Passover - A Template for Spiritual Life (Exodus 12: 1-28)
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Perhaps that's the reason why there are so many pictures in the Bible. I'm not talking about the maps in the back; those are the only pictures in my Bible. Wat I mean by this is the fact that the Bible is full of object lessons, which are nothing more than visual representations of something important in life.
In this chapter, I want us to explore two pictures in the Old Testament. I think a good title for this chapter might be "Snapshots." These are two snapshots of our spiritual life, and properly understood, they present a simple, vivid picture of what the biblical narrative is all about. So, join me as we look at the mental photo gallery that is Exodus Chapter 12.
Exodus Chapter 12 begins with the Lord speaking to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt. He says,
1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you." 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. 12 ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:1-13).
Let's pause here. This is picture one, the Passover. One of the two pictures in this chapter and this one is the most familiar. Most of what I just read, many of you probably already know. But there are things in here that need to be explained. So, let's go through and see what this passage is talking about.
Exodus Chapter 12, verse 1, states that this month is going to be the beginning of months for the Israelites. It signifies the start of their new year, which falls roughly in our March or April. Some argue that this indicates the beginning of the nation of Israel. It then says on the 10th day of the first month, every household is to take a lamb or goat. If there are not enough people to eat the lamb, they can share it with their neighbour. This emphasizes that the Passover is not just an individual or family ceremony but also a communal affair. The chosen lamb must be without blemish, and it is selected four days before it is to be killed.
It then goes on to say that on the 14th day of the same month, the entire congregation of Israel slaughters the lamb. The act of slaughter would take place at twilight. Now, there are various interpretations of the term "twilight." Typically, when we hear "twilight," we think of the period between sunset and darkness, a brief interval before complete darkness sets in. Interestingly, the Hebrew word translated here as twilight literally means "between two evenings." However, earlier biblical scholars narrow it down and say it does in fact refers to the time between sunset and darkness when the sun begins to set and goes down, which is why the king James Bible translates in twilight.
The other interpretation, which appealed more to the Jewish rabbis, suggests that the two sunsets spanned from noon until sunset. Under this interpretation, the lamb would be slaughtered during the afternoon, allowing ample time to prepare for the meal instead of waiting until after dark. With a greater understanding of the Hebraic routes of our Christian faith most bible experts these days now considered more likely that twilight refers to the whole period between noon and sunset. The text also states that they should take some of the lamb's blood and apply it to the two doorposts of their houses. The doorposts are the two horizontal beams that hold up the door. One post supports the door, while the other catches it as it shuts. So, the blood would be placed on the doorpost and the text then mentioned that they should eat the lamb's flesh that night. It should be roasted over fire and consumed with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The lamb should be roasted over a fire and its head, legs, and inner organs, should be preserved. By following these specific instructions, the lamb would be presented on the table, resembling a whole animal sacrifice. This feast is not merely a meal; it symbolizes a lamb whose blood was shed. The act of putting its blood on the doorposts serves as a reminder of this. The prohibition against eating raw or boiled meat can be understood in contrast to the practices of pagans, who consumed meat in these manners. The meat should be cooked and roasted maintaining the visual reminder of the fact a living thing has been sacrificed. The specific instructions given regarding the lamb's presentation on the table emphasize its significance as a whole animal. It was not meant to be seen as a mere meal. This whole event thereby symbolized something way beyond just food. They are also told that nothing of the lamb should remain until morning. Whatever is leftover should be burned with fire. This signifies that any unconsumed portions hold their meaning beyond just the sustenance value of it as food.
At the same time, it states that while eating the lamb, one should be dressed with a belt around the waist, sandals on the feet, and staff in hand, ready to leave in haste. This urgency is emphasized because it is the Lord's Passover. As I mentioned earlier, the entire process was meant to be carried out quickly, emphasizing the theme of haste.
The Passover feast will go on to hold great importance in the lives of the Israelites, serving as a powerful reminder of their liberation from Egypt. It went beyond being a mere ritualistic meal and instead served as a commemoration of their bitter experience and the swift deliverance brought about by the Lord. In preparation for the feast, there were specific instructions to be followed. One notable instruction was to keep their sandals on, contrary to the usual practice of removing shoes when entering a house. This detail reminded them of the urgency associated with the Passover. So, this all means that they were to be fully dressed, with a belt around their waist, sandals on their feet, and a staff in hand. The staff would be placed by the door, ready for their imminent departure. The purpose behind eating the meal in haste was to emphasize the significance of the Lord's Passover. It was not just a leisurely dinner, the opposite in fact, it is and remains to this day a symbol of their deliverance, a meal consumed with a sense of urgency.
The significance of the Passover feast extended to its various elements. Verse 12 reveals that it was a judgment against the gods of Egypt, specifically targeting the firstborn of both humans and animals. Throughout the ten plagues, each plague represented a judgment against an Egyptian god. In this final plague, the death of the firstborn would served as a judgment against the gods of Egypt. The blood of the lamb played a vital role as a sign. When the Lord saw the blood on the doorposts, he would "pass over" those houses and spare them from the devastating plague. This act of sparing the Israelites demonstrated their salvation through the shedding of blood. It was a sign of their faith and trust in God's promise of deliverance. The Passover feast was not a mere feast of food and drink. It was a sign of something greater. Without understanding the background and context of Exodus 11 and 13, it would be challenging to fully grasp the meaning behind the Passover feast described here in Exodus 12.
The backdrop of the story involved the imminent arrival of the death angel, who would claim the lives of the firstborn. However, by following the instructions to select an unblemished lamb, slaughter it, and apply its blood to the doorposts, these families would be spared. The shedding of the lamb's blood was the key to their survival. It signified that those who were destined to die would live because of the blood of the lamb. The preparation and celebration of this Passover feast required an act of faith. The Israelites had to believe in the promise of God and act upon it by follow His instructions. However, please not their salvation was not independently reliant on on their own actions or merit but on their trust in God's provision and acting it out in faith. Additionally, it was essential to recognize that it was not their sight of the blood that mattered but rather God's sight of it. He saw the blood on the doorposts, and he then passed over those houses, sparing them from the judgment.
While all these insights into the Passover feast seen here in Exodus are highly significant, it is the New Testament that sheds further light on its true meaning, for people today. Jesus Christ is revealed as the ultimate fulfilment of the Passover. He is referred to as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 5:7, identifies Jesus as our Passover lamb. Similarly, in 1 Peter 1:19, Peter describes Jesus as the unblemished and spotless Lamb. The Passover feast was a foreshadowing of Jesus' sacrificial death. Drawing insights from the New Testament, it becomes evident that the Passover lamb and its significance point to Jesus Christ. The lamb's death in public paralleled Jesus' crucifixion. The blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts served as a sign of deliverance for the Israelites, just as Jesus' blood signified His sacrificial death. That means therefore that even today that through His death, believers are still saved from the judgment to come.
As a little extra insight, we can note that just as none of the bones of the Passover lamb were to be broken, none of Jesus' bones were broken during His crucifixion, despite the brutality of His death, and that is what the gospel account of the crucifixion confirmed happened.
Understanding the significance of the Passover feast enhances our comprehension of Jesus' role as the Lamb of God and the salvation offered through His sacrifice. The Passover was not only a historical event for the Israelites but also a prophetic foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus would make for all humanity. When I/We see the blood, we are saved. When God saw the blood, He saw that the divinely appointed lamb who had died, and He sees the people faith, and he was satisfied then, and he is satisfied by that today.
In the New Testament, there is a doctrine, a lesser-known doctrine, but it's one of my favourites in all of the Bible. We don't talk about it much, as it has a little bit of a technical name. I talk about it a lot, but I don't use the name of it. Mostly the Bible is a fairly plainly spoken documents. But there are a few words there that are a little cryptic, and one of them is the word "propitiation." In the First John, he is the propitiation for our sins. What in the world does propitiation mean? Well, it means God is satisfied. And in the case of Jesus dying, His death satisfied God that justice had been paid. The penalty is death. Jesus died. So, propitiation says God sees the blood and is satisfied that sin has been paid for. So, this is a snapshot of that great doctrine of propitiation. I constantly preach, "Christ died for your sins," and that's all it takes for you to get to heaven. It's a simple way to say the doctrine of propitiation. God is satisfied. Sin has been paid for. So now, He can freely give you the gift of eternal life.
At the beginning I said there were two pictures. We've only discussed one. Let’s look at the second snapshot of a spiritual truth? This gets realyl interesting. Let's pick up the story at verse 14.
14 ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.(Exodus 12: 14)
So this is a sign and it's a memorial, which simply means this is something I want you to remember. The second picture goes in verses 15 to 20. He says.
15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. 17 So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’ ” (Exodus 12: 15-20)
As soon as the Passover is over, the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins. While the Passover was just one day, a single meal, the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasts for seven days. The purpose of this feast is straightforward: abstain from work, except for meal preparation, and avoid eating leavened bread. Leaven, as you may know, causes bread to rise. During these seven days, the Israelites were to eat unleavened bread because God wanted to teach them a lesson. Let's delve into the significance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
On the first Passover night, the people of Israel left Egypt in a hurry, without allowing the dough to rise. The idea of unleavened bread being a symbol of haste is one possible explanation. However, since the feast lasts for seven days, from the 14th to the 21st day, there must be more to it than simply haste. From other parts of Scripture, we understand that leaven symbolizes sin. Therefore, the Feast of Unleavened Bread serves as a reminder that the Israelites have been redeemed and should immediately rid themselves of sin. It is a powerful picture when these two concepts are juxtaposed. Someone once said, "Leaven generally permeates dough and affects every part of it." In this context, unleavened bread not only reminded the Israelites and future generations that their ancestors fled Egypt in a hurry, but it also reminded them that their lives should reflect the purity of unleavened bread as redeemed individuals. Bread represents life, and as the Israelites had been given new life through God's provision of the Passover lamb, their lives were to be separated from sin. Eating unleavened bread for a week and removing all leaven from their houses reinforced the necessity of living a holy life.
To summarize, the spiritual journey outlined in these two pictures follow the path of redemption. We are saved through faith, believing in God's promise, and recognizing that the shedding of the blood of an innocent lamb, appointed by God, satisfies the requirement for our sins to be forgiven.(Propitiation). Once redeemed, our response is to eliminate sin from our lives. Thus, the removal of leaven follows redemption. It is important to note that removing sin is not a prerequisite for redemption; rather, it is a necessary step that follows it. These two pictures of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread present a beautiful and simple illustration of our spiritual life.
Finally, let's examine the implementation of these instructions as described in verses 21 to 28.
21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families and kill the Passover lamb. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssops, dip it in the blood that is in the basin and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. 24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So, the people bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. (Exodus 12: 21-28)
There isn't much in this passage that we haven't already discussed, except for the use of hyssop as the instrument to apply the blood to the doorposts. The remainder of the passage simply documents their obedience to those instructions first given in verses 1 to 20. However, verse 28 stands out as exceptional, because it states that the people did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. This is unusual since, this is the first time this obedience is recorded as being seen across the whole nations. It’s not going to always be the case as we continue reading the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), we find that the Israelites often deviated from God's commands. But here, on this occasion they followed through precisely.
In conclusion, having reviewed the instructions and their implementation, let's consider what we can learn from this passage.
We see here, the Lord instituting these feasts, as perpetual memorials, which we today can view as little memorial drama events, pictures or snapshots of redemption and the holy life that should follow. When we hear of Passover, we should think of both Passover and Unleavened Bread, as they are closely seeing and connected here we can see that these two feasts present two distinct lessons.
Firstly, we need to observe Passover by trusting in Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb, who died in our place as our substitute. In parallel with the Israelites, we escape spiritual death by believing in God's promise that the blood of the Lamb will redeem us. The New Testament echoes this in 1 John 2, stating that our salvation rests on faith in Jesus as the sinless Lamb who died for our sins. Therefore, the first lesson from this passage is to observe Passover by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, the Passover Lamb.
Secondly, we must continue to in spiritual sense continue to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread by eliminating sin from our lives. Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians 5:6-7, which correlates directly with Exodus 12. Paul chastises the Corinthians for tolerating immorality in their midst and likens a little leaven to sin that can permeate and corrupt the entire congregation. He urges them to purge out the old leaven and be a new sort of person one who is unleavened, i.e., sinless. Since Christ, our Passover Lamb, who has been sacrificed for us, we are to keep the feast, spiritually by not holding on to the old leaven or malice and wickedness, but with sincerity and truth. This is a direct application of the two pictures presented in Exodus 12. Just as the Israelites were to remove all leaven from their houses and lives, we are to eliminate sin from our lives and replace it with sincerity and truth, integrity and righteousness that honour the Lord.Often, we tend to focus on eliminating what we see as major sins, but the point is we are told here to eradicate all leaven. Not only should we refrain from consuming it, but we should also ensure it does not exist in our lives or homes. It is crucial to recognize that even small sins can grow and have significant consequences. So, we must eliminate both the prominent and inconspicuous sins in our lives, by constantly sacrificing our lives to the Lord, and asking for the forgiveness of sin. The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread offer profound spiritual lessons. Telling us to trust in Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb, is the first lesson. And by placing our faith in Him, we escape spiritual death and receive eternal life.
The second lesson is to eliminate sin from our lives, just as the Israelites removed leaven during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We are to replace sin with sincerity and truth, integrity, and righteousness.
These two feasts, Passover, and Unleavened Bread, together form a beautiful illustration of our spiritual journey—redemption followed by a holy life.