.  "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, chosen, and faithful."  Finally, the Lion of the tribe of Judah will assert Himself to set all things right.

 

In the meantime, this Fourth of July, celebrate the Patriots’ courage, celebrate the Passover, and celebrate the right to keep and bear arms, all while longing for the return of the Lion!