< Exodus 12 >

This section tell us what the people of Israel had to do in preparation for the Exodus, and the New Testament tells us the significance of these events for the disciples of Christ. These disciples also are told to prepare for the sudden final intervention of God in the affairs of the world, when only those who have listened to his instructions and are ready and prepared will be able to respond immediately! We should note the significance of midnight,v.4Waiting for response for Exodus 12:4 for this is the time Jesus spoke of in his parable of his coming as a bridegroom to the wedding in which he exhorted his disciples to be ready Matthew 25:6,10-13.Waiting for response for Matthew 25:6,10-13

Deliverance in Egypt was effected by the sacrifice of a lamb, but it is not possible that the blood of animals can take away sins (Hebrews 10:4)Waiting for response for Hebrews 10:4 so God provided his only begotten Son as an efficacious sacrifice. He is “the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” John 1:29Waiting for response for John 1:29 “in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of God’s grace” Ephesians 1:7.Waiting for response for Ephesians 1:7

Jesus would live a perfectly obedient life and have no blemish in his character. Therefore, to represent this, Israel was commanded concerning the passover lamb: “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year”. They were redeemed by the shedding of that lamb’s blood: we may be redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot”.1 Peter 1:19Waiting for response for 1 Peter 1:19

They were to sacrifice the lamb on the fourteenth day of the month Abib, the very day that Jesus himself was sacrificed, and the blood of the lamb was to provide a covering for them so that they would not suffer when the judgments of God came upon the land. Likewise the blood of the Lamb of God can cover us in the coming day of judgment: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” Romans 4:7-8Waiting for response for Romans 4:7-8

The people of Israel, however, had to do their part. They had to strike the blood on their door frames v.7Waiting for response for Exodus 12:7 and this would provide protection. Likewise we also, if we desire to remain alive when the LORD executes his righteous judgment in the earth, must act precisely according to his instructions. These are to believe the gospel of the kingdom of God, to be baptized, to continue in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, to obey the commandments of Christ, and to be ready for his coming. This readiness is typified by the instruction to Israel: “And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover”.

The apostle Paul wrote: “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us”, 1 Corinthians 5:7Waiting for response for 1 Corinthians 5:7 guiding us to an understanding of the significance of the last plague in Egypt which delivered Israel from bondage. That event, like so many in scripture, is a foreshadowing of a greater deliverance for God’s people, not from slavery, but from sin and death.

It is significant that the Exodus occurred on the very day God had arranged in advance, exactly 430 years from the day that Abraham entered the promised land. This is reassuring, for God has made promises about the future which we can confidently anticipate taking place exactly as preordained (Acts 1:7).Waiting for response for Acts 1:7 We are wise, therefore, if we believe the word of God and obey Christ, and are ready for the coming day.

Their way would have been lit up by the full moon which is very bright in Egypt.