2026.02.22.Sermon Notes. THE BLOOD THAT DELIVERS -Exodus 11–12
William Akehurst, HSWC
KEY WORDS: Passover, Substitution, Atonement, Redemption, Judgment, Deliverance, Blood, Covenant, Lamb, Obedience, Distinction, Memorial,
Leaven, Hyssop, Holiness, Instruction, Worship
SCRIPTURES: Exodus 11:1-10, Exodus 12:1-51, Isaiah 53:6, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:1, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, John 1:29, John 19:36, Romans 2:29, Colossians 2:11, Galatians 3:28,
BIG IDEA:
GOD’s final plague reveals HIS absolute sovereignty over judgment and redemption, and the blood of the lamb becomes the divine provision that separates death from life; pointing unmistakably to CHRIST, our Passover.
INTRO
We now come to the climactic moment in the Exodus narrative.
Nine plagues have fallen upon Egypt. Pharaoh’s heart remains hardened. The gods of Egypt have been systematically judged. The Nile, the sun, the livestock, the firstborn of animals; all exposed as powerless before YAHWEH.
Now comes the final plague.
This is not merely another judgment.
This is the decisive act of redemption.
Exodus 11–12 is the theological heart of the Exodus.
Here we see:
• The final plague and breaking of Egypt’s power
• The birth of Israel as a nation
• The institution of Passover
• The clearest Old Testament picture of the Gospel
Here we see both judgment and mercy, death and deliverance, wrath and redemption, all meeting at one place:
Under the blood.
I. THE FINAL WARNING – A DISTINCTION MADE (EXODUS 11)
Exodus 11:1-10 Death of the Firstborn Announced
1 And the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. 2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.” 3 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.
4 Then Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. 6 Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. 7 But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’ 8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will go out.” Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.
9 But the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not heed you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
A. THE JUDGMENT: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN Vs. 1
Vs. 1 “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether.
• One more plague.
• One LAST plague. The last straw.
Vs. 4 “about midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt…”
This time, GOD HIMSELF passes through.
Notice the language. The previous plagues were mediated. But now GOD says:
“I will go out.”
B. Transfer of wealth Vs 2-3
Vs. 2 Let every man and woman ask from their neighbor for silver and gold.
Vs. 3 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians.
GOD’s Restoration of Wealth to the people of Israel. A Great Blessing.
C. DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN Vs 5
Vs.5 “and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals.”
The firstborn represented:
• Strength
• Inheritance
• Future legacy
• Authority
In Egyptian culture, Pharaoh himself was considered divine. The firstborn was sacred.
GOD strikes at the very heart of Egyptian identity and pride.
There will be:
• A cry unlike any before
• Universal grief
• No household untouched
Except one….
D. A DIVINE DISTINCTION Vs. 7
Vs. 7…that you may know that the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.
GOD makes a distinction.
Not because Israel was morally superior.
Not because they deserved it.
But because of covenant mercy.
This distinction between Egypt and Israel foreshadows the ultimate distinction between those under judgment and those under grace.
As later revealed in the New Testament:
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Judgment is universal.
Deliverance is specific.
The difference is not ethnicity.
It is not morality.
It is not effort.
The difference is obedience to GOD’s provision.
II. THE INSTITUTION OF THE PASSOVER (EXODUS 12:1–13)
A. A NEW BEGINNING 12:1-2
Before the plague falls, GOD gives instructions.
Redemption is never accidental.
It is intentional, precise, and ordained.
1-2 1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.
Vs. 2 “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months…”
Redemption resets the calendar.
Their national life begins with salvation.
So it is spiritually:
Conversion is the true beginning of life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Salvation marks a new calendar for the soul.
B. THE LAMB WITHOUT BLEMISH 12:3-6
3-6 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.
Vs. 5 “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year…”
Requirements:
• Without defect
• Examined for four days
• Slain at twilight
This is unmistakable CHRIST typology.
The New Testament identifies the fulfillment clearly:
1 Corinthians 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.
TRUTH…”For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.”
And:
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
TRUTH…“Behold the Lamb of God…”
JESUS was:
• Sinless
• Examined publicly
• Crucified at Passover
The shadow becomes substance.
The Passover lamb was prophetic.
CHRIST is the reality.
C. THE BLOOD APPLIED 7-13
7-13 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover.
12 ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
Vs. 7 “They shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post…”
Notice carefully:
• The lamb had to die.
• But death alone was not enough.
• The blood had to be applied.
It was not sufficient that a lamb existed.
It was not sufficient that a lamb was slain.
The blood had to mark the house.
And God said:
“When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” (Exodus 12:13)
GOD did not say:
• When I see your heritage.
• When I see your effort.
• When I see your sincerity.
HE said:
When I see the blood.
Salvation rests entirely on the substitutionary provision of GOD.
MY HEBREW LEARNING Aleph Veha Tav.
Vs. 13 “The blood shall be a SIGN for you on the houses where you are.
The word “SIGN” or TOKEN is 3 Hebrew letters. Aleph, Vav, Tav. Pronounced OHT. Aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet, and Tav, the last. Vav being the connector “and” In Revelation when JESUS said HE was the first and the last, HE was saying that HE was the ALEPH VAV TAV!
THE BLOOD is significant. The Blood is the Sign. The Blood of CHRIST must be over the door of our hearts.
III. THE NATURE OF SALVATION IN THE PASSOVER
Exodus 12 gives us a complete theology of redemption.
1. SUBSTITUTION
A lamb dies instead of the firstborn.
This is substitutionary atonement.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
The innocent for the guilty.
2. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
Each household had to act.
Faith required obedience.
They had to:
• Select the lamb
• Kill the lamb
• Apply the blood
• Stay inside
Passive belief was not enough.
Biblical faith always obeys.
3. URGENCY
They were to eat in haste:
• Belt fastened
• Shoes on
• Staff in hand
Redemption demands readiness.
GOD does not redeem us so we may remain in Egypt.
HE redeems us to leave bondage.
4. SECURITY UNDER THE BLOOD
The destroying angel passed through.
But where the blood was applied, death did not enter.
Inside the house there may have been:
• Fear
• Trembling
• Weak faith
But if the blood was on the door, they were safe.
Salvation rests not on the strength of faith, but on the sufficiency of the blood.
IV. The Feast of Unleavened Bread – Redemption Remembered (Exodus 12:14–20)
Now we come to the portion that establishes memorial theology.
A. A Perpetual Ordinance (12:14)
14 14 ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.
“This day shall be unto you for a memorial…”
Passover was not a one-time event.
It was to be remembered throughout generations.
Redemption must be remembered.
GOD commands them to rehearse deliverance.
Why?
Because forgetfulness leads to spiritual drift.
B. The Removal of Leaven (12:15–20)
15-20 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. 17 So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’ ”
For seven days they were to remove leaven from their homes.
Leaven (Hebrew: chametz) represents corruption and permeation.
In Scripture, leaven often symbolizes sin and false doctrine.
The apostle Paul uses this imagery:
“Purge out therefore the old leaven…”
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 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.
Redemption is not only about forgiveness.
It is about purification.
You cannot celebrate deliverance while tolerating Egypt’s residue.
Application:
• What leaven remains?
• What patterns from Egypt linger in the heart?
• Has redemption led to separation?
Holiness flows from salvation.
V. The Application Repeated – Obedience Required (Exodus 12:21–28)
21-28 21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. 24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say, It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
In verses 21–28, Moses repeats the instructions to the elders.
This repetition emphasizes personal responsibility.
A. The Hyssop Branch (12:22)
Vs. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.
Hyssop was used to apply blood.
It was a humble plant.
Salvation does not require grandeur.
It requires obedience.
The blood had to be placed:
• On the lintel
• On the doorposts
And they were commanded:
“None of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.”
Protection was under the covering.
Outside the blood-marked house was judgment.
B. Covenant Instruction to the Next Generation (12:24–27)
24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say, It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
This is critical.
GOD commands:
“When your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?”
Redemption must be explained to the next generation.
Passover was designed to provoke questions.
Parents were to answer:
“It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s passover…”
This is covenant teaching.
Faith must be taught.
Deliverance must be narrated.
Application for us:
• Are we telling our children what GOD has done?
• Are we explaining the cross?
• Are we preserving testimony?
A generation that forgets redemption will return to Egypt in heart.
C. The People Bowed and Worshipped (12:27–28)
27 that you shall say, It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
Before deliverance came, they worshipped.
Faith preceded sight.
Obedience preceded experience.
They had not yet seen the plague.
They had not yet left Egypt.
But they bowed in faith.
True faith acts on GOD’s word before the outcome is visible.
VI. THE NIGHT OF JUDGMENT AND DELIVERANCE (EXODUS 12:29–36)
29-36 29 And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. 30 So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
THE EXODUS
31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said. 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”
33 And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. 35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
At midnight, it happened. Death struck Egypt.
Every Egyptian household experienced loss.
From Pharaoh to prisoner.
No exceptions.
The cry was great.
This reveals a sobering truth:
Judgment is impartial.
Sin always brings death. Sin’s wages are death.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But in Israel’s homes, where blood marked the door:
Life remained.
The night of greatest darkness became the dawn of freedom.
The same event that brought judgment to Egypt brought deliverance to Israel.
The cross does the same.
VII. THE EXODUS BEGINS – A REDEEMED PEOPLE (EXODUS 12:37–42)
37-42 37 Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38 A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.
40 Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night of solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the LORD, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations.
After 430 years, GOD fulfills HIS promise to Abraham precisely.
“They went out.”
Israel leaves Egypt as a redeemed people.
Not as slaves.
But as a delivered nation.
Redemption leads to movement.
They leave with:
• Egyptian wealth
• Divine protection
• Covenant promise
GOD’s timing was exact.
“It came to pass… that all the hosts of the LORD went out…” (Exodus 12:41)
GOD does not save us to remain in Egypt.
Redemption fulfills promise.
GOD never forgets HIS covenant.
HE saves us to walk toward promise.
VIII. Covenant Identity Defined – Who may partake Exodus 43-51
Passover Regulations (Gen. 17:9–14; Ex. 12:1–13)
43-51 43 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. 44 But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. 45 A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. 46 In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. 49 One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”
50 Thus all the children of Israel did; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. 51 And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the LORD brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.
Now we reach the often-overlooked conclusion.
GOD defines who may eat the Passover.
“No stranger shall eat thereof.”
This is not ethnic exclusion.
It is covenant identity.
A foreigner could participate — but only through circumcision.
Circumcision was the sign of belonging.
The New Testament deepens this:
“Circumcision is that of the heart…”
Romans 2:29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
And:
Colossians 2:11 11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
One law applied to all (12:49).
This anticipates:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek… for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Grace unites.
Redemption creates covenant identity.
Participation assumes belonging.
Salvation is free.
But it is never casual.
IX. CHRIST IN THE PASSOVER
Lamb without blemish
• Blood applied
• No bone broken (fulfilled in the crucifixion; see 19:36)
• Deliverance through death
The Passover meal anticipated a greater table.
On Passover night, JESUS instituted the Lord’s Supper (recorded in the 22).
The Lamb became the Host.
The shadow became substance.
The Passover was a shadow.
The Cross is the reality.
The lamb in Egypt saved from physical death.
CHRIST saves from eternal death.
No bone broken 12:46 fulfilled at the crucifixion
John 19:36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.”
Exodus 12:42 (ESV) It was a night of watching by the LORD, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the LORD by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.
THE INSTITUTION OF THE PASSOVER
God provides detailed instructions for the Passover, marking a new beginning for Israel:
• The month of the Passover becomes the first month of the year for Israel.
A NEW BEGINNING
• Each household must select a lamb without blemish, symbolizing Christ.
YOU MUST CHOOSE
• The lamb must be examined for four days and slain at twilight.
KNOWING THAT JESUS DIED FOR YOU
• The blood of the lamb must be applied to the doorposts for protection.
ENTRANCE AND PROTECTION COMES UNDER AND THROUGH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
THE NATURE OF SALVATION IN THE PASSOVER
The Passover illustrates key theological concepts of redemption, including substitution and personal responsibility:
• A lamb dies in place of the firstborn, representing substitutionary atonement. CHRIST DIED FOR YOU
• Each household must actively participate by selecting, killing, and applying the blood of the lamb. ITS YOUR CHOICE
• Urgency is emphasized; they must be ready to leave Egypt. FOCUS ON ETERNITY
• Security is found under the blood, regardless of individual faith strength. ARE YOU COVERED BY THE BLOOD?
COVENANT IDENTITY AND PARTICIPATION
God defines who may partake in the Passover, emphasizing covenant identity over ethnicity:
• Only those who are circumcised may eat the Passover, symbolizing belonging to God's covenant.
• This reflects the New Testament teaching that true belonging is a matter of the heart. CIRCUMCISED HEART – CUT OFF THIS WORLD
All believers, regardless of background, are united in Christ.
X. SELF-REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
1. Are you under the blood?
2. Have you removed the leaven?
3. Have you personally applied CHRIST’s sacrifice by faith?
4. Are you teaching the next generation?
5. Are you living as one who has left Egypt? Or Are you still living in Egypt after being redeemed?
6. Are you worshipping before deliverance is visible?
7. Are you commemorating your deliverance with gratitude?
Passover became a memorial.
We likewise remember through the LORD’s Supper.
Salvation is never to be forgotten.
CONCLUSION
Exodus 11–12 presents one of the clearest pictures of the Gospel in all Scripture.
• Judgment is certain.
• Death is deserved.
• A substitute is provided.
• Blood must be applied.
• Deliverance follows obedience.
The question is not:
Do you admire the lamb?
Do you respect the lamb?
Do you believe in lambs?
The question is:
Is the blood applied?
Because when GOD sees the blood—
HE passes over.
PRAYER
FATHER, we thank YOU for the Lamb provided.
We thank YOU that CHRIST, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us.
Examine our hearts.
If any remain in Egypt, draw them out.
If any remain outside the covering of the blood, bring them in.
May we live as redeemed people; ready, grateful, and holy.
In JESUS’ Name, Amen.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Bill
HYMNS
59 - Jesus Paid It All
192 - There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood
219 - When I See the Blood
267 - Nothing But the Blood
