Chapter 12
Since 2018, an average of 40,077 people in the USA lose their lives in traffic accidents each year, and this number has been steadily rising by about 3.16% annually. This means around 3,340 people each month are tragically lost. What’s even more heart-wrenching is that approximately 30% of these victims were not at fault — that’s over 12,000 people each year.
I’ve had friends who were part of that number, and my own little sister was among them. We can understand when reckless driving leads to tragic consequences; after all, we reap what we sow. But what about those who were not at fault? People who were doing everything right — careful drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, or passengers — and still found themselves caught in a tragedy. Why them?
The truth is, we live in a fallen world, where the poor choices of others can have devastating effects on our lives. Some suffer deeply, while others feel the pain in quieter, but still significant ways. If we live long enough, we’ll all experience the consequences of someone else’s actions. And what’s even more sobering is that our own choices will impact others as well. No matter how careful, how good, or how virtuous we are, sin and its consequences reach us all.
This is exactly what was happening in Egypt. Their sin, their false gods, their broken systems of belief — all of it was coming to fruition. The curse of death was upon them. But in the midst of this darkness, God offered mercy and a path of hope. During the last plague, He carved out a way for them to be saved — a strange-sounding promise to eat a lamb, put its blood on their doorposts, and trust that this act would protect them. It sounded almost absurd: How could something so simple protect them from death?
And yet, it was exactly this — trusting in God, beyond what they could understand, beyond what made sense — that saved them. Those who were willing to let go of their own intellect, who realized that they couldn’t save themselves but had to rely entirely on God’s provision, were the ones who survived. It was a powerful lesson in faith and trust.
Through this story, we see the path of salvation that God carved throughout history, a path that ultimately leads us to the acceptance of our own Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ.
This story is more than just a historical account; it’s a message of hope and redemption. It’s a reminder that, despite the brokenness and consequences we face in this world, God has provided a way for us to find peace and eternal life through faith in Him. Even in the darkest times, there is hope. This is a message worth reflecting on deeply in your journey with God. And in that reflection, may you find the strength and peace that comes from trusting in His grace.
Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread
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. [This event was so significant that it became the “starting line” for Israel. In the same way, our lives begin anew from day one when we receive Jesus into our hearts. True life begins with Him.] 3 Tell the whole community of Israel [or “congregation” the first occurrence of Israel addressed in its religious sense. We would now use the word “church”] that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb [pay close attention to this word usage. Later it becomes even more cool!] for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for the 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 Your lamb must be a year-old male without blemish, [Jesus was without blemish and sinless.] and you may take it from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of it until the fourteenth day of the month, [The lamb would live in the house, symbolizing a personal relationship with the sacrifice. It wasn’t just any lamb, but one you grew close to and connected with. In the same way, Jesus desires to have that close, personal relationship with us as well.] when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter it 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 lamb. [in so doing this they formed a cross. The head of crowns and the arms pierced.] 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, [fire in the Bible represents judgement] 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. [consume the whole sacrifice from God. Don’t just “nibble on” Jesus; Totally consume him.] 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. [In the original Hebrew, every instance uses a singular word for “lamb,” never plural. It is always “lamb,” not “lambs.” Notice how the lamb is addressed: first as “a lamb,” then “the lamb,” and finally “your lamb.” Abraham promised Isaac that God would provide a lamb, and when John the Baptist first saw and recognized Jesus, he proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God.” When you accept Jesus, He becomes “your lamb.”]
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. [The Egyptians were not the only ones worshipping false gods at this time. Israel had been there for over 400 years and many Israelites also participated in their worship.] 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. 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. [yeast is a symbol of sin in the bible. It puffs up and multiples – describing the root of sin-pride.] On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.
17 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 18 In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. [This ceremony highlights the seriousness with which God views sin. Anyone who broke this rule would be completely and permanently cut off from their nation. It also reveals how much God hates sin, to the point that He cannot dwell with anyone who is tainted by it. This underscores the immense sacrifice Jesus made for us — taking our sin upon Himself so that we could dwell with God. Without this, we could never have the privilege of being in God’s presence.] 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.”
21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. [They were instructed to stay inside and not to walk outside of the covering of blood. We too are covered by grace by remaining under the blood of Jesus.] 23 When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. [God is a Creator, while Satan is a Destroyer. In this event, God allowed Satan to carry out his desire to destroy. However, just as with Job, God placed a boundary on Satan’s actions. He could only take the lives of the firstborns, and only those without the seal of protection. This eternal principle has not changed; the only difference now is that the seal of protection is Jesus, as symbolized here.]
24 “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ ” Then the people bowed down and worshiped. 28 The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron.
29 At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead. [Remember, this is the curse of the firstborn, which applies not just to children but to any firstborn, including adults. It could be either male or female. The Bible makes no distinction based on gender, only on being the firstborn.]
The Exodus
31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.”
33 The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!” 34 So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. 35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. 36 The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. [This fulfilled the promise God made to Abraham centuries earlier that they would blunter their captives.]
37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 Many other people went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.
40 Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD’s divisions left Egypt. 42 Because the LORD kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the LORD for the generations to come.
Passover Restrictions
43 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal: “No foreigner may eat it. 44 Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised him, 45 but a temporary resident or a hired worker may not eat it.
46 “It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. [Jesus fulfilled this prophesy when the Romans soldiers found him dead on the cross and did not break his legs, as would normally be done.] 47 The whole community of Israel must celebrate it.
48 “A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the LORD’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat it. 49 The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner residing among you.”
50 All the Israelites did just what the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day the LORD brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.
