The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text that expands on the Torah, gives us a glimpse. It paints a vivid picture, almost like a scene from a movie.
It says, simply, "And the powers of the Lord did everything according as the Lord commanded them, and they passed by all the children of Israel." for a second. Divine powers, acting on God's command, moving through the land. You can almost feel the weight of it, can't you?
And what about the Israelites? They were spared. "And the plague came not upon them to destroy from amongst them any soul either of cattle, or man, or dog." Imagine the relief, the utter disbelief as they watched the horrors unfolding around them, knowing they were protected. Knowing they were chosen.
But the horror was real. The Book of Jubilees doesn't shy away from the devastation. "And the plague was very grievous in Egypt, and there was no house in Egypt where there was not one dead, and weeping and lamentation." The contrast is stark, isn't it? Life and death, side by side. Hope and despair.
Then, in the midst of this chaos, the Israelites are commanded to eat. Specifically, the paschal lamb. They were "eating the flesh of the paschal lamb, and drinking the wine, and was lauding and blessing, and giving thanks to the Lord God of their fathers..."
Can you picture it? A communal meal, a sacred act of defiance and faith, right as all hell is breaking loose outside. They're "ready to go forth from under the yoke of Egypt; and from the evil bondage." They weren't just eating a meal; they were fueling themselves for freedom. They were preparing to step into the unknown, trusting in the promise of a new beginning.
It’s such a powerful image, isn't it? A reminder that even in the darkest of times, hope and faith can sustain us. And that sometimes, the most revolutionary thing we can do is gather together, share a meal, and give thanks. What does that moment, that meal, and that readiness for change mean for us today?