Bible – Bible Society of Zimbabwe

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.-2

Get ready to dive deep into Independence Day, celebrated every 18th of April in Zimbabwe! It’s not just about parties and flags waving high, it’s a chance to think big. We’re talking about freedom, justice, and how Zimbabwe broke free from the past. And guess what? The Bible has a lot to say about all of this! So, let’s see how its stories help us understand why Independence Day is such a big deal.”

Freedom from Slavery

The story of when the Israelites got free from being slaves in Egypt, like it says in the Book of Exodus, is a lot like what countries go through when they want to be independent.. Through divine intervention and the leadership of Moses, the Israelites were liberated from the oppressive rule of Pharaoh and embarked on a journey toward the Promised Land, Canaan (Exodus 12 – Numbers 33). This narrative underscores the biblical principle that God desires freedom for His people and calls upon individuals to resist bondage and oppression.

Justice and Equality

The prophets from the Bible always said that fairness and being equal are really important. They told leaders and everyone else to treat people who are pushed aside or treated badly with respect and fairness. The prophet Isaiah exhorted, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17, NIV). Independence Day serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for justice and equality, echoing the prophetic call to advocate for the rights of all individuals, regardless of their social status or background.

Responsibility and Promise

While Independence Day commemorates the attainment of freedom, it also underscores the responsibility that comes with it. The biblical narrative emphasizes the importance of living in accordance with God’s laws and upholding moral principles. The promise between God and the Israelites, symbolised by the giving of the Ten Commandments, serves as a reminder that true freedom is found in obedience to divine guidance. ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19 v 4-6 NIV).

Conclusion

Independence Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the biblical principles of freedom, justice, and liberation. As you celebrate the attainment of independence, may you also heed the lessons of the Bible, striving to uphold justice, equality, and freedom in our societies. May you be inspired by the courage and resilience of those who have fought for liberation, and may you continue to pursue a world where all individuals can experience the blessings of true freedom.

The Passover

1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Egypt: 2 “This month is to be the first month of the year for you. 3 Give these instructions to the whole community of Israel: On the tenth day of this month each man must choose either a lamb or a young goat for his household. 4 If his family is too small to eat a whole animal, he and his next-door neighbor may share an animal, in proportion to the number of people and the amount that each person can eat. 5 You may choose either a sheep or a goat, but it must be a one-year-old male without any defects. 6 Then, on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, the whole community of Israel will kill the animals. 7 The people are to take some of the blood and put it on the doorposts and above the doors of the houses in which the animals are to be eaten. 8 That night the meat is to be roasted, and eaten with bitter herbs and with bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled, but eat it roasted whole, including the head, the legs, and the internal organs. 10 You must not leave any of it until morning; if any is left over, it must be burned. 11 You are to eat it quickly, for you are to be dressed for travel, with your sandals on your feet and your walking stick in your hand. It is the Passover Festival to honor me, the Lord.

12 “On that night I will go through the land of Egypt, killing every first-born male, both human and animal, and punishing all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood on the doorposts will be a sign to mark the houses in which you live. When I see the blood, I will pass over you and will not harm you when I punish the Egyptians. 14 You must celebrate this day as a religious festival to remind you of what I, the Lord, have done. Celebrate it for all time to come.”

The Festival of Unleavened Bread

15 The Lord said, “For seven days you must not eat any bread made with yeast—eat only unleavened bread. On the first day you are to get rid of all the yeast in your houses, for if anyone during those seven days eats bread made with yeast, he shall no longer be considered one of my people. 16 On the first day and again on the seventh day you are to meet for worship. No work is to be done on those days, but you may prepare food. 17 Keep this festival, because it was on this day that I brought your tribes out of Egypt. For all time to come you must celebrate this day as a festival. 18 From the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month to the evening of the twenty-first day, you must not eat any bread made with yeast. 19-20 For seven days no yeast must be found in your houses, for if anyone, native-born or foreign, eats bread made with yeast, he shall no longer be considered one of my people.”

The First Passover

21 Moses called for all the leaders of Israel and said to them, “Each of you is to choose a lamb or a young goat and kill it, so that your families can celebrate Passover. 22 Take a sprig of hyssop, dip it in the bowl containing the animal's blood, and wipe the blood on the doorposts and the beam above the door of your house. Not one of you is to leave the house until morning. 23 When the Lord goes through Egypt to kill the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the beams and the doorposts and will not let the Angel of Death enter your houses and kill you. 24 You and your children must obey these rules forever. 25 When you enter the land that the Lord has promised to give you, you must perform this ritual. 26 When your children ask you, ‘What does this ritual mean?’ 27 you will answer, ‘It is the sacrifice of Passover to honor the Lord, because he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. He killed the Egyptians, but spared us.’”

The Israelites knelt down and worshiped. 28 Then they went and did what the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.

The Death of the First-Born

29 At midnight the Lord killed all the first-born sons in Egypt, from the king's son, who was heir to the throne, to the son of the prisoner in the dungeon; all the first-born of the animals were also killed. 30 That night, the king, his officials, and all the other Egyptians were awakened. There was loud crying throughout Egypt, because there was not one home in which there was not a dead son. 31 That same night the king sent for Moses and Aaron and said, “Get out, you and your Israelites! Leave my country; go and worship the Lord, as you asked. 32 Take your sheep, goats, and cattle, and leave. Also pray for a blessing on me.”

33 The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country; they said, “We will all be dead if you don't leave.” 34 So the people filled their baking pans with unleavened dough, wrapped them in clothing, and carried them on their shoulders. 35 The Israelites had done as Moses had said, and had asked the Egyptians for gold and silver jewelry and for clothes. 36 The Lord made the Egyptians respect the people and give them what they asked for. In this way the Israelites carried away the wealth of the Egyptians.

The Israelites Leave Egypt

37 The Israelites set out on foot from Rameses for Sukkoth. There were about 600,000 men, not counting women and children. 38 A large number of other people and many sheep, goats, and cattle also went with them. 39 They baked unleavened bread from the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for they had been driven out of Egypt so suddenly that they did not have time to get their food ready or to prepare leavened dough.

40 The Israelites had lived in Egypt for 430 years. 41 On the day the 430 years ended, all the tribes of the Lord's people left Egypt. 42 It was a night when the Lord kept watch to bring them out of Egypt; this same night is dedicated to the Lord for all time to come as a night when the Israelites must keep watch.

Regulations about Passover

43 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the Passover regulations: No foreigner shall eat the Passover meal, 44 but any slave that you have bought may eat it if you circumcise him first. 45 No temporary resident or hired worker may eat it. 46 The whole meal must be eaten in the house in which it was prepared; it must not be taken outside. And do not break any of the animal's bones. 47 The whole community of Israel must celebrate this festival, 48 but no uncircumcised man may eat it. If a foreigner has settled among you and wants to celebrate Passover to honor the Lord, you must first circumcise all the males of his household. He is then to be treated like a native-born Israelite and may join in the festival. 49 The same regulations apply to native-born Israelites and to foreigners who settle among you.” 50 All the Israelites obeyed and did what the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 On that day the Lord brought the Israelite tribes out of Egypt.

1 Then the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 This moneth shalbe vnto you the beginning of moneths: it shalbe to you the first moneth of the yere. 3 Speake ye vnto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth of this moneth let euery man take vnto him a lambe, according to the house of the fathers, a lambe for an house. 4 And if the housholde be too litle for the lambe, he shall take his neighbour, which is next vnto his house, according to the nomber of the persons: euery one of you, according to his eating shall make your count for the lambes, 5 Your lambe shalbe without blemish, a male of a yeere olde: ye shall take it of the lambes, or of the kiddes. 6 And yee shall keepe it vntill the fourteenth day of this moneth: then al the multitude of the Congregation of Israel shall kill it at euen. 7 After, they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two postes, and on the vpper doore post of the houses where they shall eate it. 8 And they shall eate the flesh the same night, roste with fire, and vnleauened bread: with sowre herbes they shall eate it. 9 Eate not thereof rawe, boyled nor sodden in water, but rost with fire, both his head, his feete, and his purtenance. 10 And ye shall reserue nothing of it vnto the morning: but that, which remaineth of it vnto the morowe, shall ye burne with fire. 11 And thus shall yee eate it, Your loynes girded, your shoes on your feete, and your staues in your handes, and yee shall eate it in haste: for it is the Lords Passeouer. 12 For I will passe through the lande of Egypt the same night, and will smite all the first borne in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and I will execute iudgement vpon all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 And the blood shalbe a token for you vpon the houses where ye are: so when I see the blood, I will passe ouer you, and the plague shall not be vpon you to destruction, when I smite the lande of Egypt. 14 And this day shalbe vnto you a remembrance: and ye shall keepe it an holie feast vnto the Lord, throughout your generations: yee shall keepe it holie by an ordinance for euer. 15 Seuen daies shall ye eat vnleauened bread, and in any case ye shall put away leauen the first day out of your houses: for whosoeuer eateth leauened bread from the first daie vntill the seuenth day, that person shalbe cut off from Israel. 16 And in the first day shalbe an holie assemblie: also in the seuenth day shalbe an holy assemblie vnto you: no worke shalbe done in them, saue about that which euery man must eate: that onely may ye do. 17 Ye shall keepe also the feast of vnleauened bread: for that same daye I will bring your armies out of the lande of Egypt: therefore ye shall obserue this day, throughout your posteritie, by an ordinance for euer. 18 In the first moneth and the fourteenth day of the moneth at euen, yee shall eate vnleauened bread vnto the one and twentieth day of the moneth at euen. 19 Seuen daies shall no leauen be founde in your houses: for whosoeuer eateth leauened bread, that person shalbe cut off from the Congregation of Israel: whether he bee a stranger, or borne in the land. 20 Ye shall eate no leauened bread: but in all your habitations shall ye eate vnleauened bread. 21 Then Moses called all the Elders of Israel, and saide vnto them, Choose out and take you for euerie of your housholdes a lambe, and kill the Passeouer. 22 And take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basen, and strike the lintell, and the doore cheekes with the blood that is in the basen, and let none of you goe out at the doore of his house, vntill the morning. 23 For the Lord will passe by to smite the Egyptians: and when he seeth the blood vpon the lintel and on the two doore cheekes, the Lord wil passe ouer the doore, and wil not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to plague you. 24 Therefore shall ye obserue this thing as an ordinance both for thee and thy sonnes for euer. 25 And when ye shall come into the land, which the Lord will giue you as hee hath promised, then ye shall keepe this seruice. 26 And when your children aske you, What seruice is this ye keepe? 27 Then ye shall saye, It is the sacrifice of the Lordes Passeouer, which passed ouer the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and preserued our houses. Then the people bowed them selues, and worshipped. 28 So the children of Israel went, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron: so did they. 29 Nowe at midnight, the Lord smote all the first borne in the lande of Egypt, from the first borne of Pharaoh that sate on his throne, vnto the first borne of the captiue that was in prison, and all the first borne of beastes. 30 And Pharaoh rose vp in the night, he, and all his seruants and all the Egyptians: and there was a great crye in Egypt: for there was no house where there was not one dead. 31 And hee called to Moses and to Aaron by night, and saide, Rise vp, get you out from among my people, both yee, and the children of Israel, and goe serue the Lord as ye haue sayde. 32 Take also your sheepe and your cattell as yee haue sayde, and depart, and blesse me also. 33 And the Egyptians did force the people, because they would send them out of the land in haste: for they said, We die all. 34 Therfore the people tooke their dough before it was leauened, euen their dough bound in clothes vpon their shoulders. 35 And the children of Israel did according to the saying of Moses, and they asked of ye Egyptians iewels of siluer and iewels of gold, and raiment. 36 And the Lord gaue the people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians: and they graunted their request: so they spoyled the Egyptians. 37 Then the children of Israel tooke their iourney from Rameses to Succoth about sixe hundreth thousand men of foote, beside children. 38 And a great multitude of sundrie sortes of people went out with them, and sheepe, and beeues, and cattel in great abundance. 39 And they baked the dough which they brought out of Egypt, and made vnleauened cakes: for it was not leauened, because they were thrust out of Egypt, neither coulde they tarie, nor yet prepare themselues vitailes. 40 So the dwelling of the children of Israel, while they dwelled in Egypt, was foure hundreth and thirtie yeres. 41 And when the foure hundreth and thirtie yeeres were expired, euen the selfe same day departed all the hostes of the Lord out of the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night to be kept holie to the Lord, because he brought them out of the lande of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord, which all the children of Israel must keepe throughout their generations. 43 Also the Lord said vnto Moses and Aaron, This is the Lawe of the Passeouer: no stranger shall eate thereof. 44 But euerie seruant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. 45 A stranger or an hyred seruant shall not eat thereof. 46 In one house shall it bee eaten: thou shalt carie none of ye flesh out of the house, neither shall ye breake a bone thereof. 47 All the Congregation of Israel shall obserue it. 48 But if a stranger dwell with thee, and will obserue the Passeouer of the Lord, let him circumcise all the males, that belong vnto him, and then let him come and obserue it, and he shall be as one that is borne in the land: for none vncircumcised person shall eate thereof. 49 One lawe shalbe to him that is borne in the land, and to the stranger that dwelleth among you. 50 Then all the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron: so did they. 51 And the selfe same day did the Lord bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

Exodus 12