Exodus 11 - 13 Summary

Exodus chapters 11-13 detail the final plague, the institution of the Passover, and the Israelites' departure from Egypt. Here's a summary:

Exodus 11: The Final Plague Foretold:

God announces the final plague: the death of every firstborn son in Egypt.

God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites to ask their Egyptian neighbors for gold and silver.

Exodus 12: The Passover Instituted:

God establishes the Passover ritual, instructing the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb and put its blood on their doorframes as a sign.

The death angel will "pass over" houses marked with the blood, sparing the firstborn within.

God commands the Israelites to eat the Passover meal with unleavened bread and in haste, ready to depart.

The death of the firstborn throughout Egypt occurs, causing great mourning.

Exodus 13: The Exodus and Consecration of the Firstborn:

Pharaoh, in desperation, finally releases the Israelites.

God leads them out of Egypt by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

God commands the Israelites to consecrate all firstborn males to him as a reminder of his deliverance.

God commands the Israelites to remember the day they came out of Egypt and to keep the feast of unleavened bread.

God reminds the Israelites that when they reach the promised land, they are to continue to remember these laws.

In essence, these chapters mark the climax of God's judgment against Egypt and the beginning of Israel's liberation. The Passover becomes a central ritual of remembrance, symbolizing God's saving power.