My Eyes are Watching God

There’s a lot going on in the world today.  A great shaking of nations is happening.  From the great plague of locusts in African regions, to the frequent earthquakes in various places, to the disease that is bringing nations to their knees–coronavirus (COVID-19), there’s a whole lot of shaking going on.  I can see what is happening, but my eyes are watching God.

In the cloudy darkness and chilly dampness of early morning, I wait in long lines with masked and unmasked strangers to buy rationed groceries.  Shelf-shock sets in as stores begin to look more and more like Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard. Bare!  I work remotely, but know I am blessed to still have a job.  So many others do not.  And I pray for them.  A new “normal” unfolds in front of my face.  But still, my eyes are watching God.

My eyes are watching God because we are headed into Holy Week of 2020, and specifically the Passover. And I think there is great significance in that.  Similarities exist between the first Passover and Passover 2020.  A deadly disease is plaguing the nations. Death and destruction are passing through. And we are told to stay in our homes.

The First Passover and Passover 2020

God sends plenty of plagues on the ruler, land, and people of Egypt.  It is the process by which He frees His people from slavery before the first Passover.  “Strike the doorposts and lintel of your houses with lamb’s blood,” because the Lord is going to pass through the land to strike the Egyptians. This is the last plague of death. The Lord passes through to strike the Egyptians.  And when He sees the blood He passes over the door and does not allow the destroyer to go into the houses of His people (Exodus 12:12-13).  God commands His people to stay inside their homes and not go out until death passed over (Exodus 12:12-13, 23).

With the slaves’ exodus, the economy of Egypt is crippled.  No more free labor.  The building business comes to a halt.  In 2020, there is a crippling of national and global economies as businesses are officially forced to shut down.  And while we heed the government’s instructions to stay in our homes, we must realize and recognize, it is not the government of any nation that saves you. Our government is upon the shoulder of our Savior (Isaiah 9:6).  And our Savior is Christ Jesus who is the true Lamb of God—our Passover Lamb, whose blood was shed on the cross.  By faith, apply His blood to this situation, because it is the blood applied, that ensures the safety and deliverance of God’s people. O the blood of Jesus, the precious Lamb of God!

Worship the Lord

After the exodus, came the wilderness.  There, God gives the people His ten commandments and tests them to see if they will follow Him and His word.  And it is in the wilderness that a tabernacle is built where God is among them and meets with them.

In 2020, the places people usually think of meeting and worshipping God are closed in the U.S.  But remember, Jesus is our Great High Priest and Minister of the true tabernacle in heaven.  No earthly edifice is needed because the true tabernacle is always open.  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and enter His courts with praise. God still inhabits the praises of His people, and our prayers, like burning incense, still ascend His altar.  Worship God in spirit and in truth.

God was in control at the first Passover.  He was in control when the true Passover Lamb was slain on the cross.  And He is still in control during Passover and Holy Week 2020.  Death and destruction are passing through the nations, but so is deliverance and a new beginning for the people of God.

Tradition and Celebration

Observing Passover is a precious tradition for me.  As part of that tradition, I eat lamb with horseradish, potato pancakes, some bitter tasting greenery, matzo ball soup and apple sauce for dinner.  I take communion with matzos and grape juice.  And I pray and thank God for His blessings upon me and my family; for delivering Blacks from slavery in America; and continually delivering me from spiritual bondages.  I read the biblical account of the exodus and first Passover.  And I watch Cecil B. DeMille’s movie The Ten Commandments.

I don’t know exactly what God is doing this Passover 2020.  But I suspect He is up to something.  The timing is just too coincidental.  And there are no coincidences with God.  I rest in the scripture from Jeremiah 29:11 that says God’s thoughts and plans toward me are for good and not harm. And I believe fortunes, health and economies will be restored if individuals turn to God; to honor, respect and worship Him.

Instead of being anxious and fearful, and instead of watching daily doses of news about increasingly foreboding numbers and statistics, my eyes are watching God. Catch the 2020 vision!

If you enjoyed this article, I invite you to read my article on Christian Observance of Jewish Holy Days.  Just click the link here. https://thekingdomquill.com/observing-the-day-of-atonement-as-a-christian/