Legacy

Legacy. Something left behind to be remembered by. A statue. A journal. An object or vision of such power that the life of the person it represents is unmistakable - and totally impactful.

I was thinking of such legacies in the Bible: altars - piles of stones; festivals and holidays. Then I thought of one, maybe unintentional, legacy that I haven't heard preached. The book of Exodus describes God's deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt through Moses. The last of the "punishments" upon Egypt for not letting His people go was the death of the first-born male.

In order to differentiate the Egyptian household from the Israelite, and to create a legacy to pass forever along the family lines of Israel, the Passover is initiated. One part of the Passover was to take the blood of the slain lamb and paint it on the door posts and top of the frame. This was a sign to the angel that was coming to "pass over" those particular households. You can read the account in Exodus, chapter 12. The Israelites were to hold an annual Passover, teaching their children so as not to let the memory fade from their culture.

Here is where the unintentional(?) legacy comes in. The Israelites had departed, taking all of their belongings (and some given to them by their Egyptian "neighbors"), yet one thing remained: the blood-stained door frames. Who was this for? The Egyptians - to remember the God of Israel by. Not only did the Egyptians have to deal with the loss of their first-born sons, but they had a visual reminder as well.

What happened to those houses of the Israelites? Nothing is mentioned. But imagine being the new owner.

© Emittravel 2012