August 22, 2025 Morning Devotional

Morning Devotion: Read Exodus - Strangers Within

Exodus 12:40  Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. 41  And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 42  It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

Institution of the Passover

Exodus 12:43  And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: 44  But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. 45  A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. 46  In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. 47  All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48  And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. 49  One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. 50  Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. 51  And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

Again we see God keeping His word.

Genesis 15:13  And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14  And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

True to God’s word, after four hundred years God Judged Egypt and Israel came out of the land with great substance.

God has much to say in prophecy specifically in the times of which we now live. All one has to do is read God’s word to find what He said and the promises that go along with that. Do you read God’s word the bible?

Today we want to look at something important, the Lord’s Supper.

When Israel came out of Egypt the Lord instituted the Passover. It was to be observed all their generations. However, the stranger was not to partake of the passover. Read verse thirty two again.

In verse forty eight the bible indicates the stranger could participate. What made the difference?

48b … And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. 49  One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

The difference was circumcision. Circumcision meant making a fundamental change in the body indicating a complete submission to the true God, the God of the Hebrews. The strangers who believed in the LORD of the Hebrews and joined themselves to Israel made that fundamental physical change indicating their total belief.

By the way, Jesus was a Jew. John 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

We know that the Lord instituted the Lord’s Supper/Communion just before His death, burial and resurrection. No stranger is allowed to have the Lord’s Supper. Only those who are saved, born-again, and had the Lord make the fundamental change in the circumcision of the heart can partake.

In other words’ if you are not born-again, you cannot and never should take communion. It is forbidden of the non-believer, the stranger to Christ. Even Judas, who was numbered with the twelve disciples, didn’t take the Lord’s supper.  Read the bible closely and you will find Judas ate sop and left just before the Lord’s instituted His supper.

The bible tells us what happens when the wrong person partakes of the Lord’s supper.

1 Corinthians 11:27  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

(“And many sleep” means they die.)

Are you born-again or are you a stranger to Christ and Christianity?

The choice is still yours,

Pastor Cook