The Lord's Passover Exo 11-12

Intro: Good Morning FE, we re glad you joined us this morning, for those online, welcome.

If you were here last week, we discovered God is love and has a steadfast love towards his people. We also learned God is just and he executes justice over sin and his enemies. As the Lord was executing justice over Pharoah, Egypt and the gods of Egypt His justice was on display. Today we will pick up where we left off last week the 10th and final plague.

In 1995, Timothy McVeigh bombed the Alfred P Murrah Building, a federal facility in Oklahoma City. Timothy McVeigh was sentenced to die for this act of domestic terrorism and he was defiant to the end. Shortly before his execution on June 11, 2001 he said “If i go to hell, I’m gonna have a lot of company” and his final statement he quoted “Invictus” a William Ernest Henley poem from the 19th century which states

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

In Timothy McVeigh we see the depravity of humanity, we see the sinfulness of the human heart that refuses to respond to any revelation of God. In Timothy McVeigh we see the heart of Pharoah, Philip Ryken says

Exodus—Saved for God's Glory God of Justice

McVeigh was as foolish as Pharaoh. Both men were warned of their deadly fate, yet refused to bow to God’s authority, and thus they were struck down by God’s justice.

We must look at the life of McVeigh and Pharoah and examine ourselves because our hearts are not immune to pride, selfishness, disobedience and if we are not careful we can head down a dangerous path of prideful disobedience and we begin to think

I am the master of my fate

I am the captain of my soul

and we begin to ignore and disobey the Word of God, ignore the warnings of God because

God has a plan and he will accomplish what he purposes to do.

Hundreds of years before this moment in Exodus, when the Lord was calling Abram whose name is changed to Abraham, this is what the Lord tells him

Genesis 15:12–14 (ESV)

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.

12 Y sucedió que a la puesta del sol un profundo sueño cayó sobre Abram, y he aquí que el terror de una gran oscuridad cayó sobre él. 13 Y Dios dijo a Abram: Ten por cierto que tus descendientes serán extranjeros en una tierra que no es suya, donde serán esclavizados y oprimidos cuatrocientos años. 14 Mas yo también juzgaré a la nación a la cual servirán, y después saldrán de allí con grandes riquezas.

The Lord has a plan he will accomplish what he purposes to do. The Lord told Abram, your offspring will be great but they will be sojourners in a foreign land and they will be servants and suffer but I will bring judgement on the nation and they shall come out with great possessions.

The Lord tells Moses in Exodus 6 hundreds of years later, the promise he gave to Abraham is about to be fulfilled.

Exodus 6:1 (ESV)

But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

Respondió el Señor a Moisés: Ahora verás lo que haré a Faraón; porque por la fuerza los dejará ir; y por la fuerza los echará de su tierra.

The Lord is about to deliver the people of Israel from Egypt and servitude. and today we read in Exodus 11

Exodus 11:1–3 (ESV)

The Lord said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry.” And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

Y el Señor dijo a Moisés: Una plaga más traeré sobre Faraón y sobre Egipto, después de la cual os dejará ir de aquí. Cuando os deje ir, ciertamente os echará de aquí completamente. 2 Di ahora al pueblo que cada hombre pida a su vecino y cada mujer a su vecina objetos de plata y objetos de oro. 3 Y el Señor hizo que el pueblo se ganara el favor de los egipcios. Además el mismo Moisés era muy estimado en la tierra de Egipto, tanto a los ojos de los siervos de Faraón como a los ojos del pueblo.

What did the Lord tell Abraham? “They shall come out with great possessions” and Exodus tells us why, the Lord gave favor or another way the word favor can be translated is grace, the Lord gave grace to Israel in the sight of the Egyptians. Notice that some of the heart of the Egyptians began to change to honor Moses and Israel so much so that some of the Egyptians left with Israel in the Exodus

Exodus 12:38 (ESV)

A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.

Subió también con ellos una multitud mixta, juntamente con ovejas y vacadas, una gran cantidad de ganado.

because they began to realize through the judgement of God on the gods of Egypt that the Lord is above all of the Gods of Egypt. What about you, when you read of the wonders of God through the scriptures are you amazed, not just at the wonders our God can do, but amazed with the Lord? It is our goal to make much of God this year in our church and in the world, but before we can make much of God in our church and world, we need to be able to make much of God in our personal lives, our heart must be able to see the awe of God, the wonders of God, we must be able to see and be transformed by the glory of God and the way that happens is by getting into God’s word so the Holy Spirit can open our eyes to the truths about God so we can be transformed to become more like Jesus.

The Lord’s Passover

Exodus 12:1–6 (ESV)

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

Y el Señor habló a Moisés y a Aarón en la tierra de Egipto, diciendo:2 Este mes será para vosotros el principio de los meses; será el primer mes del año para vosotros. 3 Hablad a toda la congregación de Israel, diciendo: «El día diez de este mes cada uno tomará para sí un cordero, según sus casas paternas; un cordero para cada casa. 4 Mas si la casa es muy pequeña para un cordero, entonces él y el vecino más cercano a su casa tomarán uno según el número de personas; conforme a lo que cada persona coma, dividiréis el cordero. 5 El cordero será un macho sin defecto, de un año; lo apartaréis de entre las ovejas o de entre las cabras. 6 Y lo guardaréis hasta el día catorce del mismo mes; entonces toda la asamblea de la congregación de Israel lo matará al anochecer.

The Passover was a new beginning for the people of Israel, after this plague the people of Israel could no longer stay in Egypt, they will be driven out and this was the plan of God all along. The plan of God was for them to leave Egypt and go to the land God had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was a new beginning, the old things will pass away behold all things will become new.

As a result of this new beginning, the Lord institutes the Passover, the Lord’s Passover is a one time event, in other words the killing of the first born son in Egypt is not something that will happen again. The Lord’s Passover as a salvific event is one time occurence, but the Lord’s Passover after this event becomes a memorial, which is to occur on the 10th day of the month of Nisan which would fall anywhere between March 26 - April 25th

Notice each household is to take a lamb and if the household was too small neighbors were to get together to memorialize the passover. Notice the specifications for the Lamb

without blemish

male

a year old

sheep or goat

kill the lamb at twilight

The Lamb had to be perfect for the Lord requires a perfect sacrifice.

Exodus 12:7–13 (ESV)

“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

7 Y tomarán parte de la sangre y la pondrán en los dos postes y en el dintel de las casas donde lo coman. 8 Y comerán la carne esa misma noche, asada al fuego, y la comerán con pan sin levadura y con hierbas amargas. 9 No comeréis nada de él crudo ni hervido en agua, sino asado al fuego, tanto su cabeza como sus patas y sus entrañas. 10 Y no dejaréis nada de él para la mañana, sino que lo que quede de él para la mañana lo quemaréis en el fuego. 11 Y de esta manera lo comeréis: ceñidos vuestros lomos, las sandalias en vuestros pies y el cayado en vuestra mano, lo comeréis apresuradamente. Es la Pascua del Señor. 12 Porque esa noche pasaré por la tierra de Egipto, y heriré a todo primogénito en la tierra de Egipto, tanto de hombre como de animal; y ejecutaré juicios contra todos los dioses de Egipto. Yo, el Señor. 13 Y la sangre os será por señal en las casas donde estéis; y cuando yo vea la sangre pasaré sobre vosotros, y ninguna plaga vendrá sobre vosotros para destruiros cuando yo hiera la tierra de Egipto.

After the Lamb was killed they were to take some blood and put it on the door post of the house and the lintel of the house. The Lord’s judgment was going to visit Egypt that night and all in the land of Egypt including Israel would be under the judgement and wrath of God. But the Lord provided Israel a covering, through the blood of the lamb, when the wrath of God visits Egypt and sees the blood, the Lord’s wrath will pass over those in the home.

In the Lord’s Passover we see;

Expiation - which is the offering of a sacrifice or an atonement for sin, the sacrifice acts as a covering for the household

Propitiation - is a sacrifice which satisfies the judgement of God. The Lord gave specific instructions on the sacrifice which would satisfy the wrath of God which was coming to Egypt.

Substitution - The perfect lamb which was sacrifice acted as a substitute for the life of the first born son. The sacrifice of lamb for the life of the first born son.

Salvation - by the blood of the lamb I will passover you. In essence I will save you.

I want you to recognize something very important, the Lord gave clear instructions, but it took faith to believe the Lord and believe what he required. Now the faith, was not a blind faith, they had a wealth of evidence from the 9 previous plagues that the Lord would accomplish what he purposes to do. Many of us have the misconception that faith in the Lord and the scriptures is a blind leap in the dark, but that is not Biblical faith. Biblical faith is trusting in the promises of the Lord who is a faithful promise keep and we have a wealth of evidence that he is the great promise keep in this book known as the Bible. Faith is not a blind leap in the dark, it is trusting in the faithfulness of God who proven to be trustworthy over and over again.

Notice the meal was to be roasted and not raw and eaten with unleavened bread, that is bread without yeast and it was to be prepared with bitter herbs. To make bread it takes time, especially with yeast or leaven. But they people of Israel did not have time, they were to be ready to go and be on the move. As we will see later leaven becomes a symbol of something deep within our hearts. The meal prepared with bitter herbs was to remind the people of the bitter times and suffering they experienced in Egypt.

Exodus 12:14–20 (ESV)

“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

14 Y este día os será memorable y lo celebraréis como fiesta al Señor; lo celebraréis por todas vuestras generaciones como ordenanza perpetua.

15 »Siete días comeréis panes sin levadura; además, desde el primer día quitaréis toda levadura de vuestras casas; porque cualquiera que coma algo leudado desde el primer día hasta el séptimo, esa persona será cortada de Israel. 16 Y en el primer día tendréis una santa convocación, y otra santa convocación en el séptimo día; ningún trabajo se hará en ellos, excepto lo que cada uno deba comer. solo esto podréis hacer.17 Guardaréis también la fiesta de los panes sin levadura, porque en ese mismo día saqué yo vuestros ejércitos de la tierra de Egipto; por tanto guardaréis este día por todas vuestras generaciones como ordenanza perpetua. 18 En el mes primero comeréis los panes sin levadura, desde el día catorce del mes por la tarde, hasta el día veintiuno del mes por la tarde. 19 Por siete días no habrá levadura en vuestras casas; porque cualquiera que coma algo leudado, esa persona será cortada de la congregación de Israel, ya sea extranjero o nativo del país. 20 No comeréis nada leudado; en todo lugar donde habitéis comeréis panes sin levadura».

I love the memorial aspect of the Passover, it is to be done to remember the Lord’s work in the nation of Israel. No leaven in the homes, eat unleavened bread for 7 days and have holy days on the 1st day and the 7th day. Whoever doesn’t observe the the feast of unleavened bread in the way it is outlined by the Lord is cut off from Israel, native or a foreigner.

We see two very important aspects here, the power of memorials in the life of Israel. Do this to remember the work I the Lord have done in your midst. As a family what do you memorialize? Does anything you memorialize include what the Lord has done in your life? The Lord instituted these memorials for the nation of Israel so that the families of Israel can teach their their families for generations what the Lord has done for them. When our kids were young we had certain memorials we would do every year to remember what the Lord has done for us. Memorials wich point to Christ’s work in our lives. I encourage you to set up memorials for your family that point to the work of God in your lives.

The other aspect we see is the importance of the feast of unleavened bread. Anyone who does not participate is cut off from them blessings and covering of Israel.

Exodus 12:21–24 (ESV)

Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever.

21 Entonces Moisés convocó a todos los ancianos de Israel, y les dijo: Sacad del rebaño corderos para vosotros según vuestras familias, y sacrificad la pascua. 22 Y tomaréis un manojo de hisopo, y lo mojaréis en la sangre que está en la vasija, y untaréis con la sangre que está en la vasija el dintel y los dos postes de la puerta; y ninguno de vosotros saldrá de la puerta de su casa hasta la mañana. 23 Pues el Señor pasará para herir a los egipcios; y cuando vea la sangre en el dintel y en los dos postes de la puerta, el Señor pasará de largo aquella puerta, y no permitirá que el ángel destructor entre en vuestras casas para heriros. 24 Y guardaréis esta ceremonia como ordenanza para vosotros y para vuestros hijos para siempre.

Exodus 12:25–28 (ESV)

And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

25 Y cuando entréis a la tierra que el Señor os dará, como ha prometido, guardaréis este rito. 26 Y sucederá que cuando vuestros hijos os pregunten: «¿Qué significa este rito[aa] para vosotros?»,27 vosotros diréis: «Es un sacrificio de la Pascua al Señor, el cual pasó de largo las casas de los hijos de Israel en Egipto cuando hirió a los egipcios, y libró nuestras casas». Y el pueblo se postró y adoró. 28 Los hijos de Israel fueron y lo hicieron así; tal como el Señor había mandado a Moisés y a Aarón, así lo hicieron.

The time has come for faith to become obedience, the Lord gave the instructions. Notice the response of the people, they bowed and worshipped and they went and did what the Lord had commanded.

What will you do?

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul is dealing with a person in the church who is sinning sexually and he is exhorting the Corinthians to submit this person to church discipline, yet they were arrogant and proud and this is what Paul says,

1 Corinthians 5:6–8 (ESV)

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

6 Vuestra jactancia no es buena. ¿No sabéis que un poco de levadura fermenta toda la masa?7 Limpiad la levadura vieja para que seáis masa nueva, así como lo sois, sin levadura. Porque aun Cristo, nuestra Pascua, ha sido sacrificado. 8 Por tanto, celebremos la fiesta no con la levadura vieja, ni con la levadura de malicia y maldad, sino con panes sin levadura de sinceridad y de verdad.

Paul takes this situation with the sinning believer and says a little leaven corrupts the whole lump of dough. The leaven needs to cleansed in other words the person in sin in the church needs to be dealt with through church discipline. Why?

Because Christ, our passover lamb, has been sacrificed for us. What does that mean. John the baptist tells us what that means when he showed up while John was preaching by the Jordan river, John the Baptist looks and sees him and says

John 1:29 (ESV)

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Al día siguiente vio* a Jesús que venía hacia él, y dijo*: He ahí el Cordero de Dios que quita el pecado del mundo.

When Peter writes his epistle this is what he says

1 Peter 1:18–19 (ESV)

knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

18 sabiendo que no fuisteis redimidos[a] de vuestra vana manera de vivir heredada de vuestros padres con cosas perecederas como oro o plata,19 sino con sangre preciosa, como de un cordero sin tacha y sin mancha, la sangre de Cristo.

You were ransomed from your aimless and futile ways, not by perishable things like siver or gold, not by your good works those are futile, but the precious blood of Christ a lamb without spot and blemish. Jesus is our passover lamb, who saves is from the wrath of God and judgment of hell, which will come one day.

Listen to John

Revelation 5:6–12 (ESV)

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.”

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

6 Miré, y vi entre el trono (con los cuatro seres vivientes) y los ancianos[f], a un Cordero, de pie, como inmolado, que tenía siete cuernos y siete ojos, que son los siete Espíritus de Dios enviados por toda la tierra. 7 Y vino, y tomó el libro de la mano derecha del que estaba sentado en el trono. 8 Cuando tomó el libro, los cuatro seres vivientes y los veinticuatro ancianos se postraron delante del Cordero; cada uno tenía un arpa y copas[g] de oro llenas de incienso, que son las oraciones de los santos. 9 Y cantaban* un cántico nuevo, diciendo:

Digno eres de tomar el libro y de abrir sus sellos, porque tú fuiste inmolado, y con tu sangre compraste[h] para Dios a gente de toda tribu, lengua, pueblo y nación. 10 Y los has hecho[i] un reino y sacerdotes para nuestro Dios; y reinarán[j] sobre la tierra.

11 Y miré, y oí la voz de muchos ángeles alrededor del trono y de los seres vivientes y de los ancianos; y el número de ellos era miríadas de miríadas, y millares de millares, 12 que decían a gran voz:

El Cordero que fue inmolado digno es de recibir el poder, las riquezas, la sabiduría, la fortaleza, el honor, la gloria y la alabanza.

Jesus is worthy and he is our pass over lamb who saves us from the judgement which is to come. For those of us who are believers let us heed the words of Paul

Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil,

Por tanto, celebremos la fiesta no con la levadura vieja, ni con la levadura de malicia y maldad,

If Christ our passover lamb is our covering for sin, our sacrifice for sin, our substitute and our saviour who cleanses us from sin, then we must give up the malice and evil, which is general terms that includes all forms of sin, we must get rid of the sin, the leaven in our hearts and run to Jesus every day with

but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

sino con panes sin levadura de sinceridad y de verdad.

For those who are here and have never made a decision to become a follower of Jesus or maybe you have but it didn’t last, Jesus is calling. He is our passover Lamb he is the lamb of God who can cleanse you from your sin. Run to Jesus.

In a moment we are going to take the Lord’s Supper, which was instituted during the passover. This is one of those memorials the Lord Jesus instituted for us to remember and reflect on Jesus our passover lamb, who cleanses us from sin. We do this to remember what he has done for us. If you are not a follower of Jesus we are going to ask you to refrain from taking the Lord’s supper, for it is a memorial Jesus commanded his followers to take and if you want to know more information on what it means to follow Jesus we would love to sit down and talk to you. for those of us who are followers of Jesus Take this time to remember and reflect on the sacrifice of our savior and the work he has done in our lives. As the ushers prepare let us keep in mind Christ our passover lamb.