ETB Exodus 12:21-32

Session 3: 12/15/2024 Delivered from Egypt

I want to apologize for today’s lesson being more quotes than personal comments. I had two nights this week taken up with other church business and then did not sleep well for most of the others which makes it very difficult to read for extended periods of time or chain together multiple thoughts into written form. Lord willing, God will still allow our time together looking into His Word to be fruitful.

Ask: What is your favorite Christmas tradition and how did it get started?

Christmas Eve candlelight service is one that our family started when we started attending Oak View. My dad used to always have eggnog; I am not sure how that started.

What are some traditions that stopped or were allowed to fade away?

The gift giving in our family has slowed down a bit over the years as all the children are now graduated and/or married. Cards, photos, and gift cards have replaced toys and candy.

Today’s passage looks at the Passover, which enacted by God to be more than a tradition, but an eternal reminder of His power and desire to redeem His people.

Understand the Context

The Egyptians were polytheistic. The names of about forty Egyptian gods are known, but that may have just been scratching the surface. These false deities varied in prominence through history and regions. They also operated in different—and often conflicting—spheres of influence and power. The Egyptians had gods for war (Sekhmet and Neith), craftsmanship (Ptah), love and childbirth (Bes), wind (Amun), healing (Isis), justice (Maat), the afterlife (Osiris), crops (Seth), the Nile (Sothis, Hapy, Khnum), and wisdom and the moon (Thoth, Khonsu, Min, Shu). Sun gods (such as Re/Ra, Atum, Aten) were also prominent. Several gods were considered creators, and many were pictured as common animals or part-animals, which could have made them more familiar to the ones who worshiped them. [LifeWay Adults (2024). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide, Spring 2024]

One the materials I read said that chapters 7 through 12 were a “contest” between God and the Egyptians. A contest suggests a competition, but God has no equal so there was no contest. God proved that with the plagues He inflicted on the land, its inhabitants, and its rulers.

The plagues God inflicted on the Egyptians demonstrated that their gods were impotent before Him. The plagues also executed judgment for the people’s idolatry (12:12). These judgments proved God’s superiority and that His hand controls all of life (9:14-16,29).

The bottom line is that Yahweh is the only God who can rescue us from sin, protect us from evil, and give us life. From the initial plague of blood (7:14-25) to the final plague against Egypt’s firstborn sons (12:29-42), God exerted His power and authority over false gods and human affairs. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

Our lesson text begins with Moses and Aaron conveying to the elders how God had instructed them to observe the first Passover meal.

Explore the Text

Exodus 12:21–23 ESV

21 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. 22 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. 23 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.

Moses called the elders

The “elders” were the heads of the families or clans responsible for the spiritual as well physical needs of the family unit.

God’s instructions to Moses (12:1-20) were given to “all the congregation” (v. 3). Moses directed these commands to the elders, who would convey them to everyone else. God’s instructions often seem redundant because they must be heard, remembered, and shared with others (2 Tim. 2:2). We must open our hearts to listen (2 Cor. 6:13), consider what we hear (2 Tim. 2:7), and obey so that we don’t “drift away” (Heb. 2:1). [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

Select lambs

According to God’s directions, the animal could be a one-year-old sheep or a goat, but it had to be “unblemished” (v. 5). [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

From God’s perspective, Jesus had already died for these people. He was creating the ritual that would reflect that sacrifice to come on their behalf.

Kill the Passover lamb

When Moses and Aaron first approached Pharaoh, they wanted to go away from the land in order to “sacrifice” to God, which the people of Egypt would have seen as an affront to their religious practices.

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 12

there is tragic irony in the fact that Israel’s first sacrifice (kill the Passover lamb) is in the land of Egypt and signifies the judgment that will come upon it.

Moses may have given these instructions on the tenth day of the month to allow time for choosing the animals to be sacrificed on the evening of the fourteenth. The verb pasach (“to pass/skip over,” “spare,” or “protect”) and the related noun pesach (describing the Passover festival or the animal sacrifice) occur eight times in Exodus 12, describing the action of skipping over households (Ex. 12:13,23,27), the festival commemorating it (12:11,43,48), and the Passover sacrifice (12:21,27). [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

I think it is interesting how the same word is used for all those different parts of the “Passover” so that any and all of them are included when talking about this ritual which God enacted, and Jewish people became known for celebrating. It is not a single thing but a weeklong expression of God’s redemptive plan for all who observe or participate.

Take Hyssop

I have a book that I brought that has an artist’s rendition of a plant in Israel that they believe this verse refers too.

This plant’s leaves have fine hairs that trap moisture which is critical for a plant’s survival in this area. This would allow the plants leaves to easily hold the blood like a paint brush so that it could be applied liberally to the door frame of the home.

dip it in the blood that is in the basin

More than one resource pointed to the fact that the word used for “basin” was an Egyptian word for a spot near or the threshold of the doorway.

Courson’s Application Commentary, Old Testament Volume 1 (Genesis–Job) Exodus 12:21, 22

the Egyptian word sap, which speaks of the basin used for washing one’s feet that was built into the threshold of the door. With the basin filled with blood on Passover, and the side and upper doorposts marked with blood, the picture of a Cross is unmistakable.

This imagery also reminds of the verses where Jesus says, “I am the door” and “no one comes to the Father but through me.”

None of you shall go out of the door

Adding to this imagery is the command not to go out until morning. The Lord was going to “pass over” the home with this blood on display. A person leaving such a home would also have to “pass over” the blood. A very graphic and real display of rebellion against the sacrifice provided for their protection. Rejecting “The Lamb” as propitiation is death sentence.

Ask: After having survived the plagues, what do you imagine the Hebrew people thought as they heard these instructions? (p. 31)

Do you think there was much hesitation or resistance from the Hebrew’s?

It seems like Courson read this question when he was writing his commentary because he answered very well.

Courson’s Application Commentary, Old Testament Volume 1 (Genesis–Job) Exodus 12:29, 30

perhaps God’s people were afraid. Perhaps they doubted. But guess what. It mattered not whether they were at peace or feeling anxious, whether they were rejoicing or worried greatly. All that mattered was that the blood was on the door. No matter what they felt emotionally, it was all about the blood singularly.

Moses and Aaron told the people what they were to do at this time for deliverance, but also to continue the ritual into the future.

Exodus 12:24–28 ESV

24 You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. 25 And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 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. 28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

observe this rite as a statute

The word for statute here (davar) is more literally rendered “word.” That is, it reveals what God has said. The Bible is God’s Word, His Torah (instructions) that teaches us how to live as His people. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

observe this rite ... forever

God had appointed this ritual of remembrance to be done for as long as the people were still a nation.

The Moody Bible Commentary d. The Promise of the Passover and the Promise to the Nation (12:23–27)

Sadly, the nation was wildly inconsistent in observing this feast until after the Babylonian exile. It is recorded as being observed only three times between entering the promised land and the Babylonian captivity: by Solomon (2Ch 8:13), by Hezekiah (2Ch 30), and by Josiah (2Ch 35). Perhaps it was observed at other times, but these later texts do indicate that the practice had been neglected and was being revived.

when you come to the land

Not if, when. God continues to give the people hope through the reminders of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The land is to be theirs and this ritual is to remind them that even if it was not always under their feet.

Keep this service

A couple of the English versions that I read had an interesting translation of this phrase: “you shall keep this new slavery.”

Paul uses similar language speaking about the New Testament believers becoming “slaves of righteousness” and how we were “bought with a price.” This phrasing helps me connect the Passover and the Lord’s Supper together as Old and New Testament rituals pointing forward and back to Christ’s cross.

While the Israelites were directed to keep Passover as a standing ritual, it simply served as a shadow of things to come. Over time, the instructions were adjusted to fit the temple structure, but Passover remained a key part of Jewish life. For Christians, though, everything changed when the Lamb of God was slain (see Heb. 7:27). The Passover observance was fully realized through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. For God’s people today, Easter serves as the focal point of our faith. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

when your children say to you

There is another promise to the elders in this ritual and that is that they will have children, and children’s children in the Promised Land meaning that generations will grow up there to continue this ritual but they would not have been in Egypt as slaves. This creates the opportunity to teach the next generation about God’s provision.

Ask: Why is it important for older generations to share God’s truth with younger generations? (p. 33)

The biblical expectation is that we will pass what we know of the Lord to the next generation (2 Tim. 2:2). The Passover observance included a family element, where children would ask questions about what God did among His people (see Ex. 13:14-16). God said that “when your children ask” those questions (12:24), parents were responsible to point them to God’s character and work.

Parents still have the primary responsibility for passing on God’s truth to their children. While church leaders and other significant adults are important, children are more likely to develop personal faith if their parents talk about and live out their faith in meaningful ways. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

Here is the question that convicted me. How or with who are you sharing your faith with someone that is at least half your age?

I am actively trying to find who God would direct me toward that I may be faithful to this biblical directive.

The people... worshipped

Genuine worship is an intentional and thoughtful act toward God in response to His holiness and His goodness. In addition to reinforcing God’s work on behalf of His people, the children’s Passover question challenged participants to focus on the why of worship, not just the how. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

One reference I had pointed out an interesting structure in the text that begins and ends with elders/people.

The Message of Exodus: The Days of Our Pilgrimage Additional Notes

A1 The elders summoned (21a)

B1 The ordinance of the Passover: immediate practice (21b–23)

C Perpetuity (24)

B2 The ordinance of the Passover: future observation (25–27a)

A2 [The elders] accept and obey (27b–28)

Although this text clearly shows that their worship and obedience were separate actions, yet throughout Scripture the two activities are portrayed together

John 14:15 “15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

What has God done to ensure that we know what His instructions are?

Romans 12:1–2 “1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Exodus 12:29–32 ESV

29 At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. 31 Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”

(12:29-30) God’s judgment against the Egyptians was complete. From government officials to captives in prison, virtually every home in the nation felt the impact of this final plague. This included Pharaoh’s family. The wording suggests that he lost a child during that night. If this is true, it also seems likely that this son would have been the heir to the Egyptian throne. The word expressing Egypt’s anguish (“loud wailing”) is the same word used for Israel’s previous misery as they called out to the Lord against their Egyptian oppressors (3:7). [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

The Lord struck down

Exalting Jesus in Exodus Remember the Severity and Mercy of God (Exodus 12:29–32)

We should remember the severity and mercy of God. We are all like Pharaoh. We all deserve this kind of judgment. Some think they will never be judged. They think that they can spend their life as a little Pharaoh, piling up pyramids full of stuff, chasing fame, and refusing to bow down to the true God. Sadly, they will end up much like Pharaoh unless they look to God alone for mercy.

The gods of Egypt were a poor substitute for the true God of the Hebrews. Today there are a myriad of “things” that can be substituted for the Gospel and Christ’s power within us. Just go to the store and try and find anything remotely biblical and Christmas oriented. Christmas is about Jesus, do not settle for substitutes.

This verse also reminds us of the severity of ignoring God’s instructions. For the Jews and Egyptians in today’s passage it meant physical death.

How could you help someone this week who is suffering the consequences of ignoring God’s instructions?

Death, physical or spiritual, is a significant motivation for people to cry out to God or reject Him. Birth, however, tends to give people hope. Sharing the truth of God’s message represented in Christmas may be the first step for some to begin following God’s Word in other ways, and ultimately for their salvation.

not a house where someone was not dead.

The Moody Bible Commentary e. The Last Judgment Executed: The Death of the Firstborn (12:29–30)

Of course, the point here is that every Egyptian home knew a death that night, but it was also true in a more absolute sense every home knew a death! It was either the death of the firstborn or the death of the Passover lamb. The only thing that averted the judgment of God was a bloody, substitutionary sacrifice.

Apply the Text

The Applied Old Testament Commentary The Exodus (12:31–42)

Marvelous though the Exodus was, it was but a forerunner of the even more marvelous “exodus” or deliverance we believers have experienced in Christ. In the Old Testament, deliverance came through the blood of animals, and it was limited primarily to the Israelites and those non-Israelites who joined them. In the New Testament, deliverance comes through the blood of Christ, and it is available equally to all people everywhere. In the Old Testament, deliverance was mainly from physical bondage, it was temporary, and it opened the way to an earthly Canaan. In the New Testament, deliverance is from spiritual bondage, it is eternal, and it opens the way to a heavenly

Pray: Thanking God for revealing His power—and for giving us freedom through His Son

Help us honor You through our obedience and be grateful for any blessings You grant.

Show us where we can be faithful to tell others of the things You have done for us already, what we are expecting You to do next, and where we are trusting You to do what You said.