What role does the Passover lamb play in God's plan for Israel's deliverance? The Scene: Selecting and Slaughtering the Lamb (Exodus 12:21) “Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, ‘Go at once and select for yourselves a lamb for your families, and slaughter the Passover animal.’ ” • The command is urgent—“go at once.” • Each household must act in faith, personally choosing and killing a flawless lamb (cf. 12:5). • A literal, physical lamb stands at the center of God’s rescue plan. Substitution: The Lamb Dies so Israel Lives • The lamb’s blood on the doorposts becomes the line between life and death (12:13). • God says, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Death falls on the substitute, not the firstborn. • Isaiah 53:4-5 foreshadows this principle; 1 Peter 3:18 confirms it—“Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” Deliverance From Both Slavery and Wrath • Egypt’s chains are broken the same night judgment falls (12:31-33). • Redemption is holistic: freedom from bondage and from divine wrath, pictured in one act. • Colossians 1:13 echoes the pattern: delivered “from the dominion of darkness.” Identity: Marked as God’s People • Blood on the doorposts publicly distinguishes Israel (12:7, 23). • Circumcision marked the covenant physically; the lamb’s blood marks it visibly and corporately. • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20—believers are “bought at a price,” set apart as God’s own. A Perpetual Memorial and Teaching Tool • Exodus 12:24-27 commands parents to retell the story yearly: “It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover.” • The meal shapes Israel’s calendar and memory, anchoring their identity in redemption. • Deuteronomy 6:20-23 links the storytelling to obedience: knowing the rescue fuels faithful living. Foreshadowing the Messiah • John 1:29—“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” • 1 Corinthians 5:7—“Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” • Revelation 5:6-9 shows the Lamb slain yet standing, worshiped for ransoming a people for God. Key parallels: – Spotless (Exodus 12:5 " 1 Peter 1:19) – No bones broken (Exodus 12:46 " John 19:36) – Blood applied brings life (Exodus 12:13 " Romans 5:9) Takeaways for Today • Salvation still rests on God-provided substitution, not human merit. • Faith requires personal action—receiving and applying the Lamb’s sacrifice. • Remembering redemption fuels worship, obedience, and hope for final deliverance (Revelation 19:9). |
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