Belted, Sandaled, and Staffed:
(Exodus 12:11; Mark 5:24-34; Luke 9:23-27)
This week’s snow left our yard covered in flawless white, a perfect white canvas for my children’s dreams of creating snow forts and snowmen. It was beautiful to behold, until we had 3 bags of garbage that needed to be taken out to the alley. Our children grumbled about putting on winter gear for the quick task of taking the garbage out, a task that quickly caused divisions between them. All of a sudden, this perfect snow looked menacing and cold, no one wanted to be the first to tread the path to alley in the 2 feet of snow. I appointed my oldest son to put his boots on and tread the path first, so that the younger boys could follow in his footsteps behind, knowing exactly where to step so that they didn’t fall into the cold snow without their full winter gear on.
In Exodus 12:11 “This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt ready for travel,[a] your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.” The lamb’s blood marked the doorways so that the Lord’s angel would literally pass over the houses when the final plague hit Egypt, the death of the firstborns. God wanted his children to be prepared and ready, so when he said “Go!” they would immediately leave. The blood of Jesus marks our hearts so that the Lord will ‘pass over’ our soul and pronounce us innocent of sin. And we, too, like the children of Israel, need to be ready. Be watchful! Be waiting and dressed!
Garments worn in the Old and New Testament often held symbolic meaning. In Ephesians 6, we read about the full armor of God, it can be applied to the Israelites in Exodus, who were told have their belts ready (truth), their sandals on their feet (peace), and their staff in their hand (word of God, Holy Spirit). The Belt of His Truth keeps us secure from falling into the world’s lies and beliefs, for Israel being secured against the Egyptian gods culture. The Sandals of Peace helps us walk in God and to be content in troubled times no matter where God may lead us, for Israel their escape and journey to the wilderness. The Staff or Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, for Israel who did not have the written word of God yet, Moses’ staff and pillar of smoke/fire becomes a representation of this power and authority. We will read in the coming chapters that the children of Israel, Aaron, Miriam, and Moses could not follow the path perfectly, even with God leading them at the helm. But Jesus was able and did follow God’s path perfectly. Jesus stomped the path down so that we sinners may be able to follow in his footsteps, armored with the right gear and ready for precarious journey to our heavenly home.
מגן השביל 