Happy Passover – Part 2! As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, over the next few days, we’ll explore what the themes of Passover and elements of the Seder have to tell us about the truth of who Yeshua really is. There is so much that we can learn and apply from the Four Cups of Wine in the Passover Seder. The four cups are from Ex. 6:6-7: “Therefore, say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord, ONE – I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians; TWO – I will rescue you from their bondage; THREE – I will redeem you with an outstretched arm; and FOUR – I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.”
The FIRST cup is called the Cup of Sanctification. Sanctification means to be set apart, to be set apart from the ways of the world. To me, the ways of the world include the messages that we receive from the world about who we are and about who God is that are lies; it also includes the ways that the world tells us that we should think, feel, react, speak, and act! Drinking from the Cup of Sanctification reminds us to reject any messages from the world that are opposed to God’s truth about who He really is and about how He sees us. We have been freed from having to take these lies into our hearts and be controlled by them.
Sanctification can also refer to the process of getting the leaven or sin out of our lives – out of our thoughts, emotions, words, attitudes, actions – so that we reflect more of God’s image, his love wisdom and power, to the world around us.
The scripture associated with this cup, “‘I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians,” reveals to us that God wants to carry our burdens for us. He is FOR us. This is a “true perception” of God, and it is His will for us. In Matthew 11:28, Yeshua tells us “come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” In Exodus 33:14, God tells us “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” In Hebrews 4:9-11, we find that God wants us to enter into His rest; and in Hebrews 3:19 we learn that our unbelief will block us from entering into His rest.
So, when we’re NOT feeling that our burden is light and we’re NOT experiencing rest — that’s NOT from God! That’s NOT His will! Heavy burdens, pressure, drivenness, and stress are not from God! Often, they come from misperceptions and lies about God that we are believing in our hearts. These lies are sin, and believing them gives Satan a handle, influence and authority in our lives. We might believe deep down that He wants us to carry heavy burdens, that “we are supposed to.” We may have been taught that it’s OUR job to hold others together, and not God’s. Maybe those are the messages we grew up with in our families, and now we’re putting someone else’s face on God, hearing those same messages from Him.
Maybe we received messages that we’re not allowed to experience joy in our lives if someone else has problems, or that we should feel guilty if we do! We may even feel that we deserve the punishment of carrying all the burdens!
We might even believe deep in our hearts that God doesn’t want us to be happy, or that we’re pleasing Him when we are burdened down and downtrodden. Especially those of us in ministry might believe that He just wants us to work for Him, that He just wants to use us, that He’s a slavedriver and that He’s not really interested in our daily burdens.
However, this First Cup of Sanctification and the scriptures above (Matt. 11:28; Ex 33:14; Heb. 4:9-11; Heb 3:19) remind us that God wants to carry our burdens for us. Recently God impressed upon my heart that He rejoices over me with singing (Zeph 3:17), not with pressure and drivenness. He died so that we could have relationship with Him forever, not just so that we could work for Him. He loves US, not what we can DO for Him. He wants intimate relationship with us 24/7, and that should be our goal and our purpose for every day. When we allow Him to carry our burdens for us, then our minds and hearts are freed up to focus on Him! He will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on Him (Is. 26:3).
We need to be aware of anything and any lies that we’re believing in our hearts about Him that block us from that intimate relationship. The next time that you’re feeling over-burdened, you’re feeling pressured, you’re feeling that God just wants you to work for Him, you’re feeling fear about all that you have to get done…..stop and ask God to show you – what are you believing about Him that’s not true? Where is He in the picture? How is He seeing you? What are you believing about yourself that is not true?
Confess what He shows you as sin, command those spirits of drivenness, performance, fear, guilt, control and false burden bearing to go in Yeshua’s name, cancel Satan’s authority over all the lies — those thoughts that are telling you that you have to hold everything and everyone together, or that you’re not going to make it, or that God wants you to carry the burdens; and ask God to heal your heart and show you the truth about who He is and how He sees you!
Then let the Cup of Sanctification remind you to thank Him out loud in advance for carrying your burdens for you, that His yoke is easy and His burden is light, that He will enable you to get everything done that is in His Will, that He crowns you with love and compassion, that He rejoices over you with singing, that Yeshua did all the work and that you don’t have to work/perform to prove your worth, that you don’t have to punish yourself by carrying burdens and guilt because Yeshua already took all the punishment! Thank Him, praise Him and enter into the rest that He has for you today!
