What is the meaning of Exodus 12:27? It is the Passover sacrifice • The word “Passover” points back to God’s command that every family select an unblemished lamb and kill it at twilight (Exodus 12:3-6). • This sacrifice was both memorial and substitutionary—the lamb died so the firstborn could live (Hebrews 9:22; 1 Corinthians 5:7, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed”). • It established a yearly rhythm of remembrance (Leviticus 23:4-5), keeping Israel’s rescue fresh in every generation. to the LORD • The offering is directed exclusively to Yahweh; He alone delivered, so He alone deserves the sacrifice (Deuteronomy 6:13; Exodus 20:3). • Sacrifice signals surrender. Just as Paul later urges believers to present their bodies “as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1), Israel’s offering declared total allegiance. who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt • God’s mercy is vividly pictured: “The blood will be a sign for you… when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). • The blood-marked doorposts became a shield, echoing Psalm 91:10-11 where no plague comes near those under His protection. • This foreshadows the greater covering provided by Jesus’ blood, securing eternal life for all who believe (John 3:16). when He struck down the Egyptians • Deliverance and judgment arrive together. The same night that brought freedom to Israel brought death to Egypt’s firstborn (Exodus 11:4-6). • God’s act exposed the emptiness of Egypt’s gods (Numbers 33:4) and displayed His sovereignty (Romans 9:17). • Psalm 136:10 recalls this with thanksgiving: “He struck down the firstborn of Egypt—His love endures forever.” and spared our homes • “The LORD will pass through to strike Egypt. But when He sees the blood… He will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses” (Exodus 12:23). • The rescue was personal—“our homes.” This underscores redemption’s household reach (Acts 16:31) and the value God places on family. • Isaiah 31:5 pictures the same tenderness: “Like birds hovering overhead, so the LORD of Hosts will protect Jerusalem… He will pass over it and preserve it.” • In Christ, believers are “now justified by His blood” and “saved from wrath” (Romans 5:9). Then the people bowed down and worshiped • Revelation follows redemption: when the people grasped what God had done, worship became the instinctive response (Exodus 4:31; Psalm 95:6). • Bowing signals humility, worship signals adoration—together they form the right posture before a holy Deliverer (Revelation 5:9-10). • Gratitude fuels obedience; Israel soon obeyed every detail of the Passover rite (Exodus 12:28), modeling faith that acts. summary Exodus 12:27 explains that the Passover lamb was a substitutionary sacrifice offered to Yahweh, commemorating the night He mercifully “passed over” blood-covered homes while judging Egypt. The verse highlights God’s justice against sin, His tender protection of His people, and the only fitting response—humble, joyful worship. Within the Passover we see a vivid anticipation of Christ, the true Lamb whose blood secures everlasting deliverance for all who trust Him. |
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