In its historical perspective, Passover (Pesach) is a week-long Jewish celebration to remember the liberation of the Israeli nation from their Egyptian captors. For clear understanding, the Book of Exodus (the literal meaning of the word Exodus is “going out“) offers an easy-to-read narrative that relates Moses requesting Pharaoh to “let my people go” out of Egypt where they had become slaves.
The concept of Passover (with its spotless lamb) came years earlier in Genesis 22 where God instructed Abraham to take the son of promise (Isaac) and “offer him there as a burnt offering …” As Abraham and Isaac traveled to a particular mountain, Isaac observed they had fire and wood but no lamb. Abraham replied prophetically: “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.“
In the short term, Genesis tells us Abraham and Isaac spied a ram caught in a thicket. They took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering to God. But Abraham’s statement also foreshadowed the Messiah’s coming many generations later. When Christ Jesus was born, He became the once-for-all Lamb of Passover.
The sonnet below speaks of the work of Christ, God’s Son, Shepherd of mankind, described in Philippians as the One who was God but “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men … and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.”
This is Resurrection Sunday: Jesus came as the perfect Lamb of God, dying to redeem His creation. Celebrate! He is Risen! He is risen indeed!
ASIDE: My posts on The Book of Job will resume next Sunday with Chapter 24.
I like this sonnet.
My Google name is El Desdichado (from a favorite poem by Nerval) which means “The Wretched One” in Spanish – so line 10 resonates with me.
Why did you choose the archaic and French-sounding “demesne”? Would plain old “domain” work ?
I used to go through Hell on Friday nights –
before I got saved ☺
Thanks for your comment. I’ve been curious about El Desdichado, thanks for filling me in. I think we’d all do well to admit our wretchedness!
Your astute observation: I had begun the poem using “domain” and didn’t care for it, my thought process being both Time and Eternity are God’s realm. I couldn’t nail what I considered a better word and “demesne” (though perhaps inexact) seemed less troublesome (?). Mulling it over again.
I rejoice with you that your Friday nights are no longer Hellish. God is so good!
Okay, I went back and changed it. “Terrain” is slightly pedestrian (pun intended) but I like it better. Note to self: listen to that inner voice! Thanks!
El Desdichado by Gerard de Nerval is one of the reasons I started to like poetry:
El Desdichado by Gerard de Nerval is one of the reasons I started to like poetry:
http://sesquipadalianmusings.blogspot.com/2009/09/el-desdichado-translation.html
[As Abraham and Isaac traveled to a particular mountain, Isaac observed they had fire and wood but no lamb. Abraham replied prophetically: “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.]
I am intrigued by what effect this disturbing experience must have had on Isaac.
I wrote a sonnet about it posted for NaPoWriMo last year:
https://connecthook.wordpress.com/2014/04/15/the-fear-of-isaac/
I like the classic way you format your sonnets with the indented alternating lines. I should try it.
I will read it!