Why is it significant that each household selects "a lamb" in Exodus 12:3? The Command in Exodus 12:3 “Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month, each man must select a lamb for his family, one per household.” (Exodus 12:3) Personal Ownership of God’s Provision • God did not appoint one national sacrifice; He required every family to appropriate the remedy themselves. • Salvation’s provision is offered to all, yet it must be received individually (John 1:12; Acts 16:31). • The father, as household head, led in obedience—modeling spiritual leadership still urged in passages like Deuteronomy 6:6-7 and Ephesians 6:4. Accountability and Responsibility • No household could ride on another’s obedience; faith had to be acted on personally (Ezekiel 18:20). • The indefinite “a lamb” stresses that each home needed its own sacrifice—underscoring Romans 14:12, “each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Protection Applied, Not Just Provided • The lamb’s blood had to be placed on that home’s doorposts (Exodus 12:7). Provision un-applied would not spare the firstborn. • Parallel: Christ’s atoning work is sufficient for all, yet only effective for those who trust and “apply” His blood by faith (Romans 3:25; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Unity Around the Table • Every member ate the same lamb (Exodus 12:8-11), teaching unity and shared identity in redemption (1 Corinthians 10:17). • Even smaller households were invited to join neighbors (Exodus 12:4), modeling inclusion within God’s family (Ephesians 2:19). Inspection and Perfection • Selecting the lamb on the tenth day and keeping it until the fourteenth (Exodus 12:6) allowed time to verify it was “without blemish” (Exodus 12:5). • This foreshadows Christ’s public examination during Passion Week and His proven sinlessness (Luke 23:4; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Foreshadowing the Person of Christ • Genesis 22:8 predicted “God will provide for Himself the lamb.” • John 1:29 fulfills it: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” • 1 Corinthians 5:7 links the types explicitly: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Household Witness for Future Generations • The family-centered observance ensured children would ask, “What does this service mean?” (Exodus 12:26-27), giving parents a built-in opportunity to recount God’s salvation. • Psalm 78:5-7 echoes this pattern—transmitting God’s works “to the children yet unborn.” Summary By requiring each household to select a lamb, the Lord underscored personal faith, family leadership, individual accountability, communal unity, and the flawless, substitutionary work later fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the true Passover Lamb. |
    |