The Passover

In our Children’s Church, which I ‘pastor,’ we are going through Exodus, and this past Sunday was the ‘story’ of the last plague and the first Passover. (I don’t like the word story because the connotation is that it is make-believe, and nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to the Bible.) It is a powerful O.T. portrayal of the sacrifice Jesus made for humanity. In so many ways God revealed Himself and the atonement that He would provide, starting with the promise He made to our first father, Adam. The sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham is a clear picture of what God would do. And then 3,500 years ago, Moses gave to the Israelites both a beautiful promise of God’s deliverance from the bondage of sin, and the awful consequences to those who will not repent and accept the free gift of salvation.

First, because Pharaoh was a stubborn unbeliever, God sent nine terrible plagues upon Egypt. At one point his advisors pleaded with Pharaoh to let the Israelites go because Egypt was ‘destroyed.’ I sincerely hope that if there are unbelievers reading this, that you are true seekers of the truth. If so, God will certainly reveal himself to you. What you are about to read is the light that God gave the Israelites 3,500 years ago, enough light for them to find salvation in the coming Lamb. God, in His love for sinners, not only provided an escape from the impending judgment, but also gives light to those responding to the Spirit’s work in their lives.

And so because Pharaoh still hardened his heart and would not let the Israelites go, The Lord sends one last plague upon the Egyptians:

The lamb had to be both a male and free of blemishes. Is that not a picture of Jesus? He obviously was a male and he lived a sinless life. Then there was the leaven. It represents sin in the Bible and there in the Jewish households there could be no leaven. I believe this represents what God does in our lives when we are forgiven of our sins. Our sins are removed from us ‘as far as the east is from the west.’ The blood had to be placed in a special way on the crossbeam and the side posts. As the blood drips from the crossbeam the image of a cross appears. Then of course, there was the Death Angel who swept through the land of Egypt that terrible night. He passed over all those houses that were covered by the blood, but judgment was inflicted on those who ignored the warning. The firstborn in those houses was slain by the Death Angel. What a picture and warning to those who have failed to receive the covering of the blood of God’s sacrificial Lamb.


P.S. I don’t know how accurate the dates in the margins of the Bible are (they are not part of the inspired Word of God), but if they are accurate, you will notice that this happened in 1491 BC. Add 2009 to that and you come up with exactly 3,500 years. Passover this year is April 9.