One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible - Flipbook - Page 116
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January 31
WITH A WORD OR A TOUCH, Jesus healed lame or blind individuals
he encountered in the Temple. Excited shouts echoed through the
courtyard, and crowds quickly gathered. As some shouted praises to
God, a steely-eyed group of men glared in simmering fury: religious
leaders who couldn’t see Jesus for who he is. • LORD, OPEN THE EYES
of religious leaders in restricted nations and hostile areas who may
know your name but not you. Pierce their darkness with the testimony
and faithful lives of my persecuted Christian family. Amen.
EXODUS 12:14–13:16
“This is a day to remember. Each year, from
generation to generation, you must celebrate
it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law
for all time. 15 For seven days the bread you eat
must be made without yeast. On the first day
of the festival, remove every trace of yeast
from your homes. Anyone who eats bread
made with yeast during the seven days of the
festival will be cut off from the community
of Israel. 16 On the first day of the festival and
again on the seventh day, all the people must
observe an official day for holy assembly. No
work of any kind may be done on these days
except in the preparation of food.
17 “Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened
Bread, for it will remind you that I brought
your forces out of the land of Egypt on this
very day. This festival will be a permanent law
for you; celebrate this day from generation to
generation. 18 The bread you eat must be made
without yeast from the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening
of the twenty-first day of that month. 19 During those seven days, there must be no trace
of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will
be cut off from the community of Israel. These
regulations apply both to the foreigners living
among you and to the native-born Israelites.
20 During those days you must not eat anything
made with yeast. Wherever you live, eat only
bread made without yeast.”
21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel
together and said to them, “Go, pick out a lamb
or young goat for each of your families, and
slaughter the Passover animal. 22 Drain the
blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush
the hyssop across the top and sides of the
doorframes of your houses. And no one may
go out through the door until morning. 23 For
the Lord will pass through the land to strike
down the Egyptians. But when he sees the
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blood on the top and sides of the doorframe,
the Lord will pass over your home. He will not
permit his death angel to enter your house
and strike you down.
24 “Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your descendants
must observe forever. 25 When you enter the
land the Lord has promised to give you, you
will continue to observe this ceremony. 26 Then
your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’ 27 And you will reply, ‘It is the
Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed
over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And
though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our
families.’” When Moses had finished speaking,
all the people bowed down to the ground and
worshiped.
28 So the people of Israel did just as the Lord
had commanded through Moses and Aaron.
29 And that night at midnight, the Lord struck
down all the firstborn sons in the land of
Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who
sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the
prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of
their livestock were killed. 30 Pharaoh and all
his officials and all the people of Egypt woke
up during the night, and loud wailing was
heard throughout the land of Egypt. There
was not a single house where someone had
not died.
31 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Get out!” he ordered. “Leave
my people—and take the rest of the Israelites
with you! Go and worship the Lord as you
have requested. 32 Take your flocks and
herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless
me as you leave.” 33 All the Egyptians urged
the people of Israel to get out of the land as
quickly as possible, for they thought, “We will
all die!”
34 The
Israelites took their bread dough
before yeast was added. They wrapped their
kneading boards in their cloaks and carried
them on their shoulders. 35 And the people
