Power Hour Lesson Summary for February 7, 2016 Passover Lesson Text: Exodus 12:1-14 Background Scripture: Exodus 12:1-14; Numbers 28:16-25; Mark 14:12-26 Devotional Reading: Matthew 26:20-30 Exodus 12:1-14 (NIV) 1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire with the head, legs and internal organs. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord s Passover. 12 On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. 14 This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord a lasting ordinance. Learning Fact: To restate the Lord s instructions for the Passover. Biblical Principle: To compare and contrast the observance of Passover with that of the Lord s Supper. Daily Application: To remember and celebrate God s faithfulness and His great acts on our behalf. HOW TO SAY IT Aaron Air-un. Abib A-bib. Abraham Ay-bruh-ham. Moses Mo-zes or Mo-zez. Pharaoh Fair-o or Fay-roe. INTRODUCTION A Night to Remember A Night to Remember was published in 1955 as an account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. Walter Lord, the author, had interviewed survivors, and he wrote about the tragedy from their points of view. Movies, articles, and other books have been produced that also tell this story, but Walter Lord s work seems to be the one against which all other accounts are measured. It has been over 100 years since the unsinkable ship sank, but each new generation is fascinated by Lord s presentation. It departs from a chronological presentation in order to focus on the emotions of those who lived through that night to remember. Nations, families, and individuals have experienced events at night, making each instance a night to remember. On the national level, the midnight ride of Paul Revere has inspired future generations of Americans. The death of
President Abraham Lincoln was also a night to remember. Personal experiences may involve the birth of a child, the death of a family member, and seemingly ordinary events that developed into something quite out of the ordinary. Many sermons have been preached with night to remember motifs concerning the numerous memorable nights found in the Bible (examples: Genesis 28:12; Exodus 14:21-29; Judges 7:19; Daniel 5:30; Matthew 14:25-33; Luke 2:6-20; John 3:1, 2; Acts 12:6-17; 16:25-34). The current lesson is about an event in Egypt that fits even defines this category. It was a night when God proved His superiority over the fictitious gods of Egypt. LESSON BACKGROUND Time: 1447 B.C. Place: Egypt In about 2092 B.C., God instructed Abraham (at the time known as Abram) to leave his home country and go to the land he would be shown Canaan (Genesis 12:1-5). Obeying God, Abraham continued on to Egypt because of a famine (12:10). There Pharaoh and his household experienced the first plagues from the Lord on the Egyptians; this time it was to convince Pharaoh that he must return Abraham s wife to him (12:14-20). Later, God informed Abraham that his descendants would be oppressed 400 years in a country not their own (15:13). That land was Egypt, for grandson Jacob and his extended family went there in about 1877 B.C. again to escape famine (Genesis 43:1; 45:6; 46:5-7). After 430 years, the Lord was ready to act to free His people from slavery. That was the beginning of many mighty acts to fulfill the promises made to the patriarchs to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The year was 1447 B.C. The occasion was Passover. Not only was the Passover supper an ordinance to be obeyed (Ex. 12:14, 17, 24, 43), but it was also a memorial to be celebrated to keep alive in Israel the story of the Exodus (v. 14; 13:8-10). After Israel had entered and conquered the Promised Land, it would be easy for the people to settle down and forget the great acts of God on their behalf. The annual observance of Passover would give Jewish parents another opportunity to teach their children the meaning of their freedom and what God did for them. The adults were to be living links with Israel's past so that each new generation would understand what it meant to be a member of God's chosen nation. (See Deut. 6:1-15; 11:18-21; Ps. 34:11; 78:1-7; 145:4.) The Lord s Statement: Exodus 12:1-2 1. Why did the Lord speak to Moses and Aaron regarding the Hebrew calendar? What did God mean by this month? (Exodus 12:1-2) The book of Exodus notes the Lord s speaking to Moses dozens of times. By contrast, for the Lord to speak unto Moses and Aaron simultaneously is rare (only here and in Exodus 6:13; 7:8; 9:8; 12:43). What is about to be said is so important that Aaron Moses brother and Israel s future first high priest (28:1-4, 41; 29:9; etc.) must hear it firsthand. All the other regulations for sacrifices and rituals will be given at Sinai, but the revelation about the observance of Passover is given while the nation of Israel is still in the land of Egypt. What God was about to do for His people would be momentous. So, when the Israelites counted months, the month in which the exodus from Egypt occurred was to be remembered first (see Exod. 12:2). This month, known as Abib, straddles March and April in our modern calendar; see 13:4. God declared that this month of Abib (12:2) should be recognized as the first month of the religious year. After all, the Israelites freedom from Egypt would be for them a new beginning as God s people. God revealed that, while striking down the firstborn of Egypt, He would pass over the people of Israel. This act would lead to the Israelites deliverance from bondage. For this reason, the celebration of Passover would become for the Israelites the most significant of holy days. The month of Abib (in which the Passover took place) marked the beginning of the Jewish religious year, and at Passover, the focus is on the lamb (as we will see). The account of the Passover would be recited repeatedly to remind each new generation of the Lord s redemption of His people. God still wants us to recite to others the story of our salvation. The Father longs for us to tell our family and friends about His Son s crucifixion and resurrection. The Father yearns for us to explain how the Son s sacrifice for our sins exemplifies both the Father s love for all humanity and His desire that we have eternal life.
Passover Preparations Described/Selection of the Lamb: Exodus 12:3-5 2. What directives were given concerning the selection of the animal for the first Passover? (Exodus 12:3-5) The directives continue to both Moses and Aaron, who must pass these on to the whole community of Israel. The verb tell is a plural imperative, so both men are to provide specific instructions on what the people are to do in preparation for the first Passover observance. God told Moses and Aaron to let the whole community (Exodus 12:3) know that on the tenth day of this first month (v. 2), they were to remember His act of deliverance by formally celebrating the occasion. God s instructions on how to celebrate the event were the only regulations He gave the Israelites while they were still being held as slaves in Egypt. To institute this day of commemoration, each Israelite household was to begin making preparations by selecting a lamb for roasting. If there were too few people in a household to eat a whole lamb, two or more households could share one (see v. 4). The lamb the Israelite households were to select for roasting was a one-year-old male that had no physical defects (in other words, being free from any blemishes or diseases). Moreover, the animals could come from either the sheep or the goats (v. 5). The Slaughter of the Lamb: Exodus 12:6-7 3. What requirements were specified for the care of the sacrificial animals? (Exodus 12:6-7) The Lord, through Moses and Aaron, directed the Israelites to take special care of the animals selected for slaughter until twilight (evening) on the fourteenth day of Abib (see Exodus 12:6). At that time, the members of the covenant community were to apply the blood from the animals to the two side posts and the top of the doorframe of the houses where the participants consumed the lambs (v. 7). The tenth plague would be unlike the other plagues in its scope and severity, during which God promised to protect His chosen people (see Exodus 9:7, 26; 10:23). Due to the nature of the final calamity, each Israelite family had to prepare for and act on God s warning. By doing so, they would be demonstrating their faith in the Lord s provision for their lives. What Do You Think? What things, if any, should Christians reserve solely for God s use even though He already owns everything? Why? Exodus 12:22 provides a bit more detail on how the blood of the Passover lamb is to be used. The blood is first caught in a basin. Then a bunch of hyssop is used to apply the blood to the two side posts and the upper door post (lintel) of each Israelite house where the people are gathered to eat. A sermon from decades ago had these words in it: The blood gurgling into the basin proclaimed that something innocent had to die so that others could live. This parallels the doctrine of a substitutionary atoning sacrifice: Christ the innocent died so that we the guilty might live. The Eating of the Lamb: Exodus 12:8-11 4. What cooking instructions were given for the preparation of the Passover lamb? (Exodus 12:8-11) Roasting over an open fire is the only method to be used to prepare the Passover lamb. Verse 9 further stresses this requirement. The roasted lamb was to be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Bitter herbs are associated with the life that the Israelites have endured for many years, especially in the year after Moses makes his first approach to Pharaoh. The bitter herbs of Egypt probably include wild lettuce and endive (compare Numbers 9:11). Bread made without yeast (leaven) will end up being thin and flat. Not having to wait until the dough rises points to the haste demanded later. The New Testament usually associates yeast with impurity (example: 1 Corinthians 5:6, 7; note Christ s designation as our Passover lamb ), and removal of yeast as removal of sin is stressed. The cooking directives are specific in prohibiting the eating of meat that is either raw or boiled in water. It must be roasted!
The restriction do not break any of the bones in Exodus 12:46 is also a factor, and this is easily avoided by roasting the animal over a spit. Not having a bone broken is cited in John 19:36 as being a fulfillment of prophecy when Jesus is crucified (compare Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20; John 19:32, 33). No meat was to remain. Leftovers were to be burned before dawn (Exodus 12:10). The Lord said the whole meal was to be eaten hastily and with an air of expectancy. Therefore, their robes should be tucked into their belts, their sandals should be on, and their staffs should be in hand, ready and dressed for a journey when they ate that first Passover (v. 11). The Meaning of the Passover/The Protection of the Israelites: Exodus 12:12-13 5. What judgment did the Lord God execute on Egypt on the night of the Passover? (Exodus 12:12-13) The Lord will move through the land of Egypt so as to bring about an extraordinary event: the death of the firstborn of both man and beast. By sending nine plagues, God had judged both Pharaoh and many of the pagan deities of Egypt. Now in one final calamity, He would execute judgment (v. 12) on all Egypt s false gods. The Lord asserted the right to do so, for He is the one true God, as well as the Creator and moral Governor of the universe. Pharaoh will finally understand, at least temporarily, that all the gods of Egypt are powerless against the God of Israel! That night the Lord s holy presence would roam throughout Egypt, bringing about the deaths of the firstborn offspring of both humans and animals. Yet those who had obeyed God and had applied blood to their door frames would be spared (v. 13). The Lord has seen the affliction and heard the cries of His people in Egypt (Exodus 3:7), and the time for judgment has come. What Do You Think? How should the reality that the blood of Jesus, our Passover Lamb, has been applied to our sins affect how we live? Israel was one nation because of the blood of the lamb, and the church is one fellowship because of Jesus Christ. The Commemoration of the Event: Exodus 12:14 6. What instructions were given concerning the continued observance of Passover? (Exodus 12:14) The night of Passover was to be only the beginning of the Israelites observance. God wanted His people to commemorate the event by celebrating the birth of their nation as it changed from being enslaved to being a free and covenant people. It is to prompt a continued faithfulness to the Lord, who covenants with them. The Passover observance was not to be a onetime event, but an annual celebration. Each generation of Israelites was to be taught both the reenactment and the meaning of the Passover (see vs. 24-27). After Israel had entered and conquered the Promised Land, it would be easy for the people to settle down and forget the great acts of God on their behalf. The annual observance of Passover would give Jewish parents another opportunity to teach their children the meaning of their freedom and what God did for them, and what it meant to be a member of God's chosen nation. (See Deut. 6:1-15; 11:18-21; Ps. 34:11; 78:1-7; 145:4.) POINTS TO PONDER 1. God wants His people to always remember what He has done for us (Exodus 12:1-2). 2. An atoning sacrifice was necessary to provide salvation. Christ our Passover, was sacrificed for us! (vs. 3-6). 3. God is faithful to fulfill promises of deliverance and salvation for His people (vs. 7-10). 4. We should obey God s Word and follow His command so that we are always ready for what He has in store for us (vs. 11-13). 5. We observe the Lord s Supper (Communion) in remembrance of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus to save us from our sins (v. 14).
CONCLUSION Christ Our Passover So what value is there in studying the ancient event of the first Passover? There are parallels between the salvation of Christians and the deliverance of the Israelites on that special night in Egypt. These are voiced in many sermons and devotional presentations. Listed below are several such comparisons. -Israel s deliverance was from impending doom, and so is ours. -Israel s deliverance was of God s devising, and so is ours. -Israel s deliverance was made possible by obedient faith, and so is ours. -Israel s deliverance required continued faithfulness, and so does ours. -Israel s deliverance demanded a sacrifice without blemish, and so did ours. -Israel s deliverance was accomplished by a sacrifice that was a substitute, and so was ours. PRAYER Thank you heavenly Father, for demonstrating Your power and Your love for Your people! You have fulfilled Your promises, and now we look forward to our final deliverance when Your Son returns in glory! In His name (Jesus) we pray. Amen. THOUGHT TO REMEMBER God still liberates! ANTICIPATING THE NEXT LESSON Next week's lesson is Feast of Weeks and describes the second of three annual feasts, celebrated seven weeks after Passover. This feast was also called Pentecost. Study Numbers 28:26-31, Leviticus 23:15-22 and Acts 2:1-36.