Image representing the Passover meal
Grace: Through Our Own Passover & Exodus
Having introduced the theme of Grace as a Passover Narrative, the theme is developed into Grace Through Passover – Exodus.
Ephesians 1: 7 – 14
1:7 “Through him we gain salvation through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins as a result of his priceless grace 8 that he so generously provided for us, together with all wisdom and understanding.
9 He revealed to us his previously-hidden will through which he was happy to pursue his plan 10 at the appropriate time to bring everyone* together in Christ—those in heaven and those on the earth. 11 In him—we were chosen beforehand, according to the plan of the one who is working everything out according to his will, 12 for the purpose that we* who were the first to hope in Christ could praise his glory. 13 In him—you* too have heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation. In him—because you trusted in him you were stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit’s promise, 14 which is a down-payment on our inheritance when God redeems what he’s kept safe for himself—us, who will praise and give him glory!” 1
Or
1:7. “In the king, and through His blood, we have deliverance—that is, our sins have been forgiven—through the wealth of his grace” 2
This references the Grace of the Passover and the Exodus. The blood brings to mind the blood on the doorposts of the Israelites that allow death to pass over them and thus give them deliverance (Ex.12: 6-11). The parallels are clear. God’s Grace has been at work from the beginning. As it was when the angel of death once Passed over in Egypt now it has again. Only this time it is once and for all.
New Exodus of The New Covenant Family
Here is a chart from The Bible Project classroom notes on Ephesians:
Exodus Narratives Ephesians 1
Jeremiah. 31:31-34
Grace: Deliverance And Exodus Complete
1:7 “Through him (the king) we gain salvation (deliverance)”
The word “deliverance” is an Exodus word.
This echoes the book of Deuteronomy. God chose Israel not because they were anybody special but because He had a purpose He wanted to carry out through them. Now, those in Christ are carrying forward this purpose.
This is something that Paul in Romans and Galatians traces back to Abraham. He doesn’t do that here but there’s no doubt he has that in mind.
Here we have the theme of “deliverance”. The people of the Exodus were redeemed from Egypt. We have been redeemed through Christ.
The Greek word that is transliterated as salvation (deliverance or redemption), is ἀπολύτρωσιν (apolutrosin), a word used for a slave that has been bought at the slave market and then set free.
It is about setting the people free as with the Exodus. But now, unlike the Exodus, this is about forgiveness of sins.
Grace: His Blood; It’s About Life
1:7 (cont.)”through his blood,”
“His blood” is, of course, referring to the death of Christ on the cross. It is through the gift (Grace) of “His blood” that we are united “in the King”. But this is not a reference to death. It’s about life.
Leviticus 17:11 when referring to sacrifices, says, “Indeed the flesh’s life is in the blood and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your lives because it is the blood with the life that makes atonement” (LEB).
His “blood” makes it possible for us to enter the most sacred space—the Holy of Holies—freely, something only possible for the High Priest under the Law. It delivers us from potentially being outcasts, from death itself. Instead, we have life in Jesus the “King.”
Grace: Deliverance And Exodus Complete Through Sin Forgiven
1:7 (cont.) “the forgiveness of our sins”
We see Paul drawing on his Jewish education (called the Second Temple theology because this was the theology of the period of the Second Temple). He draws on the exile of Babylon caused by sin and the Garden of Eden because humans were also exiled from there.
The original grace of the Passover – Exodus and Babylon and Eden had become one Exodus in the minds of the second temple thinking. Thus the building of the second temple after the return from Babylon was so that there was some place where there could be purification sacrifices. But as said above, the deliverance never seemed complete because the Jews were still under occupation.
This time however the grace of the passover – Exodus includes “our sins forgiven”. It is not what the original Exodus was about. The old Covenant was never capable of forgiving moral sin. The old Covenant was only ever conceived as a way of forgiving ritual uncleanliness. This is why the words of Jesus in the sermon on the mount (Matt. 5 – 7) were so revolutionary. He equated moral sins to things that had never had that connection before. Things that had no way of being forgiven under the sacrificial system before the Lord Jesus’ death and resurrection, are now forgiven.
Grace: Such Wealth
1:7 (cont.) “as a result of his priceless grace”
The measure of the extent of the wealth of this grace is that it comes with life and deliverance and it is still not even close to being spent.
Paul goes on in verses 8, 9 and 10, that now in Christ the Exodus is complete!
1:8. “…that he so generously provided for (lavished on) us, ”
This grace is no trivial thing. Put into monetary terms, this grace was outlandishly opulent and extravagant. And was not just given frugally. The Greek grammar is clear, it was “lavished on us”. So great is God’s love. Yet it is still in play and shows no sign of diminishing. Not in the slightest.
Grace: Not Random
Introducing The Secret
1:8 (cont.) “together with all wisdom and understanding.”
This grace/gift comes with a complete set of instructions. Unfortunately, too few of His people have chosen to take advantage of them.
1:9 “He revealed to us his previously-hidden will through which he was happy to pursue his plan 10 at the appropriate time to bring everyone (all things) together in Christ—those in heaven and those on the earth.”
Paul is saying, Jesus is the Messiah in which all scripture is fulfilled. As he says in 2 Cor 1:20: “All the promises of God find their yes in him”
God planned this gift from the very beginning. The time and the place were all part of His plan. This was a plan on a cosmic scale. Everything was designed to happen so that it would culminate in one end. Pre-determined with a single outcome in mind. The enthronement of the King of the cosmos. Thus bringing together everything in the cosmos including us in Him.
If that is not something to marvel at I don’t know what is!
When Paul says “grace”, it isn’t just theology. It is his life experience. In verse 10 he says that because we are His handiwork and we are in the Messiah, we are created in Him. God in His grace has done the work. We have had nothing to do with it. The return that we can give will always pale compared to His abundance. But we reciprocate because we want to and we are in Him.
The Secret‘s Definition
It is worth noting the introduction to “the secret” (“previously-hidden“ – Grk. μυστήριον – Mysterion, the mystery). There will be much said on this later but for now, we are just tantalised with a mystery being here.
Grace: The Inheritance
The Inheritance of Mount Sinai
1:11 “In him—we were chosen (received the inheritance) beforehand according to the plan of the one who is working everything out according to his will,”
This “Inheritance” was “according to the plan of the one who is working everything out according to his will”. That is the Lord Jesus Himself was, from the beginning, to be for all those who would and will be in Him.
An “Inheritance” that is not the inheritance of the gift of heaven after death. Rather an inheritance of commissioning the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.
The Inheritance Comes With Expectation of Reciprocation (could – might exist for)
1:12 “for the purpose that we who were the first to hope in Christ could (might exist to) praise his glory.”
With this “Inheritance” comes an expected reciprocation. The commission is intended to become their purpose for existing. Their meaning in life (“might exist for“). The Jews (“we”) who first put their trust in God (“we who were the first to hope in Christ – the king”), when they first gained “deliverance” from Egypt, via the grace of the Passover – Exodus, to minister to the rest of humankind and to worship to “praise his glory”.
The Inheritance Includes Everyone In Him
1:13 “In him—you too have heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation. In him—because you trusted in him you were stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit’s promise,”
Now (“you too”) everyone else who is “in Him” has the same “inheritance”, the same “deliverance”. Everyone else “who heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation (“deliverance” from their own Egypt, the tyranny of of ”the Powers” – see below), and “trusted in him”. These now come into Him as a whole new creation.
The inheritance we have “in him” is a whole new creation, Gentiles included. Now all have God’s word, as do the people of Israel. Everyone “in Him” is “stamped”. Given the Seal of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of this promise.
Grace: The Guarantee
The Gift of The Spirit
1:14 “…which is a down-payment (guarantee)”
I don’t like the translation of “down-payment” as it can imply there is more required. I much prefer the term “guarantee”. We have The Holy Spirit as the seal on the contract. Like the traditional understanding of an engagement ring being the sealing of a promise of marriage and not going through with it was a breach of promises.
Today much of the meaning of this concept is lost. Let me give a modern version. When someone wants to buy a home the bank may sometimes ask for a guarantor for the loan (never actually agree to this arrangement by the way you could lose both houses). The guarantor becomes responsible if the loan defaults. This is exactly the situation allowed for in the Old Testament. Someone may leave their coat as a guarantee that they will return to honour their promises. If they do not honour the agreement they lose their coat. A coat doesn’t seem much to most in the first world but it may be the only thing someone had of value in biblical times. Thus we have a “guarantee”, a “seal” a “stamp“. The Holy Spirit is our guarantor. Could there be anything more secure?
The Holy Spirit is now the guarantee. This is not something that belongs to us. It is proof that we will receive the promised “inheritance”. An “inheritance” that is vastly more than life after death.
Grace: To Give Praise And Glory
1:14 (cont.) “us, who will praise and give him glory!”
This is the sense of hearing a wonderful rendition of some music or song. People can’t refrain from leaping to their feet and applauding. The people are caught up in this wonderful event. The gift of The Holy Spirit is such an event and is worthy of praise and getting excited about.
Paul here outlines some of the things that we can give praise for the…:
- Spirit is the guarantee,
- Spirit of our inheritance,
- Time when the people who are God’s special possession (“what he’s kept safe for himself”), are finally reclaimed and freed.
- People who are God’s special possession
Grace: To Give Praise of His Glory
This worship retells the story of “deliverance” (“redemption”) that happened at Mount Sinai. It is also the redemption that has now happened in and through the Messiah. This is the same “Inheritance” offered to the Jews. It comes with the same expected reciprocation and the same commission. To minister to the rest of humankind and to worship through praise of his glory.
This praise for our “inheritance” is in addition to the gift of “Deliverance” and the preceding list of things that are worthy of “praise” that “give him glory”. This additional list Includes praise of his glory for the..:
- Grace of Accepting The Gift
- Gift as A Power
- Grace of Going Through Our Own Passover and Exodus
- Gift of God’s Work
- Grace of His Blood – and how it is About Life
- Gift That Is Not Random
- Grace of The Inheritance of Mount Sinai
- Gift of Deliverance – the story of redemption retold
- Grace of Deliverance and The Exodus Being Complete
- Gift of Deliverance. The Exodus is Complete Through the Forgiven of Sin.
- Gift of Such Wealth
This is not a complete list of the gifts/graces God offers. As you will see as you read on there is also:
- The Gift of Wisdom
and
- The Gift of Apocalypse
- To name a few.
Questions
- Does our praise service include these things?
- Should they?
- What other things should they include?
- If part of our purpose in life, our meaning, is to “minister to the rest of humankind and to worship” are we doing enough?
- Should we include more ministers in our worship services?
- If so what form would that take?
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1English: Free Bible Version Provided by: Free Bible Ministry, Inc. and open.bible, licensed under CC BY ND Published:
2Extract From THE KINGDOM NEW TESTAMENT: A CONTEMPORARY TRANSLATION by N.T. WRIGHT.
Copyright (c) 2011 by Nicholas Thomas Wright. Courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers.
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