‘This is the blood of the Covenant that the Lord has made with you,’ (Ex. 24:3-8)
‘Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God and render Him your votive offerings. Call on me in the day of distress. I will free you and you shall honor me’ (Psalm 49: 1-2, 5-6, 14-15)
When our leader, Moses, returned, each of us could see the light which shone from him. He was a man who had spoken with the Lord and his eyes were terrible and tender like One who had gazed on mankind from the beginning of their existence and loved and grieved for each of us forever. In the face of this love and grief we spoke as a chorus, promising our obedience to the Lord, our voice ringing out across the land.
The sun set at last, and no one spoke, as we watched the lights of the night sky passing over the dome of the heavens. Each person lay quiet, waiting for the dawn of a new day. Even before the sun rose, Moses had passed to the foot of the mountain, dragging his burden of stones with him and there he began to build. We gathered at that place as an altar emerged and around it twelve standing stones. Sacrifice was made and Moses read to us from the Scroll of the Covenant. Once again, our voice, one voice, called out in response: ‘We will observe all that the Lord has decreed; we will obey.’
Sacrifice
At that moment it seemed that we were all lifted up together and the light of the morning was the first morning and the light of the day was a new day, seen far into the future, as Moses flung the blood from the second basin towards us. The blood of the sacrifice came through death and the blood of the sacrifice gave us life.
That life is yours Lord. Oh Lord we call to You. Save us Lord and we will worship You.
‘Call on me in the day of distress. I will free you and you shall honor me.’
Voice of the Lord
As Lazarus died, I called to the Lord. All life is yours Lord. Even in my agony I know who you are, I have seen the light shine from you, I have seen your eyes, terrible and tender. I honor you Lord, and I know you will free me from death. I heard a voice speaking from the beginning of time and the fulfilment of time. It was the voice of the Lord:
Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ (Jn 11:19-27)
‘Yes, Lord, … you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’
You Lord have redeemed us and freed us from death.
I looked at Jesus, my Lord; I trembled, and I had an apprehension then, that the price of our life was not going to be paid by our best sheep and cattle. Our freedom would be bought by the blood of the New Covenant: His Precious blood.
