Moving forward in time from the prior message in Genesis, we now land in Egypt during the time of Moses.
The nation of Israel had become bound in slavery to the Egyptian Pharaoh. Moses, who had been raised in the house of the king as one of his sons, had run off because he had murdered an Egyptian. But God called him back to Egypt to be instrumental in freeing God's people from the tyrannical rule of the Pharaoh.
As God had prophesied to Moses, the Pharaoh would not let the people go--not without plagues being visited upon Egypt. There were ten plagues in all, varying from the river turning to blood, infestation with fleas and frogs, a plague of boils and more. The last plague visited would be the death of firstborn of all humans and animals as well.
Time and time again, Pharaoh was given the opportunity to free the nation of Israel with each succeeding plague. But the Word of God tells us that Pharaoh "hardened his heart" and would not give in. Although there were times it appeared he would, he changed his mind and, in his pride, would not release Israel.
However, there was one big caveat: God would spare the nation of Israel's first born, but it had to be on His terms. Before we study the Passover, let's think about that for a moment. Sometimes we think that we can negotiate with God, don't we? We try to dictate terms to God based upon our wants and whims, only to have the door slammed shut and we sometimes get discouraged or even angry with God. But if you think about it, who are we to tell God what to do? Our overriding passion should be to do what God wants and to do it His way.
In Exodus 12:1-13, God lays out the specifications for what is called the Passover. This Passover was when the angel of death "passed over" the homes of the people of Israel and did not take their first born children or even their animals. But Passover is more than that; Passover points squarely forward to Jesus Christ. In fact, in today's key Scripture we see "Christ (is) our Passover, sacrificed for us."
1 Cor 5:7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. NKJV
How Is Jesus Our Passover?
How is Jesus our Passover? Well, first let's summarize the structure of what all happened at the Passover. First, the Passover lamb would be brought into the home on the 10th day of the month of Abib, which God designated as the first month of the year. The lamb would be spotless and without blemish.
The lamb would be kept in the home from the 10th to the 14th, and then would be slaughtered. The blood would be kept and spread on the door posts and lentel of the door, and the rest of the lamb would be roasted over a fire and eaten; what was left would be disposed of in the fire. All would be eaten with bitter herbs, and in haste; also wearing full clothing and sandals.
On that night, the angel of death would sweep through Egypt taking the first born of each household and also the first born of all livestock. However, the angel would "pass over" and not take the first born in the homes that had the door posts and lentels covered with the blood of the sacrificial lamb, or the first born of the livestock either.
How is Jesus shown in this passage of Scripture? Each element of the Passover points directly to Christ.
First is the timing. On the 14th day of Abib (also called Nisan) the lamb would be slaughtered. Jesus was also crucified on the 14th day of Abib. When He was put on the cross at the third hour (9:00 AM), the Passover lambs would be tied down at the altar. At the ninth hour (3:00 PM) the Passover lamb would be put to death; this is the time that Jesus died. At the same time that the throats of the lambs were cut, Jesus died on the cross. Both sacrifices died simultaneously.
The lamb that was chosen was to be spotless and without blemish. This speaks to the nature of the Savior; Jesus was without sin, blameless and without spot or blemish morally and spiritually.
The lamb was to be roasted over a fire, and not boiled in water or eaten raw. Fire always represents trials, tribulation and also persecution which Jesus endured. J. Vernon McGee notes that water would represent watering down the message.
The blood spread over the door posts and lentel was placed there so that the angel of death would "pass over" the home; it was the blood that covered the home. It is by the shed blood of Christ that we are saved from an eternity of "second death"--an eternity apart from God in the misery of Hell.
Jesus was and still is our "Passover Lamb". He willingly went to the cross and died as our "once for all" sacrifice.
Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.' NKJV
When Jesus went to the cross, it was a bloody death. Although many people may not like that idea, it is fact. In today's key Scripture, God told Moses--and us as well--that "the life of the flesh is in the blood". Further, God spoke in verse 14 "for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life."
From the very beginning, God has required a sacrifice--a blood sacrifice--to cover sin. We saw that in Genesis 3, where animals--most likely lambs or sheep--were killed by God to provide clothing to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. Further, in Exodus we saw that the blood of the sacrificed lamb (the Passover a picture and pointer to Jesus as the ultimate Sacrifice) placed on the door posts and lentels of the Israelites spared the first born from death by the angel of death in Egypt.
In the Old Testament the sin of the people was "covered" by sacrifices, most of which were blood sacrifices. This "covering" was done many times over the life of a person, and was not permanent. Instead, it was a reminder that one day a Messiah would come and pay the ultimate price for sin by blood sacrifice--His Own. It pointed forward to Jesus and the once for all sacrifice He would make.
Blood is indeed life. My mother in law is proof of this. Over the past six months or so, she has had a problem where she is losing blood, and she becomes so depleted that she needs to have transfusions. She would feel so drained by the low hemoglobin level that she could not walk, and could not even stand up. However, until the last couple of weeks, when she would get a transfusion she would be rejuvenated for a time until she would again lose enough blood for a return trip to the hospital.
Sadly, the blood she had been receiving had "covered" her and made her feel better for short periods of time but basically she was worn out. We found that soon her battle for life here on earth would be over, and she passed away a few weeks after I wrote this message.
We had been praying for her for fifteen years to be saved, and had attempted to witness to her on different occasions to no avail. However, we have not been alone; others have been praying for her as well. To make a long story short, she asked Jesus to save her in the hospital with both my son and I in attendance.
She did not live much longer in mortal form after she was saved, but she will live forever in the arms of Jesus. The blood transfusions she received helped to prolong her life here for a while; but the blood of Jesus Christ, shed upon the cross, has given her eternal life. It is not just covering her sins, it has washed her sins away and we will see her again.
Clothed Forever In White
In Genesis 3, we discovered that Adam and Eve went from "naked" to "nekkid", as that gentleman from Alabama once told me, from innocent as a naked baby to getting caught naked doing something you shouldn't be doing. In short, they went from innocent and no conscience (meaning with knowledge) to knowledge of good and evil. Sin infected not only them, but everything down to each and every molecule in the universe. Everything is "winding down".
Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness with aprons or garments with fig leaves on them. However, God covered them in skins from animals that they had lived with in the Garden of Eden.
Let's again look to Revelation:
Rev 3:17-18
17 Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked —
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. NKJV
The people of Laodicea thought that they were "all that"; they thought that they had everything. However, instead of having everything, they had nothing without God. They were wretched (afflicted), miserable (one to be pitied), (spiritually) poor, blind (to spiritual truth) and naked. Albert Barnes, in Barnes' Notes says about the term naked:
[And naked] Of course, spiritually. Salvation is often represented as a garment (Matt 22:11-12; Rev 6:11; 7:9,13-14); and the declaration here is equivalent to saying that they had no religion.
Now look at the next verse. This speaks of the wonders of being saved, but also speaks of being clothed in "white garments"; this means that a person is spiritually clothed by God. While we will be literally clothed in white in heaven (see Revelation 4:4), the white clothing speaks of the righteousness given to us by Jesus Christ. In today's key Scripture, we see that the robes of the tribulation saints "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb".
Rev 7:13-14
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?"
14 And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. NKJV
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve became conscious of their sin and nakedness, and God clothed them in tunics of skin. Their sin was covered. In the Passover, the blood of the sacrificial lamb covered the door posts and lentels of the Israelites, and the lives of the first borns were spared. When Jesus died on the cross, His blood did not cover our sin, it washed it away; and we become clothed forever in the very righteousness of Christ.
