The Bible Course预览

Final plague, Passover and the Exodus – the way of freedom

Reflect:

Many of us associate meals with remembering. Some meals take us back to our childhood, some remind us of lost loved ones, and others cast us back to moments of celebration. God knows this. He made us this way. And this is why, on the night he rescued the Israelites, he prescribed the menu for a meal they’d never forget.

What did God do to ensure that the people of Israel would be rescued from the final plague?

Since Moses’ return to Egypt, there'd been a battle of the gods (chapters 4—11). God picked a fight with the Egyptian ‘gods’, one by one, and won every round. He confronted the ‘gods’ of the Nile, the Sun, and even Pharaoh himself. God exposed all of them for what they truly were. Pharaoh was on the ropes but remained hardened, so the final plague was God’s knockout blow.

But how could God rescue the Israelites from the plague? After all, they weren’t innocent. Judgement would come knocking at their door, too. But instead of passing through, the angel passed over. Why? Because judgement had already taken place for the Israelites.

God ordered their way out. The blood of a young lamb without defect was painted above and on the side of the door frames. The blood covering the door meant that when the angel arrived, it knew a death had already occurred. The blood became Israel’s protection.

God knows how forgetful we are. This act of Passover was to define Israel as God’s chosen and rescued people. So, through a meal, God made sure Israel would never forget. Exodus was celebrated with a symbolic meal.

What does this mean for us today?

The Passover celebration goes on today. Exodus 12 points us to the ultimate exodus, achieved in Jesus. Jesus reinterprets the whole Passover to be about himself. The Apostle Paul says that on the cross, ‘Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed’ (1 Corinthians 5.7). He died so that we might live! Judgement passed through him, so it might pass over us.

So, we remember today. We remember Jesus’ body, broken for us, with bread. We remember Jesus’ blood, shed for us, with wine. It all reminds us that through him, we can experience true exodus – forgiveness and freedom!

Respond

The Passover meal was to be celebrated in homes. How can you, as a family or with friends, remember and enjoy God’s rescue together?