As Moses stood in Pharaoh’s court, the LORD spoke to him, revealing the plan for a final, decisive plague. The LORD declared that this plague would compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites completely, even driving them out of Egypt. At midnight, the LORD would pass through Egypt, and every firstborn son would perish, from the heir of Pharaoh on the throne to the firstborn of the lowest servant at the hand mill, as well as the firstborn of their remaining livestock. The wailing across Egypt would be greater than anything the land had ever experienced or would ever experience again. Among the Israelites, however, not even a dog would bark at a person or an animal, demonstrating the clear distinction the LORD made between Egypt and His chosen people.
All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will leave.” Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh. – Exodus 11:8 (NIV)
The officials, already fearful of God, were likely paralyzed by the gravity of the situation and their inability to sway Pharaoh’s stubbornness. Despite recognizing the danger, they let Moses leave in anger rather than intervening to de-escalate the conflict. They may have urged Pharaoh to reconsider his position and allow the Israelites to leave, knowing the severe consequences foretold. However, despite having until midnight to act, the officials appear to have remained silent, perhaps out of fear of defying Pharaoh’s authority or because they had resigned themselves to the inevitability of the LORD’s judgment.
The Passover
The LORD instructed Moses and Aaron to establish a new calendar for the Israelites, designating the current month as the first of their year. Each household was to select a year-old male lamb without defect on the tenth day of the month, sharing with neighbors if needed based on household size. The lambs were to be cared for until the fourteenth day, then slaughtered at twilight. The blood of the lambs was to be applied to the doorframes of their homes as a sign. That night, the lamb’s meat was to be roasted and eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread, ensuring nothing remained by morning, with leftovers burned. The meal was to be eaten quickly, fully dressed and ready to travel, as it marked the LORD’s Passover.
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. – Exodus 12:1-2 (NIV)
God commanded Moses to restructure the Hebrew calendar because the exodus marked a pivotal event in their history, symbolizing a new beginning. By starting their year with the month of their deliverance, God was resetting their history and shifting their identity from a people enslaved to a people redeemed. This act emphasized leaving behind the past and moving forward into the new life God was giving them.
The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect – Exodus 12:5 (NIV)
The instruction to choose year-old male animals without defect for the Passover sacrifice foreshadowed the ultimate Lamb, Jesus Christ, who was without sin or flaw. Just as the blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts protected the Israelites from the destroyer, the blood of Jesus, when symbolically “painted” on the doorposts of our hearts, spares us from eternal judgment and secures our salvation. This connection reinforced the deeper spiritual meaning of deliverance and redemption, both in the immediate exodus and in God’s greater plan for mankind.
Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. – Exodus 12:10 (NIV)
The instruction to consume the entire Passover lamb and burn any leftovers was a safeguard against treating the sacred meal casually or allowing it to become an object of idolatry. Human nature often leads people to attribute undue sacredness to physical remnants, as seen in practices where symbolic items are stored as holy relics. By mandating that nothing remain, God emphasized the meal’s spiritual purpose and prevented it from being misused.
This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover. – Exodus 12:11 (NIV)
Additionally, the directive to eat in haste, fully dressed and ready to leave, reinforced the need for constant readiness. The Israelites were to be prepared to depart Egypt the moment Pharaoh relented, trusting in God’s deliverance after repeated instances of Pharaoh’s changing heart. These instructions highlighted faith, vigilance, and the sacredness of obedience.
The LORD commanded the Israelites to commemorate the day of their deliverance from Egypt as a lasting ordinance, celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread for generations to come. For seven days, they were to eat bread without yeast, removing all yeast from their homes. Anyone consuming leavened bread during this period would be cut off from the community. Sacred assemblies were to be held on the first and seventh days, with no work permitted except for food preparation.
The festival was to begin on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month and continue until the evening of the twenty-first day, wherever the Israelites lived. The LORD instructed the Israelites to observe the Passover as a lasting ordinance for future generations. Upon entering the promised land, they were to continue this ceremony and explain its meaning to their children, recounting how the LORD spared their homes during the judgment on Egypt.
Passover became a deeply sacred tradition for the Jewish people, faithfully observed through generations, even during periods of exile. However, over time, the significance of the day of commemoration may have been overshadowed by the adherence to traditions and festivities. This is evident in how some of Jesus’ disciples, preoccupied with observing this revered tradition, were unable to provide Him with a proper burial.
The Preparations
Moses instructed the elders of Israel to select and slaughter the Passover lamb for their families. They were to use hyssop to apply its blood to the top and sides of their doorframes and remain inside their homes until morning. The LORD, seeing the blood, would pass over their homes and prevent the destroyer from entering to harm them.
The LORD did not need indicators like the blood on the doorposts to recognize Hebrew houses during the first Passover; He is omniscient and knows all things. Instead, the blood served as a sign of the people’s willing participation in God’s covenant and obedience to His command. By marking their doorposts, the Hebrews demonstrated their faith and alignment with God’s instruction, signifying their belonging to His family.
When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. – Exodus 12:23 (NIV)
The destroyer, often interpreted as the angel of destruction or a destroying angel, was the instrument of God’s judgment, sent to execute the death of the firstborn in Egypt. Some traditions see this destroyer as an angelic being, perhaps similar to those mentioned in other scriptural accounts (e.g., 2 Samuel 24:15–16, 2 Kings 19:35, and 1 Corinthians 10:10). Some suggest that the destroyer can be a fallen angel, who was under God’s command and authority, carrying out divine judgment rather than acting independently.
At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead. – Exodus 12:29-30 (NIV)
Like Pharoah, many people wait until the final call to submit to the LORD because of the inherent struggles of human nature. Like a dog’s tail that cannot be straightened, we often return to our sinful tendencies, finding it difficult to break free from old habits. This reflects a deeper issue where our hearts and wills are not fully aligned with God’s purposes. Instead of embracing His call early, we resist, wanting to indulge in the pleasures of the world.
This resistance is often fueled by the misunderstanding that following God means renouncing all worldly life, as though His call demands a monastic existence. Additionally, the teaching that sin is inevitable even after salvation can create complacency, causing us to delay true repentance. Much like ice cream enjoyed eagerly on the first day of summer vacation while homework is procrastinated until the last, our will is misaligned. We prioritize fleeting pleasures over the transformative work of submission, often turning to God only when everything else fails.
Discussion Questions
- Why were the officials, already fearful of God, willing to risk the lives of their firstborn?
- Why is God commanding Moses to restructure the Hebrew calendar?
- Did the LORD need indicators to Passover a Hebrew house?
- Who is the destroyer?
- Are we waiting till the final call to submit to the LORD?
The Jordan Valley 
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