The Passover Plague

12 The Passover Plague – Exodus 12

Final plague - The spiritual conflict is brought into vivid and tragic focus in this last plague. Yahweh would act directly, in the form of his angel, against the gods and people of Egypt. We read in Exodus 12:23 “For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.”

It’s A New Day – New day, new year.

The Passover Instructions from God.

Why did the Jews need a marker of separation this time? Why did they have to do something? Up until now they were just innocent bystanders in this battle between Pharaoh and God.

This is a question for Chapter 12.

The children of Israel had to do something, they had to make a mark of separation, and they had to stay inside. This is the only time in all the plagues that they had to distinguish themselves from the Egyptians.

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This plague is an act of Judgment and there had to be a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. If it was a judgment against wickedness, and both people groups had wicked people, then all the wicked should die…. Except that God made a provision, a way, (through blood), of escaping that judgment.

God had made a covenant with the children of Israel that (required??) that HE make a separation between the children of Egypt and Israel. Otherwise the promise would be lost.

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First half of the night is spent in preparation. The second half of the night is the coming of the plague / death. Remember, about midnight.

Thus, there is a point of judgment and a point of grace that meet about midnight, as the night divides.

Let’s revisit Exodus 10:28 and reexamine it. “And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.”

In effect, Pharaoh is saying, if judgment is coming my way then it must come your way as well. Sort of an “all have sinned” kind of statement.

(If you and I will not be judged, then you must make a distinction between yourself and the world. The blood must be applied.)

V.1 – Abib / Nisan, aka March/April – No Jewish calendar before this??

V.2 – Even New Moon

V.3 – The days/dates are important, and you will see them again in the death of Christ. (The 10th.) “This” month (only this particular one) – the Jew believe you only had to take the lamb on the 10th of that particular month but not so for future generation. The Lamb simply had to be taken and killed on the 14th.

I tend to disagree. I think they decided that as a matter of convenience to themselves.

(Jesus entered into Jerusalem on the 10th, hailed as Hosanna, (saviour) Son of David.)

V.5 – must be without blemish is a foreshadowing of the Lamb of God.

V.6 – 14th day of the month. In the evening, thus it is the beginning of the 14th.

Why keep it four days? I’m not sure.

Torah reads, “…slaughter it in the afternoon”, while the KJV say, “kill it in the evening.” בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם The time between sunset and dark. Also, any time after the 7th hour, (1 o’clock pm).

V.7 – empty houses or those housing animals did not need the blood

V.8 – Roasted whole – bitter herbs - Exodus 1:14 “And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage,”

V.9 – leave the intestines in it.

V.10 – burn the leftovers

V.11 – Eat it in a state of readiness. It is called pesah, Passover because that is what the Holy One did, He passed over the homes of the Israelites.

V.12 – Not just the first born but the god of Egypt as well. Rashi says, The one made of wood will rot, and the one made of metal will melt and flow to the ground.

V.13 – And the blood will be for you for a sign: [The blood will be] for you a sign but not a sign for others. From here, it is derived that they put the blood only on the inside. Keep in mind, they were in the house with the lamb; they killed the lamb in the house, drained the blood into a basin of sorts cooked it with the entrails in place; roasted it in the house – thus they applied the blood to the inside – Even as the Blood of Christ is applied inside us, even to our heart!

V.14 – And this day (the day they came out of Egypt, 13:4), the 15th of Nissan.

Still being celebrated today as a festival for the LORD.

Leaven: OT, deliverance; sin.

V.15-20 – Get rid of all the Chametz or Leaven as we call it. See V.19 / 13:7

Must be sold or rid of by 3/26/2021 – Use the local Rabi or Online form to assist. You can rent out the room / closet where your Chametz is stored until you buy it back. WOW! What? Really!

The more I read Rashi the more I understand the words of Jesus – “Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.” Matthew 23:24.

That ends the instruction of God to Moses.

(Read the rest of the story (21-51) with very little commentary.)

V.21 – Kill the lamb.

V.23 – There is no explicit reference to the Angel here. However, the word translated “destroyer” (mashkhit) gives us a clue as to who the destroyer was. The term mashkhit is employed in only three passages to describe divine judgment: here in Exodus 12:23; 2 Samuel 24:16; and 1 Chronicles 21:15. These last two instances describe the same event—the judgment for David’s sin carried out by the Angel of Yahweh. 2 Samuel 24:16–17a reads:[1]

V.22 – That year, the 10th of Nissan was a Shabbat; this is why the Shabbat before Passover is called Shabbat HaGadol (“The Great Shabbat”)—because a great miracle happened on that day. For when the children of Israel took their paschal lambs on that Shabbat, the Egyptian firstborn converged on them and asked them: “Why are you doing this?” They replied: “It is a passover sacrifice to G‑d, for He will kill the firstborn of Egypt.” The firstborn approached their fathers and Pharaoh to request that Israel be allowed to go, but they refused; so the firstborn waged war against them, killing many of them. Thus the verse (Psalms 136:10) proclaims: “[Offer thanks] to He who smote the Egyptian with their firstborn.”

(Tosafot to Talmud, Shabbat 87b)

V.30 – How do you thing the children of Israel felt during the loud cry of anguish?

V.32 – Why would Pharaoh ask for Moses to bless him? Or did he mean for Moses to ask God to bless him. Shear speculation is all that can be offered here. Was it humility or self-serving. Was it so that he might have a replacement heir for his throne, or perhaps it was simple because he land had be decimated. It could have even been his way of saying, okay I did all that you ask, now you ask your God to bless me. Who knows?

C

Links / Notes:

Chapter 12: (about 16 minutes into the video listed below.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdwAhcRwDkY&t=544s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faG9UNxujfs&list=PL4jPxSaLHTBRpN21gEIX_7eH3N2wiCZaB&index=66

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faG9UNxujfs&list=PL4jPxSaLHTBRpN21gEIX_7eH3N2wiCZaB&index=67

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAudmYJosrA&list=PL4jPxSaLHTBRpN21gEIX_7eH3N2wiCZaB&index=68

Online form for selling your Chametz / Leaven - https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/sell_chometz_cdo/jewish/Sell-Your-Chametz-Online.htm

https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/3640536/jewish/FAQ-About-the-Sale-of-Chametz.htm

[1] Heiser, M. S. (2015). The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (First Edition, p. 151). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.