Exodus 11-12 is about God’s final judgment on Egypt and the institution of the Passover festival as a sign of deliverance and protection for the Israelites.
1 The Lord said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely.
2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry.”
3 And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians.
4 So Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt,
5 And every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle.
6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again.
7 But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.
9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”
10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.
3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household.
4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old.
6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
7 Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.
8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts.
10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.
11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.
13 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 no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.”
15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
16 On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you.
17 And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever.
18 In the first month, from 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 is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land.
20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”
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.
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 Then 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.
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 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also.
33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people to 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, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders.
35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing.
36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
37 And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.
38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.
39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.
40 The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years.
41 At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.
42 It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.
43 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it,
44 but every slave that is bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him.
45 It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones.
46 It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones.
47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
48 If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.
49 There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”
50 All the people of Israel did just as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.
51 And on that very day the Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.
Setting the Scene for Exodus 11-12
The scene in Exodus 11-12 takes place in the land of Egypt, specifically in the city of Goshen where the Israelites were residing. The main characters in this scene are Moses, Aaron, Pharaoh, and the Israelites. The stage is set for the final plague that will ultimately lead to the Israelites’ freedom from slavery in Egypt.
Moses and Aaron have been sent by God to deliver a final warning to Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites. Pharaoh, hardened in his heart, refuses to let the Israelites go, prompting God to bring about the tenth and most devastating plague – the death of the firstborn. The Israelites are instructed to mark their doorposts with the blood of a sacrificial lamb to protect their households from this plague.
As the night falls, a sense of anticipation and fear hangs in the air as the Israelites huddle in their homes, following God’s instructions. The sound of wailing and mourning can be heard throughout Egypt as the devastating plague sweeps through the land, sparing only those who have obeyed God’s command. This dramatic scene sets the stage for the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, marking the beginning of their journey to freedom and the fulfillment of God’s promise to deliver them from bondage.
What is Exodus 11-12 about?
We witness the divine intervention of God in the form of plagues upon Egypt in this powerful verse. These plagues serve as a demonstration of God’s power and authority over all creation. They also highlight his justice and his unwavering protection of his chosen people, the Israelites. It is a reminder of how God will go to great lengths to ensure the safety of those who have faith in him and follow his commandments.
The culmination of these plagues in the Passover event is a pivotal moment in the history of the Israelites. Through the Passover, we see the mercy and compassion of God towards his people, sparing them from the final and most devastating plague. It serves as a symbol of deliverance and freedom, as the Israelites are guided out of bondage and into a new chapter of their journey with God. This verse reminds us of God’s faithfulness, his protection, and his ultimate plan for his people. It prompts us to reflect on our own relationship with God and to trust in his guidance and provision in our lives.
Reflecting on this verse, we are challenged to consider the ways in which God works in our lives today. We can trust that God is with us in our own struggles and challenges, just as he intervened on behalf of the Israelites in Egypt. We can find hope and solace in the assurance that God’s protection and deliverance are available to us as well. God’s love and mercy guide us through the storms of life and lead us to a place of peace and abundance in his presence, providing comfort.
Understanding what Exodus 11-12 really means
In Exodus 11-12, we delve into a pivotal moment in the history of the Israelites, where God communicates directly with Moses, setting the stage for the final plague and the institution of the Passover. The context of the Israelites’ oppression in Egypt, the series of plagues, and the significance of the Passover as a symbol of deliverance are crucial to understanding the narrative’s depth and theological implications.
“The Lord said to Moses” resonates with divine authority and guidance, showcasing the intimate relationship between God and His chosen leader. The phrase “About midnight I will go throughout Egypt” underscores God’s sovereignty over time and events, highlighting His precise timing in executing His plans. The declaration that “Every firstborn son in Egypt will die” reveals the severity of the final plague, serving as a catalyst for Pharaoh’s eventual release of the Israelites.
The symbolism of “The blood will be a sign for you” points to the sacrificial system and foreshadows Christ’s ultimate sacrifice as the Lamb of God. “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” encapsulates the concept of divine protection and deliverance, emphasizing the importance of faith and obedience in experiencing God’s saving grace.
Drawing parallels to New Testament references like John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 5:7, and Hebrews 11:28, we see the typology of Christ as the ultimate Passover lamb, reinforcing the continuity of God’s redemptive plan throughout history. The relevance of the Exodus story today lies in its reflection of personal deliverance from sin, the necessity of faith and obedience, and the communal remembrance of God’s faithfulness in times of trial.
Sharing personal anecdotes of breakthroughs through faith and obedience can illustrate the transformative power of trusting in God’s promises, mirroring the Israelites’ reliance on God during the first Passover. Understanding phrases like “The Lord said to Moses” as divine revelation, and “Every firstborn son in Egypt will die” as a call to repentance, deepens our appreciation for God’s mercy and grace in our lives.
In conclusion, Exodus 11-12 unveils profound truths about God’s sovereignty, protection, and deliverance. As we reflect on these themes, may we be encouraged to trust in God’s promises, walk in obedience, and celebrate His faithfulness in our lives. Let us pray for a deeper understanding of God’s Word, a strengthened faith, and a tangible experience of His deliverance in our journey of faith.
How can we trust God’s plan in difficult times?
Trusting in God’s plan can be challenging in difficult times. However, when we look at the verse, we are reminded of the bigger picture and the ultimate purpose that God has for us. It teaches us to have faith that God’s plan is good, even when we cannot see it clearly or understand it fully. We are also called to have faith and believe that God is working things out for our ultimate good, even in the midst of trials and tribulations, just as the Israelites had to trust God’s plan during the exodus from Egypt. We can find comfort and assurance that God’s plan is perfect and trustworthy by reflecting on the lessons from the verse. It encourages us to lean on God’s promises and to rely on His guidance, knowing that He is always with us, even in the darkest of moments. Through prayer, meditation, and a deeper understanding of the verse, we can develop a stronger faith and trust in God’s plan, allowing us to navigate through difficult times with hope and perseverance.
Application
Reflect on the strength and salvation of God as seen in Exodus 11-12. It shows us how God remains loyal and safeguards His followers, even in times of chaos. Trust in His plan and believe He is steering everything for your benefit. Will you embrace these revelations and anchor your faith in the all-powerful God, who vows to lead and shelter you through every phase of life?
Reverend Michael Johnson is an experienced Church Minister with a profound expertise in spirituality and guidance. With a serene presence and a compassionate heart, he has faithfully served his congregation for over 20 years, leading them on a spiritual journey towards inner peace and enlightenment. Reverend Johnson’s extensive knowledge of religious philosophies and profound understanding of human nature have made him a trusted confidant and mentor to many, as he seamlessly weaves his profound wisdom into life teachings. Reverend Johnson’s calming demeanor and empathetic nature continue to uplift and heal souls, nurturing a sense of unity and tranquility within his community.