What is the meaning of Exodus 12:28? And the Israelites went • The first verb shows immediate movement. God’s people did not debate or delay; they stepped forward the moment instructions were clear (compare Genesis 6:22—“Noah did everything that God commanded him”). • Obedience is pictured as a journey, not a theory. Deuteronomy 5:33 urges, “Walk in all the ways that the LORD your God has commanded you.” Exodus 12:37 records the literal march that followed, proving this verse is a real historical hinge, not a symbolic idea. and did • Action verifies faith. James 1:22 reminds, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” • Jesus echoes the same principle in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Israel’s actions foreshadow the New-Covenant expectation that love expresses itself through obedience. • Notice the full cycle: they “went” (direction) and “did” (completion). Faith that starts but never finishes falls short (James 2:17). just what the LORD had commanded • The adverb “just” highlights precision. Partial obedience is disobedience (1 Samuel 15:22). • God’s instructions for Passover were exact—choose a spotless lamb, apply blood, eat in haste (Exodus 12:5-11). Any deviation risked death of the firstborn. • Psalm 119:4 rejoices, “You have ordained Your precepts, that we should keep them diligently.” Here Israel models that diligence. • Jesus affirmed the same standard: “until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law” (Matthew 5:18). Moses and Aaron • God spoke to the nation through appointed leaders (Exodus 4:14-16). Respecting them was inseparable from respecting God. • Numbers 16:28-30 shows what happens when that authority is rejected; the earth swallowed Korah’s rebels. • The New Testament carries the pattern: “Obey your leaders and submit to them” (Hebrews 13:17). Israel’s obedience here validates Moses’ and Aaron’s divinely given role. summary Exodus 12:28 captures faith in motion. The people of God heard a clear word through God-appointed leaders, stepped out immediately, acted precisely, and completed every detail. Their unquestioning response secured deliverance and set a timeless model: true faith walks, works, and finishes exactly as the Lord commands. |
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