This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year. (Exodus 13:9-10 NIV)
And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand." (Exodus 13:16 NIV)
My children went through a phase of life when they would wright reminder notes to themselves on their hand. I really didn't understand this practice, since it wasn't allowed at my schools growing up. "Why do you write on your hands instead of a notebook or a calendar?" "Cause my hand is right here and every time I use my hand, I see the reminder. I can forget to look at a notebook or calendar." They were right. It was a reminder they did not easily forget.
Growing up in the Roman Catholic Church, though, there was a symbol I was encouraged to put on my body. On the Wednesday that was forty days before Easter, we would receive ashes on our forehead. The ashes were a reminder that we are dust and will return to dust. I bit depressing, I admit, but it was intended to remind us that life was short and that we should be thinking of eternal things...like being with God. It was a great lead in to reminding us the price Christ paid for us (Good Friday) and that he is victorious over death (Easter Sunday). Whenever someone who wasn't Roman Catholic saw us that day (Ash Wednesday), they would tell us about the "dirt" on our forehead and we would have a chance to explain.
When the Israelites were ready to be set free from Egypt, God gave them two observances to remind them of this momentous day. One sign was a week-long festival of unleavened bread. It would remind them of the fact that they left so quickly, they couldn't eat bread with yeast in it. There wasn't time to wait for the bread dough to rise.
The second observance was one of redemption. They were to redeem the firstborn animal of all their flocks and redeem their firstborn sons. This would remind them that their firstborn sons were spared on the night the angel of death passed over their homes, but the firstborn sons of the Egyptians were not spared because of Egypt's rebellion of God and harsh treatment of God's people.
Both of these signs, God said, would act as a sign on their hands and a symbol on their foreheads. Why on their hands? They were to remember these events themselves and never forget. Why on their foreheads? They were to share the story with those who hadn't heard it yet. Usually, that would be their own children. These events were to be passed down from generation to generation, never to be forgotten.
What has God done for you? What has He done in your life? Do you have reminders built into your life that will remind you of these things? Do the reminders give you an opportunity to share what He has done with others who don't know? Do they give you an opportunity to share these things with your children, passing them down from generation to generation?
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