Exodus 12:43-51: a reflection

43The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover. No foreigner shall eat of it, 44but every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then shall he eat of it. 45A foreigner and a hired servant shall not eat of it. 46It must be eaten in one house. You shall not carry any of the meat outside of the house. Do not break any of its bones. 47All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48When a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, and would like to keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it. He shall be as one who is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. 49One law shall be to him who is born at home, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you.” 50All the children of Israel did so. As the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. 51That same day, the LORD brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

As God gives the ordinance of the Passover, he makes provision for the outsider to share in it. When a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, and would like to keep the Passover, God says, let him be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; he shall be as one who is born in the land. And he adds: One law shall be to him who is born at home, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you. The outsider who joined himself to God's people was welcomed to share in the Passover on the same terms as the native-born; there was one law for both.

Notice the door open to the outsider: the stranger could share in the Passover, on equal terms. God's people were not a closed circle, shut to all outsiders; the stranger who joined himself to them, taking on the sign of the covenant, was welcomed to share fully in the Passover, treated as one born in the land, under one law with the native-born. The outsider was not kept at the margins, but welcomed in on equal terms, fully sharing in the covenant blessings. There was one law for the native and the stranger who joined God's people.

That open door points forward to the gospel, in which the outsider is welcomed fully into God's people through Christ. We who were once outsiders, strangers to God's covenant, are welcomed in through Christ, made full members of God's people, sharing fully in the blessings, on equal terms with all who belong to him. The door that was open to the stranger at the Passover is opened wide in Christ, who brings the outsider in. If you have felt yourself an outsider to God's people, know that the door is open; through Christ, the outsider is welcomed fully in, made one with God's people, sharing fully in the blessings. Do not think yourself forever an outsider to God's people; the God who welcomed the stranger to share the Passover on equal terms welcomes outsiders fully into his people through Christ, so that there is one people, and the once-stranger shares fully in the covenant blessings, as the stranger who joined Israel kept the Passover as one born in the land.

Lord, as you give the ordinance of the Passover, you make provision for the outsider to share in it. When a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, and would like to keep the Passover, you say, let him be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; he shall be as one who is born in the land. And you add: one law shall be to him who is born at home, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you. The outsider who joined himself to your people was welcomed to share in the Passover on the same terms as the native-born. Show me the door open to the outsider: the stranger could share in the Passover, on equal terms. Your people were not a closed circle; the stranger who joined himself to them was welcomed to share fully, treated as one born in the land. The outsider was not kept at the margins, but welcomed in on equal terms. Let that open door point me forward to the gospel, in which the outsider is welcomed fully into your people through Christ. I who was once an outsider, a stranger to your covenant, am welcomed in through Christ, made a full member of your people, sharing fully in the blessings. The door open to the stranger is opened wide in Christ. If I have felt myself an outsider to your people, help me know that the door is open; through Christ, the outsider is welcomed fully in. Keep me from thinking myself forever an outsider to your people; you welcome outsiders fully into your people through Christ, Lord. Thank you that the once-stranger shares fully in the covenant blessings.