What does "a year-old male" signify in the context of Exodus 12:5? The Text at a Glance “Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats.” (Exodus 12:5) Why Specify “Year-Old”? • “Year-old” means the animal is still in its first year—young, vigorous, yet not fully mature. • At this stage the lamb or kid has: – No time to develop flaws or injuries. – Full strength and vitality, showing the best it can offer. • Symbolically, the first year highlights “first” things offered to God (Exodus 13:2); Passover demands the first and the best. Why Must It Be Male? • Throughout Scripture, the male animal is the normal substitute for Israel’s sin offerings (Leviticus 22:19–20). • A male carries the idea of headship and representation—mirroring Christ, the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45). • The judgment in Egypt fell on the firstborn males (Exodus 12:12). A male lamb stands in the place of each threatened son. Prophetic Picture of Christ • Christ fulfills every detail: – “Without blemish” → 1 Peter 1:19 “a lamb without blemish or spot.” – “Year-old” → His life was offered in the prime of adulthood, unscarred by sin (Hebrews 4:15). – “Male” → the perfect representative Man (Romans 5:19). • Paul overtly links Jesus to this text: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) Practical Takeaways • God deserves the best we can give, not leftovers. • Salvation rests on a flawless Substitute, not on our performance. • The details of the Passover lamb invite us to marvel at the precision of God’s redemptive plan (John 1:29). |
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