A Sacrifice To Remember

As we prepare for Memorial Day, let us remember the Passover Lamb that was sacrificed and reminded the people that their freedom came at a great cost.

The Passover Lamb Exodus 12:1-13

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. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.

If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.

The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.

Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.

Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 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.

“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

Elements in the Exodus Passover:

Battle

There was a battle, not between Moses and Pharaoh. Not between God and the Egyptians. The battle was between the one true living God and the false gods of Egypt. God was about to demonstrate His power, His love for His people. God was about to deliver the people into freedom with a resounding victory over the Egyptians.

Bloodshed

God's people were instructed to kill a lamb and to sprinkle it's blood on the door frames where they would eat the lamb. When God passed over that night, homes that had the blood on their door frames would be spared The key was the blood. Blood on the door frames had the power of saving all those in that house. There was significance and power given to the blood.

Sacrifice

Freedom comes at cost. That cost is the sacrifice of life. God's people were given detailed instructions for sacrificing a lamb. God would make sure this was a lesson they would never forget. By being obedient to God, sacrificing the lamb, and applying the blood, the lives of the firstborn would be saved.

Freedom

The people were also instructed to eat the meal with their cloaks tucked into their belts, sandals on their feet, and their staff in their hands. They were to eat in haste. God was about to deliver them from the hands of the Egyptians and into freedom. The would be free of the yoke of slavery. God is the deliverer and the one who sustains freedom. As He led them out of Egypt, they were about to experience a renewal of life and freedom.

Remembrance

The Passover meal became a regular observance for the Israelite people. Despite all they had seen in the plagues, the escape, and even the Red Sea, God knew thew would be tempted to let those memories fade as they basked in the new life of freedom they were enjoying. He wanted His people to remember what He had done for them. He wanted them to pass those memories on to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

As God was true to His promise, the prophesied Messiah came. And in Jesus all people would have the opportunity for salvation through the Perfect Passover Lamb.

Jesus: The Perfect Passover Lamb 1 Peter 1:18-20

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.