The Bible Course نمونه

Final Plague, Passover, and Exodus – the way of freedom 

Reflect  

As humans, we associate meals with remembering. Some meals take us back to our childhood, some remind us of lost loved ones and others cast us back to moments of celebration. God knows this. He made us this way. And this is why on the night he brought rescue, he made sure the Israelites weren’t having take-out. He prescribed the menu for a meal that they’d never forget.  

What did God do in order to ensure Israel’s rescue from the final plague?  

Since Moses’ return to Egypt, there's been a battle of the gods (chapters 4–11). God has been picking a fight with the Egyptian ‘gods’ one by one and has won every round. He confronts the ‘gods’ of the Nile, the Sun, and even Pharaoh himself. God exposes all of them for what they truly are. Pharaoh’s on the ropes but he remains hardened, so the final plague is God’s knockout blow.  

But how can God rescue Israel from the plague? After all, they were not innocent. Judgment should also knock at their door too. But instead of passing through, the angel passes over. Why? Because judgment has already taken place in the Israelites' household. God ordered their way out. The blood of a young lamb without defect was to be painted above and on the side of the door frames. The blood covering the door meant that when the angel arrived it knew death had already occurred. The blood became Israel’s protection.  

God knows how forgetful we are. This act was to define Israel as God’s chosen and rescued people. So through a meal, God made sure Israel would never forget. Exodus was celebrated with a symbolic meal.  

What does this mean for us today?  

The Passover celebration goes on today. Exodus 12 points us to the ultimate exodus, achieved in Jesus. Jesus reinterprets the whole Passover to be about himself. The Apostle Paul says that on the cross, ‘Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed’ (1 Corinthians 5.7). He died so that we might live! Judgment passed through him, so it might pass over us.  

So we remember today. We remember Jesus’ body, broken for us, with bread. We remember Jesus’ blood through the wine. It all reminds us that through him, we can experience true exodus – forgiveness and freedom! 

Respond 

The Passover meal was to be celebrated in homes. How can you as a family or with friends remember and enjoy God’s rescue together?