Passover

 Exodus 11-12

             The final plague is so devastating that there can be no question about it being merely a natural disaster. “Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her mill, and the firstborn of the cattle as well” (11:5). This is clearly the hand of God, highlighted by the fact that the plague completely skips the Israelites. The contrast is stark: “There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt…But among the Israelites not a dog will bark” (11:6-7).

            The firstborn of Pharaoh is one thing; he is the one who enslaved and oppressed Israel. The firstborn of the female servant may strike us as too much. We may want to ask, “Why is the Lord so vindictive?” First, we’re talking about Egypt as a whole. Yes, Pharaoh as king is considered the embodiment of the nation; but the Lord’s plagues fall on all of Egypt. Second, we may note that all of the Egyptians benefited from Israel’s enslavement and so are implicated in their oppression. Finally, all of Egypt is implicated also in Pharaoh’s order to kill the newborn boys of Israel.

            The Israelites are spared because of the blood of the Passover lamb, which becomes a sign for the Lord to pass by their homes. Looking closely at 12:23 is interesting. Until today, I assumed it was the “angel of death” who did the killing, but the text actually says the Lord Himself went through the land, sending a being who is simply named “the destroyer” into the unmarked houses. I don’t fully know the significance of that, but at least in part the Lord is not safely isolated in His heaven and sending an underling to do the dirty work. No, He is ‘on the ground.’ That fits what the Bible teaches us about our God and Lord: He is intimately aware of us. In the days of Noah, He came to earth to see its wickedness for Himself; at the beginning of Matthew, Jesus is name Emmanuel, the God who is with us; at the end of Matthew, Jesus says He will be with us always. For blessing or for punishment, our God is present!

            So much more could be said! Chapter 12 also introduces the Passover celebration. Every generation of Israelites will be connected to this one historical event. They will eat a roasted lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (representative of their bitter enslavement), and they will eat it fully dressed, ready to move. Most tellingly, they will always speak of this event in the present tense: “This is the Passover of the Lord;” not, “This was the Passover of the Lord..” In the Passover, God is creating a new reality for Israel, and He will sustain them in the new reality into the ages. Applications abound into the New Testament, but I haven’t the time for that this morning. Come to Bible class this weekend to hear more about Passover, about the plundering of Egypt, about so much more!