Lesson 56 - Junior

Memory Verse

"When I see the blood, I will pass over you" (Exodus 12:13).

Notes

Victory Comes

God's time to bring forth His people in triumph from their enslavement has finally come! He has shown His mighty power in such a way that no one in the land can say he never heard about God. The many gods and goddesses that the Egyptians served have been powerless to help their worshipers in the hour of their greatest need. Of what use is it to worship gods who cannot do anything for you?

How different is the God of the Bible! He has promised that not a hair of our heads shall perish. That means that He notices even the little things. He has said: "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him" (II Chronicles 16:9). If we live to please God He will take good care of us.

In this lesson God said He would take such good care of His people that the dogs would not even dare to wag their tongues against them nor against their cattle. But what was going to happen to the Egyptians? There was going to be death in every home. The first born of the family was considered the most precious, and upon them was this judgment to fall. Think how every family would mourn when their favourite child suddenly died! It was much greater suffering than if everyone had been killed, because then there would have been no one left to mourn.

The Substitute

The Jews, though a chosen people, were not without sin; and if the first born of the Egyptians were dying for their sins, the first born of the Jews would have died, too, had it not been for the blood upon their dwellings. Every family was to kill a lamb and put the blood over their door and on the side posts, and that blood would be a sign to the death angel that the lamb had died in that house in place of the first born, and the angel would pass over.

The Passover

What happened in Egypt that night was important to all the world for all time. It was so important that God told the Israelites that they should start a new calendar, making this the first month. From now on they were going to live a new life. They were not going to be slaves any more, but free children of God. What they did this night -- the eating of the paschal lamb -- was to be repeated from year to year "for ever," so they would not forget their great deliverance out of Egypt.

Now we shall see what happened. God gave the people particular instructions that must be carefully obeyed. On the tenth day of the month they were to choose a male lamb from their flocks. It must be perfect, so they were to keep it separate until the 14th day of the month, in order, perhaps, to look it over carefully, and to keep it from becoming defiled. On the evening of the 14th day it was to be killed, and the blood sprinkled on the side posts and over the top of the door -- not on the threshold to be stepped on. The lamb was then to be roasted and eaten with bitter herbs. This was caned the paschal lamb, and the feast became known as the Passover, and was kept every year by the pious Jews. The Jews still attempt to observe this ceremony today, but they leave out the blood.

Our Paschal Lamb

We said, however, that this feast was important to all the world, not alone to the Jews. God had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that through their seed all the nations of the world would be blessed, which referred to Christ. The paschal lamb was a type of Christ. In I Corinthians 5:7 we read: "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. " The law of God declares that without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sin (Hebrews 9:22); and when Jesus became our Paschal Lamb and shed His Blood for our sins, it was no longer necessary to kill the lamb each year at the Passover. Jesus was our "lamb without blemish and without spot" (I Peter 1:19). Jesus bled and died that anyone in the world might be saved and need not die for his own sin.

The Blood Applied

The fact that the Israelites obeyed Moses, and killed the lamb did not save them from death. Even their faith in Moses did not spare them. The blood had to he put over the door and on the side posts before the death angel would pass over them. Just so the death of Christ on the cross, His shed Blood, even our belief in Him, will not save us from eternal death. We must do something about it -- we must let Him apply His Blood to our hearts.

We can do this by coming to Jesus in repentance, sorry for our sins and willing to forsake them; and then praying until we know He has forgiven us. That is what it means to be born again -- starting a new life, free from the bondage of Satan. We deserve death for our sins, and God requires it: "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). But Jesus had mercy on us; and because He died for us, we do not have to die in our sins if we let His Blood cover our hearts.

No Bones Broken

After the lamb was roasted it was to be eaten with bitter herbs. If any of it was left, it was to be burned so that none of it would spoil. Remember, the lamb was a type of Christ, and the Psalmist said, "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10). No bones of the lamb were to be broken; and we find that also was fulfilled. When Jesus was hanged on the cross, and the soldiers came by to break the legs of all those who had been crucified, they broke the legs of the prisoners who hung beside Jesus; but when they saw that He was already dead, they passed Him by. David had prophesied, "He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken" (Psalm 34:20). Again He fulfilled the type of the lamb.

The people were to be dressed, have their shoes on, their walking sticks in their hands, all ready to travel, as they ate. Perhaps this command sounded strange to them because Moses had told them not to go out of their houses that night until the death angel had passed; and who would think of starting to travel in the night?

The Death Blow

But at midnight there was a great commotion. A terrible calamity had struck Egypt. In every home -- from the palace to the stables -- the first born was dead. What a mourning there was for their beloved who was not!

Moses did not have to ask any longer if Pharaoh would let the people go. Right in the night Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and he told them to go and take all their children and all their flocks and herds -- do anything they wanted to do, only go! All the Egyptians rushed to the homes of the Hebrews and told them to hurry and leave the land. They loaned them of their gold and silver and jewels -- which paid them somewhat for their service as slaves. Their riches did not amount to anything in the face of death.

Hasty Departure

The Children of Israel did not tarry. They took all they could carry with them, and started to travel. They did not put leaven in their bread dough, but took it as it was, and left the land of Egypt. Six hundred thousand men, besides the women and children, journeyed that night into the wilderness. Some of the mixed multitude of Egypt had been impressed with the wonders Moses had performed, and they went out with them. What a sight that must have been to behold! It is conservatively estimated that three million people made up this great company, besides all the flocks and herds. Think of the lowing of the cattle, the bleating of the sheep, and the cloud of dust that must have risen as they tramped out on foot from their land of bondage!

The promises of God to His chosen people were fulfilled. They were never to forget this mighty deliverance, but year by year celebrate the Passover as a reminder. They were to tell their children of this great event, and impress upon them the great goodness and mercy of God. It is important that parents teach their children about the love of God, and their duty to Him.

The Children of Israel were now on their way to the Promised Land. But their journey had only begun.

Questions

1. What was the last plague? and who was affected by it?

2. How were the Children of Israel to escape the plague?

3. Of whom was the lamb a type? Name some ways in which Jesus fulfilled the type.

4. Where was the blood to be placed, and why?

5. How can we be saved?