By Douglas K. Wilson, Ph. D.
Professor of Biblical Studies, University of Mobile
DELIVERED FROM EGYPT
Exodus 12:21–32
One of the most momentous events in the history of ancient Israel was their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. God’s redemptive work was memorialized throughout the Old Testament in narrative, in song, in sermons and in the introduction to the Commandments.
Even today, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover meal in the Jewish calendar keep hope alive for final deliverance through the promised Messiah.
Instruction (21–23)
The application of blood was a prescribed ritual. Every lamb sacrificed had to meet specific criteria. Every household had to have the lamb’s blood applied to the frame of the outer door. Every person was required to remain inside. Following every instruction was a matter of life and death.
Sons inquired of their fathers, and dads instructed their families why they followed this ritual year after year. A father’s responsibility to instruct his family in the ways of God and the history of Israel’s redemption continued to grow throughout the Exodus and into the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 6:6–9 and 6:20–25 prepared fathers to answer their sons’ questions regarding the law, and Joshua 4:1–7 anticipated children asking questions about the stone memorial in the Jordan Valley.
Christian parents are instructed to teach their children to follow Jesus through their words and their works (Eph. 6:4). In addition, Paul instructed mature followers of Christ to disciple less mature Christians. (See 2 Tim. 2:2.)
Celebration (24–28)
From the beginning, Passover was not intended to be a one-time event but a continual reminder of God’s work and a renewal of Israel’s covenant with Him.
As Christians, we confess that the Messiah — the Christ, the Anointed One — has come to ransom believers among Israel and the Gentiles — indeed all who surrender to Him as Lord.
Since the days of the apostles, Christians have held that Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7). As our sacrifice and our deliverer, Jesus transformed the Passover meal from being a memorial of deliverance from Egyptian slavery to a proclamation of His death until He returns (1 Cor. 11:26).
Victory (29–32)
The actual event was a powerful rebuke and a precious rescue. Eighty years prior to the Exodus, Pharaoh’s family was responsible for the mass murder of newborn Israelite boys.
Pharaoh’s priests perpetuated the worship of the Egyptian pantheon even after Moses introduced Yahweh by name as the One true God (5:1) and communicated God’s purpose for allowing Pharaoh to remain alive (9:16).
The judgment of God struck every house unmarked by the blood of a lamb. Pharaoh was utterly broken by the death of his firstborn son. The mighty hand and outstretched arm of God was compelling Pharaoh to release Israel and he did.
By contrast, the Passover night ended in victory both for the Israelites and for a multiethnic group (12:38) who marked their doors with the spotless lamb’s blood. God protected them from His wrath, and He released them from their bondage in Egypt.
God has always had a plan to redeem a people for Himself from among the nations. During the time of the patriarchs, He promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that their seed would bring blessing to all nations. Through Moses, God instructed Israel to love their neighbors and the strangers among them (Lev. 19:18, 33–34). Jesus accentuated this active blessing of the nations after the Resurrection, when He commissioned the Church to make disciples of all nations.
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