Week 40, Day 3: The Passover

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 12:1-51

Some thoughts from the reading…

The Passover is instituted by the events of the last sign.  The destroyer was going to be sent by God to kill all the firstborn of the Egyptians and the cattle.  But because of God’s provisions, the blood of the lamb on the door posts and lintel would mark the house as needing to be passed over.  Thus God provided a way for His people to be spared.  It was His mercy that spared them but they were also commanded to complete this action or else the destroyer would come upon them. 

The manner in which they were to eat this meal reflected the coming urgency for them to leave quickly.  God knew the Egyptians would drive them out right away once the firstborns were killed.  Thus Israel ate of the passover lamb dressed ready to go.  They were driven out with such haste that they did not have time to leaven their bread or make preparations fo their journey.  This is where eating unleavened bread during the passover comes.  It reflects the haste in which Israel left Egypt.  God provided the passover meal for them to have, I believe, strength for their long journey into the wilderness.  Notice that not a bone of the passover lamb was to be broken.  Also, the lamb could be a sheep or a goat (vs 5). 

In the NT we see the Lord instituting the Lord’s Supper after He and His disciples had partaken of the passover feast together.  The bread they would have had for this feast is known to be unleavened bread.  A outside the church would not understand why the bread used in the Lord’s Supper is different until examining the commands for the passover. 

It is interesting to look at the parallels between the passover and the giving of Jesus as our sacrificial lamb.  The blood of the passover lamb was used to spare those inside the house.  Not a bone was to be broken.  The lamb had to be unblemished.  All of these concepts are reflected in the death of Jesus.  I find it fascinating to see such similarities in the scriptures.  God has planned things so that we can understand the importance and significance of such events.  And yet so many religious people today do not know about such things.  Why?  Because they are not people of the word.  If all we talk about are stories that make people feel good or leave worship services saying that was an uplifting sermon, then people will not see the beauty of God’s word.  There will always be more to learn from God’s word, but let us not be accused of failing to appreciate God’s word and desiring to meditate upon the things it contains.  Many today will suffer because they have a lack of knowledge.  But they are not lacking because they are incapable of learning.  Rather it is a lack of knowledge because of no effort.  Prove yourself a disciple who does not need to be ashamed.

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