“I will bring locusts onto your territory…  And they shall cover the face of the earth…and they shall eat the residue of what is left…and they shall eat every tree which grows up…”  Exodus 10:4-5

The festival of Passover is mentioned about 85 times in the Bible.  I have been taught that if God says something more than once, that we are to sit up and take notice.  Passover begins this year at sundown on March 25 and concludes the evening of April 2.

Something that happened earlier in the month has raised eyebrows in Israel, especially because it has occurred, interestingly enough, right ahead of Passover and it has a nation wondering what the Lord is saying to them.

You may remember that the Lord sent 10 plagues to Egypt in an attempt to make Pharaoh release His people from slavery.  With each plague, God said, “Let my people go,” but Pharaoh refused.  With the eighth plague, God sent locusts and according to the Word, they “covered the face of the earth.”

Recently, a swarm of 30 million locusts invaded Egypt and caused massive damage to crops.  A locust can grow up to 6 inches in length but these locusts were described as being “bird sized.”  Egypt and Israel border and locusts numbering in the tens of thousands have crossed over to Israel.  This has many people on high alert, fueling fears of apocalyptic proportions.    

Thus far, agricultural damage in Israel has been minimal (how merciful) but what is God saying to Egypt and Israel?  The relationship between the two countries has been described as “cold peace” and some are leery of its effectiveness.

 I do not believe in coincidences so I feel in my heart that God may just be trying to get their attention.  Perhaps it is just to make them sit up, take notice and remind them that the commandment, as recorded in Leviticus to keep Passover, should be adhered to.

As mentioned last year, Passover is not just for Jews.  If you call Jesus Savior, it is your heritage to participate in this feast of our Lord as well.

Katie Altobellis