Word: Exodus 12:1-14
Title: Ten Plagues (6) 1994. 10. 16
Today is the sixth message in the series on the ten plagues. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, refused to let the children of Israel go, and many plagues came upon Egypt. The tenth and final plague was the death of the firstborn. The firstborn of Pharaoh, his servants, the people, and even the livestock died. But the children of Israel escaped this calamity. Exodus 12 explains how they were protected through the Passover.
This Passover message is closely connected with circumcision and the Lord’s Supper. Circumcision was a covenant sign, and the uncircumcised were forbidden to eat the Passover meal. The Passover was also established as an ordinance to be remembered from generation to generation.
In Exodus 12, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and told the people that this month would be the beginning of months for them. On the tenth day, each household was to take a lamb. If a household was too small for one lamb, it could share with a neighboring household according to the number of people and the amount each person would eat.
The lamb was to be a one-year-old male without blemish, taken from the sheep or the goats.
What does the lamb represent? First Peter 1:19 speaks of “the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” John 1:29 records John the Baptist seeing Jesus and saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Revelation 5:12 also says, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
The Lamb therefore points us to Jesus Christ.
Why is Jesus compared to a lamb? A lamb is gentle, meek, and harmless. Jesus was meek and good. He did not live for Himself but gave Himself for others. He endured suffering, humiliation, scourging, the crown of thorns, the nails, and the cross. He gave His flesh and blood for us.
John 6 teaches that we must eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man in order to have life. This means that Jesus Christ Himself is our life and that we must receive Him by faith and live by His truth.
The lamb also had to be without blemish. This points to the sinlessness and purity of Christ. Jesus gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice.
The Israelites were to keep the lamb until the fourteenth day of the month and then slaughter it at twilight. The blood was to be placed on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they ate the lamb.
The blood was not placed on the threshold. The blood was placed on the sides and above the doorway. The important point is that the blood marked the house as belonging to those who trusted and obeyed God’s command.
Jesus said in John 10:7, “I am the door of the sheep,” and in verse 9, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.”
The door therefore reminds us of the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Israelites had to remain inside the house marked by the blood. In the same way, salvation is found in Christ.
The blood on the doorposts points us to the precious blood of Jesus. His blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins and for our salvation.
That night, the Israelites were told to eat the meat roasted over fire, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
The Passover meal was eaten in a serious and urgent situation. Judgment was coming upon Egypt, and the Israelites were preparing to leave slavery behind.
The unleavened bread was plain bread without yeast. The bitter herbs reminded them of hardship and suffering. They were not celebrating luxury or comfort. They were preparing to leave Egypt according to God’s command.
The lamb was not to be eaten raw or boiled in water, but roasted over fire. The whole lamb was to be eaten, including the head, legs, and inner parts, and nothing was to be left until morning.
Spiritually, the lamb points to Christ and His Word. We should not receive only the parts of God’s Word that we like while ignoring the rest. We should receive the whole counsel of God and allow His Word to shape our lives.
At the same time, we should not approach the Bible merely through human philosophy, human knowledge, or personal opinion. We should seek to understand God’s Word faithfully, prayerfully, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We should also be careful not to treat Scripture superficially. The spiritual meaning of God’s Word should be sought with humility, while remaining faithful to what the text actually says.
The Israelites were also told not to leave any of the lamb until morning. They were to eat in readiness to depart.
This teaches us the urgency of faith. We should not delay obedience. We do not know how much time we have, and we should not postpone repentance, obedience, or spiritual growth.
Matthew 25 teaches through the parable of the ten virgins that preparation must be made before the bridegroom comes. After the door is shut, it is too late to begin preparing.
Therefore, believers should prepare themselves now.
Exodus 12:11 says that they were to eat with their belts fastened, sandals on their feet, and staff in hand. They were to eat in haste. It was the Lord’s Passover.
This was the posture of people ready to leave Egypt immediately.
This also connects with Ephesians 6, which speaks of the armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the readiness of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Believers must be spiritually prepared.
The staff can also remind us of faith and dependence. A weak person may lean on a staff in order to walk safely. In the same way, we must depend on God and walk by faith.
Moses himself carried the staff God had given him, and through it the Israelites witnessed God’s power. The staff did not have power by itself, but it became a visible instrument through which God worked.
When the Israelites obeyed God’s instructions, they escaped the plague of death.
The blood on the doorposts was the sign. When the Lord saw the blood, judgment passed over that household.
This is the heart of the Passover.
The Israelites were not saved because they were stronger than the Egyptians or because they were more righteous in themselves. They were saved because they trusted God’s word and took refuge under the blood of the Passover lamb.
In the same way, our salvation rests not on our own righteousness but on Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
His blood was shed for us. Through Him we enter the door of salvation.
We should therefore continue to eat and drink His flesh and blood spiritually by receiving His Word, abiding in Him, and living by faith.
We should not become spiritually lazy. We should diligently hear, read, understand, and practice the Word of God.
The point is not simply to accumulate biblical knowledge. The Word must become our spiritual food, shape our character, and guide our lives.
We must also remember that receiving the Word requires humility. We should not accept teaching blindly, but neither should we reject God’s Word simply because it challenges our own thoughts. We should examine Scripture carefully, pray for understanding, and follow the truth with faith and obedience.
The Passover was the way of escape from the messenger of death. It pointed from death to life.
For us, Jesus Christ is the way of life.
The blood of the Passover lamb points to His blood. The door points to salvation in Him. The meal points to receiving and living by His life and truth. The readiness of the Israelites points to a faith that is prepared to obey.
Therefore, let us deeply engrave this Word in our hearts. Let us remain under the grace of Christ, receive His Word, live by faith, and prepare ourselves faithfully for the Lord.