Exodus 12:29-51 - The Firstborn had to Die for Judgment

Exodus 12:29-51

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn (Exodus 11:1–10)

29 And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck 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 livestock. 30 So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

The Exodus

31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said. 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”

33 And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. 35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

37 Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38 A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.

40 Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night of solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the LORD, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations.

Passover Regulations (Genesis 17:9–14; Exodus 12:1–13)

43 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. 44 But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. 45 A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. 46 In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. 49 One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”

50 Thus all the children of Israel did; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. 51 And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the LORD brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.

The tenth and final plague of judgment on the nation holding God’s people in bondage and suffering has come at last.  The LORD decreed that the firstborn of Egypt had to die for judgment to come and the people of God set free at last.  This is a parallel to God sending His firstborn (Romans 8:29) Son to be our sacrificial Passover Lamb whose lifeblood was spilled and covers the doorway of our hearts now with protection from judgment and deliverance from the kingdom of the darkness of sin (Acts 26:18, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 1 Peter 2:9-10) before leading us out of sin’s condemnation into the promised heavenly realm to come.  When the clock struck midnight in Egypt, all the firstborn of worldly and ungodly Egypt were struck down by the Destroyer (Exodus 12:23, Hebrews 11:28) while the children of God were passed over from death to life as promised and as a shadow (John 5:24, Romans 5:10) of our own salvation (Romans 3:25-26) from sin’s penalty by the application of the lifeblood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:19-20) for all whom He calls out of our common bondage to sin as inherited (Romans 5:12, 14, 1 Corinthians 15:22) from Adam.  After the morning broke in Egypt and the firstborn of all had perished, Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron to him and released the people of God from their bondage at last to worship the LORD.  He asked to be blessed also, as futile a gesture as could be made, since he was never sincere with keeping his promises.  One infinitely mightier than the mere king of a nation had moved this vessel of destruction to glorify His name in all the earth and set His people free at last.  The citizens of that land urged the Israelites to leave the land quickly before another plague took away their livelihood and offspring through these judgments.  They plundered Egypt on the way out as was told would happen (Genesis 15:14) as about six hundred thousand of them left the land with all they had accumulated and taken at the end.  It had been exactly four hundred and thirty years to the day since the small beginning of seventy people came into Egypt and now they had been fruitful and multiplied greatly by God’s grace in the face of extreme adversity, just as the church in Christ will likewise triumph in the end at the final judgment as we take the spiritual treasures with us to offer sacrifices (1 Peter 2:5) to our Lord God and the Lamb who is our temple forever and ever, amen!  Just as Israel celebrated the Passover as the passing over of God’s judgment on the world around them from which they had been delivered by grace, so we celebrate in the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of the Lamb of God slain for us to bring us our of the bondage of darkness into such a marvelous light of His presence!  Just as the Passover celebration was only for those of God’s people, so is the communion we share only for the redeemed of the Lamb.  These things we read and remember the promises and plan of our Deliverer from the Destroyer and marvel at the undeserved grace given to set us free.  Our Firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 51-52) set us free by dying for our judgment and forgiving us eternally.  This puts our minds and hearts in awe at His mighty hand of grace on the cross through sending His Son to die and resurrect Himself as proof of our own resurrection to follow as we are led from these temporal nations to the heavenly country promised us.  Just and the firstborn of Egypt had to die in judgment, so also the Firstborn of God had to die for our judgment to be atoned for that we might sacrifice with praise and thanksgiving forevermore.  Amen!

Exodus 12:1-28 - Preparing for Passover Protection

Exodus 12:1-28

The Passover Instituted (Num. 9:1–14; Deuteronomy 16:1–8; Ezekiel 45:21–25)

1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover.

12 ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 Now 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 the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14 ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. 17 So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’”

21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until 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 not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. 24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say, It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

As Israel was about to be delivered from bondage in Egypt and imminent death of the firstborn of that disbelieving and disobedient nation, the LORD instructed the people of God to prepare to be passed over from the final judgment under His protection.  They were to remember this vitally important moment in their personal history and solemnly celebrate it with a meal to mark the start of every year to follow.  On the tenth day of that month they were to sacrifice a perfect lamb without any blemish to signify a sinless lamb as a picture of the sinless Lamb of God to come and deliver His people from the final judgment at the end of all months under His protection of grace as it will be in the lifeblood to be shed through the sacrifice of God’s own Son, the Messiah who is the sinless Lamb of God and firstborn of the Father.  The people of God then were to apply that lifesaving blood of the sacrifice to the entrance of their dwelling places just as Jesus would apply His lifeblood (Hebrews 9:14, 1 Peter 1:19) to the entrance of our hearts and souls to keep the destroyer of judgment from taking us away.  He would be the sacrifice of God’s firstborn taking our place in the judgment to come just as the blood of perfect lambs would keep Israel safe on that night when they were passed over in judgment on that land of their earthly bondage.  They consumed their final meal under bondage with unleavened bread and bitter herbs; the lack of leaven symbolized the sin removed and the bitter herbs symbolized the bittersweet deliverance with memories of their suffering over the years of maltreatment and the knowledge that the people of Egypt who enslaved them would suffer such a great loss of their firstborn children.  They were also instructed by the LORD to dress as if ready to leave at a moment’s notice and eat hastily to be ready to go, reminiscent of the parable the Lord later told (Matthew 23:44, Luke 12:40) to be ready for His return.  We now understand that Jesus Christ is both the Lamb of God and our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7) who took the sin of the world and its punishment of judgment, the destroyer of sin, by passing over the condemnation we deserve for our own disobedience inherited from Adam and which we daily continue to commit.  He did this by pouring our His blood on the tree of our curse (Galatians 3:13) that we might be led out of bondage to sin and the certain judgment we all deserve just like Pharaoh and his citizens of the world.  They were to remind themselves of these truths (hidden in the shadows still then) by eating unleavened bread (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) as a way to put aside sin in repentance and be ever ready to follow in deliverance out of that enslavement to sin symbolized in their bondage to their works in making bricks for Egypt.  This was to be an ongoing remembrance for them to later recall their armies grown in Goshen and being led out to conquer and inhabit their promised land in Canaan to follow their faith, just as all later in the Passover Lamb of God would lead us to the heavenly kingdom (Hebrews 11:16) to come for us all called out of bondage to sin in Him!  They were reminded to put the leaven outside of their houses as a reminder for us to put away our own sin as well in response of thanksgiving to please Him because of our deliverance through God’s work for us in response.  The people of Israel stayed safely in their houses protected by the blood of the lamb without blemish, without sin, until the destroyer of God’s judgment passed them over and they were set free from bondage (Romans 6:18, Galatians 5:1) at last to pursue righteousness to thank and please the Lord who sets us free.  Just as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron to speak and do, they obediently did.  This is our example to follow in salvation and our following of sanctification until we inhabit the promised heavenly realm to come. 

Exodus 11:1-10 - Final Plague of Judgment and Deliverance

Exodus 11:1-10

Death of the Firstborn Announced (Exodus 3:21, 22; 12:35, 36)

1 And the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. 2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.” 3 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.

4 Then Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. 6 Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. 7 But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’ 8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will go out.” Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.

9 But the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not heed you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

The final plague of judgment on Egypt as a picture of sin’s bondage on all Adam’s offspring was the death of their firstborn.  The firstborn in these times was nearly always to be the heir of the family in authority and power and possessions; to take those away from every family in a nation was tantamount to ending the nation itself.  When the LORD told Moses to communicate this ultimatum to Pharaoh, he knew this as well.  God made it clear that this final judgment would move the hardest heart to hear and obey Him and let His people go to worship at last.  The implications for God’s people set free would soon be demonstrated in the manner of release from their bondage as well in the Passover by the blood of the lamb provided as protection from judgment and death that would destroy the future of that nation in opposition to God’s people set free to lead them out into the promised land of God’s nation and kingdom at last!  The LORD told Moses this final judgment would cause the worldly nation to give them freedom and drive them out of that land of their four hundred year enslavement in a godless place of suffering.  In Christ, our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7, Isaiah 53:7), we are likewise delivered from sin’s enslavement out of the world into His kingdom where we now enjoy worship of Him and not the idols of the land we are born in.  The picture symbolism here is quite profound and causes us to stand in wonder at the word and work of God throughout our redemptive history.  When the imminent freedom of Israel was so announced through Moses, they were also told to take all the plunder of Egypt with them (Exodus 3:20-21, 22) as already told to Moses and Abram (Genesis 15:13-14) beforehand.  They would get a start for a new nation born and multiplied in faith in the land of Goshen in a foreign land that they would be equipped and numerous enough to begin to enter the promised land through their long suffering.  Since God had made Moses esteemed as great in Egypt from both his initial birth and subsequent return to deliver these judgments, the people of Egypt gladly gave his people all the riches they could carry with them on their journey.  They probably also felt guilty on how they had been treated and sought to make some amends as well.  Either way, they would give generously when this final judgment fell on them all.  Moses announced the sentence of death on all the firstborn of Egypt of all classes and positions from the lowest to the highest of Pharaoh himself.  The LORD would then demonstrate the difference between His people and them by preserving His own through the imminent plague of death that would cause such cries of loss and sorrow throughout the land.  The Pharaoh heard these words and Moses left in anger from the king at the hardness of his heart that brought such judgment on him and his nation.  Even then God reminded Moses that the Pharaoh would continue to harden his heart and ignore the fair warning.  God’s mighty hand would be seen to deliver His own as these wonders of the plagues of judgment came to a fatal end.  We see the parallel of these plagues in the final judgment at the end of time preceded by the trumpets and bowls of judgment in Revelation as the wrath of God delivers us and all creation from the bondage to sin and takes us out of the presence of sin forever in a new heaven and earth where we are free to worship Him forevermore!  That is our promised land, the kingdom of God come to us (Revelation 21:2-3, 22:3) as we have been set free at last to serve and worship Him forever.  We have been passed over from judgment by grace through the lifeblood of the Lamb of God shed for us to protect us from destruction and remember this day of our deliverance every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. 

Exodus 10:21-29 - Stumbling in Darkness

Exodus 10:21-29

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

21 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

24 Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your little ones also go with you.”

25 But Moses said, “You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. 26 Our livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the LORD our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there.”

27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. 28 Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Take heed to yourself and see my face no more! For in the day you see my face you shall die!”

29 So Moses said, “You have spoken well. I will never see your face again.”

The ninth plague of judgment on the persecutors of God’s people was to demonstrate that they were in darkness and walked in darkness because they could not and would not see the light of God in His word.  If only the Pharaoh and his people had seen that great light (Isaiah 9:2) and obeyed the word of God as we have by believing the gospel of His work to deliver us from darkness (Luke 1:78-79, Acts 26:18, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 2 Peter 1:19) and and into that light of hope to release us from the darkness of sin and judgment!  Since the ruler of darkness governed the heart of Pharaoh, the LORD ordered Moses to stretch his hand toward the source of light in heaven to bring darkness over Egypt for refusing to believe and obey.  This was no ordinary darkness, worse than even being in a cavern deep in the earth and having the light go out; it is described as a darkness that was even felt in the body and soul!  This thick overpowering darkness covered the land for three whole days, just as hopeless to the people of Egypt as it must have been when our Lord was crucified, died, and buried with the hope of the disciples seemingly lost for that short time that dragged on until He arose into the light to give us lasting hope (2 Corinthians 4:6) in Him.  It was so dark for the Egyptians that they stopped trying to get up and walk about because they were completely unable to see one another and all seemed pointless and hopeless.  Finally, the Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron to him and said he would allow the people of God and their children to go to worship, but refused to let them take their flocks with them (likely knowing they would need them to offer sacrifices) as a conciliatory gesture of ill intent to relieve the land of darkness that overwhelmed them.  Moses told him no hoof would be left behind since they would not know which to sacrifice until they reached the place and were instructed by God which to offer.  This triggered the true motives of Pharaoh’s hard heart and they were refused from going again.  The king then banished them from his presence for good so he would not have to hear the judgments against him and his land again.  Or so he imagined.  Moses agreed that he would not see his face again, having an inkling of the final judgment without knowing precisely what God would do to release His people from bondage.  We likewise had no idea how the Lord would release us from the bondage to sin until He cleared the darkness from the eyes of our understanding and showed us the truth of His Son and His work for us to set us free (Like 24:31, John 8:32, Acts 26:18, Romans 5:17-18) at last!  Such is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ who sets us free.  Yet there are some who still refuse to believe and obey the word of the gospel, men and women who (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) remain blinded and perish forever due to their hardened hearts of unbelief, who continue to stumble in the darkness unless and until the Lord shines light into them.  We who have seen this great light continue to pray and bear witness to the light (John 1:4-5, 1 John 1:1-2) that they may be delivered from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4) and go from stumbling in the darkness to walking in the light with we who have been delivered and redeemed.