PROGRESS I

This is a work in verse in 100 stanzas. Since that is a bit indigestible I will split it over the next week or so. It gives two histories, the first three lines of each stanza being from Israel's history, and the next three lines from the history of a soul, drawing upon that. Its like two stories that rhyme with each other. I had in mind the way in which some psalms and other biblical poems have a parallel between halves of verses:
I will bless Jehovah at all time;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.


O Israel, as you groan and cower
Beneath the lash of Egypt's power
The LORD has heard your cry;
O sinner, in the thrall of sin
Through deeds without and guilt within
The Lord has heard your sigh.

Jehovah, who has heard your pleas
Now urges you that you should seize
And take yourself a lamb;
The Lamb of God who heard you plead,
Comes - grasp the Man who knows your need,
In person the I AM.

Upon your doorpost you must smear
The blood to shield you as you fear
Jehovah's judgement-sword;
To save you from God's wrath you must
Have precious blood in which to trust,
The blood of Christ the Lord.

God sees the blood and passes on -
But in your dwellings feed upon
The lamb that's roast with fire;
The Lamb whose blood has met your need
Is now the One on whom to feed
To nurture and inspire.

And eat it with unleavened bread
And bitter herbs, as Moses said
Under the LORD's command.
Before the Lord with contrite heart
And with a longing to depart
From evil, called one, stand.

Shod for the journey take your way
From Egypt's bondage in array,
In order, yet with haste;
Go with a purpose that is new
Through faith, for what was life to you
Will now become a waste.