Exodus 12:3, commentary and pictures

On the last night of bondage in Egypt God directed every household to take an unblemished lamb or kid, slay it, strike its blood on the doorposts and lintel, and eat it roasted with unleavened bread and bitter herbs in haste ready for departure, so the destroying angel slaying the Egyptian firstborn at midnight would pass over that marked home. Protection depended on obedient faith in doing the work required, and any Hebrew household neglecting the directions would lose its firstborn just as the Egyptians did. The innocent lamb slain for each house prefigured Christ, the sinless Lamb of God whose body given for the life of the world and whose blood shed for sin alone shelters the believing sinner from judgment and wrath to come. Its taking and setting apart on the tenth day was fulfilled when Jesus rode publicly into Jerusalem at Passover time, presenting Himself as the Redeemer and antitypical Lamb set apart as an oblation to give His life for the sins of the world. The day was to be kept as a yearly memorial ordinance forever to turn minds from worldly cares to God's mercies, impress children with His deliverance, and show that the obedient faith of parents accepting the Redeemer covers their children under the mark of safety.

Passover Night Instructions

Exodus 12:3 opens the directions given to preserve Israel from the judgment about to fall on Egypt in the last plague, which was more dreadful and severe than any before it, terrible to the Egyptians and glorious to God's people. The Lord gave Moses special directions to give to the children of Israel about what they must do to preserve themselves and their families from that fearful plague and about their leaving Egypt. That solemn ordinance of the Passover was instituted on the night of that last and most severe plague.

The directions were given for the last night of bondage in Egypt at the birth of the Hebrew nation, when there appeared no token of deliverance, to prepare for immediate release. At midnight all the Egyptian firstborn were slain, Pharaoh commanded departure, and the Hebrews went out an independent nation. The first Passover was thus observed on the night God released the people from slavery in Egypt.

The nature and effect of that last plague was told beforehand to Pharaoh, to the people of Egypt, and to the Israelites. The king and his idolatrous priests still opposed letting Israel go although the people desired that the Hebrews be permitted to leave Egypt.

Every man was to take for his father's house a lamb or kid without blemish, each household alone or joined with another. The whole family was to be gathered within its own dwelling around the table for the supper, each family taking a lamb and gathering in its dwelling. The lamb was to be slain for the Passover, and its blood struck upon the doorposts and upon the upper doorposts and lintel of the house as an outward token for a sign. As the angel of God passed through Egypt slaying the firstborn of man and beast, the destroying angel would pass over that marked home.

Within the house the family was to eat the lamb roasted whole with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. They were to eat in haste and ready to leave Egypt and to depart, with girded loins, shoes on feet, and staff in hand. The meal was joined in solemn silence.

That day was to be kept as a memorial feast to the Lord throughout their generations by an ordinance forever, kept yearly from generation to generation. Its ceremony rehearsed Israel's deliverance from bondage through the story of the sprinkled blood, the death-dealing angel, and the march out of Egypt, including the grand march from the land of bondage. The Passover was thus the sacrifice of the Lord's passover who passed over the houses of Israel when He smote the Egyptians.

The verse tested Israel's faith through obedient action, for none could be benefited by this special provision of God for salvation unless they did their own part, performing the work the Lord left them to do and by their acts manifesting faith in the provision made for their salvation. Protection depended on doing the work required, and members showed faith by obeying God's directions and gathering together under His protection. If a household neglected the directions or a child refused to join the family, the sign would not protect, and the firstborn in that Hebrew household would be struck just as the firstborn of the Egyptians were.

Lamb Foreshadows Christ

The innocent lamb slain in Egypt prefigured Christ, the sinless Lamb of God, whose merits alone avert judgment and condemnation for fallen humanity. The lamb and the deliverance from Egypt typified the salvation brought by Christ, and the blood placed on the doorposts so the destroying angel would pass over Israelite homes pointed to that averting of judgment. The Passover feast commemorated Israel's deliverance as a memorial of this salvation.

The lamb taken for each household was a symbol of Christ's death and body, and its slaying pointed to His death. Its flesh was eaten in remembrance that it represented the Lamb of God who gave Himself for the life of the world, and the same truth is taught when Christ says the bread He gives is His flesh for the life of the world. In the lamb God intended Israel to behold the One who gave Himself for the life of the world and to receive Him through the symbol. Jesus, the One represented by the lamb, stood among the people as their Saviour and offered Himself for them.

The blood placed on the doorposts as a sign of safety during the slaying of Egypt's firstborn symbolized Christ's blood shed for the sins of the world. That blood is efficacious to cleanse the believing sinner from sin and to shelter that person from God's wrath to come upon the impenitent and unbelieving world, as the wrath of God fell upon the Egyptians. The mark showed that the household accepted Christ as Redeemer, and the parents' obedient faith in the lamb that prefigured the promised Redeemer covered their children so the destroyer passed over them.

The taking and setting apart of the lamb on the tenth day is fulfilled when Jesus rides publicly into Jerusalem while the people are assembling there to celebrate the Passover. By that voluntary public act He presents Himself as the Redeemer, the antitypical Lamb, setting Himself apart as an oblation whose sacrifice crowns His mission to a fallen world and gives His life for the life of the world and for the sins of the world. The public demonstration directs the eyes of all people to Him and calls attention to the sacrifice itself, so every fact connected with His death can be verified beyond doubt and made a subject of deep thought and study by His church in all succeeding ages. All eyes follow His rapid progress to the final scene at the cross, the events of the triumphal ride become the talk of every tongue and bring Jesus before every mind, and after His crucifixion many recall these events in connection with His trial and death, search the prophecies, are convinced that Jesus is the Messiah, and converts to the faith are multiplied in all lands.

The Passover ceremony was instituted by Christ before His incarnation, and Christ, the foundation of the Jewish religious system, was present in human form as the reality to which the Passover pointed. The rites were bound up with His own life and helped reveal His mission to save the covenant people, the heirs of God's promises, a meaning He began to grasp when He attended the service in Jerusalem at age twelve. The Passover lamb was a type that met its antitype in Jesus, who was among the leaders observing the Passover when they brought Him to judgment.

The type met its antitype when Christ was brought to judgment and slain, lying in the tomb while the feast was still being observed. Jesus identified Himself as the Passover lamb's fulfillment and great antitype when He connected the Lord's Supper with the Passover.

The lamb taken for each house cannot be fully explained apart from Christ as revealed in the Old Testament, for the Passover lamb represented the Saviour and the Old Testament ceremonies pointed to Him. Its agreement with Christ's life and teachings proves His identity as Messiah through the testimony of Moses and the prophets concerning His mission, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension, and Christ is the key that unlocks the Old Testament and gives access to its rich treasures, His voice having spoken through the prophets and patriarchs from the days of Adam. All religious services and ceremonies connected with it are valueless if the Saviour now revealed is rejected. Israel made the symbol all-important while its significance went unnoticed, not discerning the Lord's body, though the same truth of Christ's flesh given for the life of the world is taught in the paschal service.

Memorial and Family Application

The ordinance of the lamb for each house was instituted to be kept yearly so that Israel would keep in memory His wonderful works in deliverance from Egypt. It was designed to call minds away from world-loving interests and from cares and anxieties about temporal concerns to review the works of God, His miracles, mercies and loving-kindness. That review was to cause love and reverence for Him to increase and to lead them always to look to Him and trust Him in every trial and not turn to other gods.

Kept as one of the yearly appointed feasts for worship and meeting with God, it rehearsed deliverance from bondage through the story of the sprinkled blood, the death-dealing angel, and the march out of Egypt. The lamb taken for each house was eaten in the night service as a hasty meal with unleavened bread and bitter herbs by men with girded loins, shoes on feet, and staff in hand, joined in solemn silence. Its ceremonies with story, song, nature, and kindly association stirred the imagination, impressed the heart, and fixed God's commandments and past deliverance forever in the memory of children and youth.

Israel was commanded to bring their families into their houses and mark the doorposts with blood so the destroying angel would pass over them, and those who failed to follow the command were not spared from the judgment on Egypt. The lamb brought into each household prefigured Christ, the promised Redeemer, and its blood pointed to the efficacy of His blood shed for sinners and the saving power of His sacrifice. The marked household showed that the family accepted Christ as Redeemer. The parents' obedient faith in the lamb covered their children as well as themselves, so the destroyer passed over the marked houses.

Without this protection Israelites would be treated no differently from Egyptians, and the account applies to a coming judgment in which those without the mark will be slain. It lays upon parents the duty to separate their children from wicked influences, correct their tempers, and teach obedience. Parents who faithfully bring their children to God may plead for them, and the seal or mark of believing parents will cover children brought up aright.