Welcome the Lamb

DAY SEVEN (Sunday) - Psalm 118:15-29
Shout with joy and victory, for the Lord’s
right hand has done the mightiest thing
(v.15-16): He has raised the Lamb from death!
Jesus has become the gate of the Lord through
which the righteous may enter (v.20): the
Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:16).
Read verse 23 and imagine yourself, beholding
the marvelous, risen Christ with your very own
eyes. You will see Him someday, you know.
When you, too, rise from death, you will be
blessed with eternal life if you have come
covered by the Name of Jesus (v.26). His glory
shines about you, so bask in His light and join
the throng of the redeemed (v.27), inviting
others to join the festive procession to the altar
of Jesus’ sacrifice. Thank Him. Exalt Him.
Hallelu Yah!
WELCOME
LAMB
the
Jesus sat in the Upper Room, hidden from
the religious leaders who were now actively
seeking to put Him to death. The disciples
scurried about Jerusalem, preparing the
Passover Seder meal - gathering matzah,
purchasing wine, slaughtering their
Passover lamb.
The priests ushered the Jewish men into
the Temple courtyard to sacrifice their
lambs. With each new group of
worshippers, the Levite choir began anew
their chanting of the Egyptian Hallels
(Psalms 113-118). The chanting echoed
through the streets of Jerusalem, mingling
with the cries of the lambs as their blood
drenched the dust.
Tammy is a Jewish believer
in Jesus as Messiah.
She is passionate about
teaching believers about
the Jewish roots of
Christian faith. She teaches
both adults and children in
a variety of settings.
(c) Tammy L. Priest .
Beginning with Moses .
www.beginningwithmoses.com .
What must have gripped Jesus’ heart as the
hymns reached the Upper Room that day?
And what thoughts swirled in His mind
that evening, as the disciples and every
household in Jerusalem chanted the Hallels
together during their Passover feast?
Did the people know that their praises were
heard loud and clear by the Lord Himself
in their midst? Could they even imagine
that the One they praised would be sentenced
to death by their own lips the very next day?
Surely they could not. But today we know.
So let us approach the Cross in awe of the
Messiah, our Savior.
WELCOME
LAMB
the
A daily
devotional
guide to the
hallels
Let these
traditional
passover
psalms
guide your
personal
worship
during
Passion
Week
As faithful Jewish pilgrims sacrificed
their lambs that fateful Passover in
Jerusalem, the chanted words of the
“Egyptian Hallels” rose to the ears of Jesus
in that Upper Room. As you read and
pray through these precious Psalms, your
worship likewise will rise to the Lamb of
God as He sits in the upper Throne Room
of Heaven, His sacrifice complete.
Read the indicated Psalm each day, and then
use this guide to reflect on Scripture and
begin your personal worship time with God.
DAY ONE (Monday) - Psalm 113
“Hallelu Yah” means “praise the Lord.” As
should always be the case, we first approach
the Lamb not with requests or even with
confession or thanksgiving, but simply with
praise for who He is. After offering up the
praises of Psalm 113, try singing, praying or
writing your own Hallelu Yah, confident that
the One you are praising is bending His ear
and heart to you.
DAY TWO (Tuesday) - Psalm 114
Tremble at the presence of the Lord, tremble
in absolute awe. To deliver His children out
of bondage in Egypt, God literally parted the
sea (Ex. 14:1), shook mountains (Ex. 19:18),
stopped the Jordan in its tracks (Joshua
3:13-17), and brought forth water from a rock
(Ex. 7:6). He then sent His Shekinah glory to
dwell among His beloved in the Tabernacle
sanctuary (Ex. 40:34). It is difficult to
fathom the lengths to which the Lord went to
redeem His children from bondage and be
joined with them. As we prepare for Easter,
be awed at the lengths to which the Most
High went to deliver you from the bondage of
your sin. Indeed, if you have put your faith
in Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God is not merely
dwelling in your midst but within your very
heart (1 Cor. 3:16). Thank Him for
delivering you from your sin, from specific
circumstances, from yourself. Even more,
thank God for His great love for you - love
that prompts Him to woo you, sustain you,
and accompany you.
DAY THREE (Wednesday) - Psalm 115
DAY FIVE (Friday) - Psalm 117
DAY FOUR (Thursday) - Psalm 116
DAY SIX (Saturday) - Psalm 118:1-14
“To Your name be the glory, Lord,”
proclaimed the Levites in song. But neither
they nor the worshippers in the court knew
the full extent of God’s lovingkindness and
faithfulness (v.1). As other faiths put their
hope in manmade objects and philosophies,
the Son of the Most High sat ready to
demonstrate in no uncertain terms that He is
worthy to be trusted (v.9-11). As you
approach the anniversary of His sacrifice,
praise the Lord by taking cover beneath the
shield of the Lamb’s blood (v.9-11). Cleansed
and protected there, may you be blessed by
the Maker of Heaven and earth (v.14-15),
increasing in knowledge and grace and
harvest for Him, sharing His shield and
magnifying His Name both now and
evermore.
The other Hallels are corporate. This one is
personal. Painfully personal for the Savior on
the eve of His sacrifice. The cords of death
would soon entangle Him (v.3), but when
Jesus cried out to God (v.4, Mark 16:34), the
Father would not save His mortal life (v.8-9).
Why was Jesus so determined to lift up that
cup of salvation (v.13)? To fulfill His vows to
redeem God’s children in their presence (v.
14,18-19)? Despite the suffering to come,
Jesus also knew that even after death, He
would again walk in the land of the living
(v.9). The Holy Spirit would ultimately raise
Him out of death (v.8). This anguished Hallel
must have still been ringing in Jesus’ ears as
He offered up the words of Mark 14:36 in
Gethsemane. Let them ring in your heart on
this Maundy Thursday, for the Living Water
Himself drank the cup that brought you
salvation.
Today’s psalm is the shortest chapter in
Scripture, yet it expresses the full foundation
for what happened on this day, Good Friday:
the greatness of God’s love for us and His
enduring faithfulness. How do we praise
Him in light of this day, the anniversary of
Christ’s crucifixion? By allowing ourselves to
be overcome by the magnitude of His
sacrifice, by accepting it as our personal
ransom from sin and death, and by sharing
the Passover Lamb with those around us (Ex.
12:4). Read John 19 and allow Christ’s death
to overtake you, that you might begin “to
grasp how wide and long and high and deep
is the love of Christ [for you], and to know
this love that surpasses knowledge - that you
may be filled to the measure of all the fullness
of God” (Ephesians 3:18-19).
In His anguish, Jesus called out to His
Father. And the Almighty indeed set the Son
free - not from death, but out of it. Jesus
knew it was better to take refuge in the Lord
in death than to trust in man and hold onto
His mortal life (v.8-9). What about you? Are
you taking daily refuge in the Lord, or are
you trusting in the things of humanity: your
paycheck, good reputation, loved ones,
church...? God may, indeed, provide these
things, but please place your trust in the
Provider, not the provision. Or maybe you
feel surrounded and swarmed (v.10-12) by
stresses in your life: health problems, job or
school demands, relationships, childrearing,
caregiving... Cut off (v.11) the cords that
bind these stresses to your heart. Allow God
to order your priorities, multiply your
minutes, and infuse you with His strength, so
that you might fulfill your callings without
emptying your spirit. Cast all your anxiety on
Him for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).