“And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite 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. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:1-13)
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul exhorts them to “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” (I Corinthians 5:7) So, the Passover lamb of Exodus chapter twelve is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”(John 1:29)
In fact, the Lamb of God, is one of the central themes of the Bible. Revelation 13:8 speaks of “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” From Genesis through Revelation, the Lamb of God shines forth as God’s provision for covering the sins of man. In Genesis 3:21 the Lamb is first typified when God provides a covering for Adam and Eve in their sins. The Lamb is prophesied in Genesis 22:8 when Abraham tells his son Isaac that “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” In Exodus chapter twelve we see the Lamb applied when the Israelites strike the blood of the Passover lamb on the side posts and the upper door posts of their houses. Isaiah 53:7 gives us the Lamb personified, showing us that the Lamb of God would be a man. He is identified in John 1:29 when John the Baptist looks to Christ and says, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” The Lamb is then crucified in all four gospel accounts. Finally, the Lamb of God is glorified in Revelation 5:12-14. So Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, is the redemption theme of the Bible. With this in mind, let us take a closer look at our text from Exodus chapter twelve.
I. A NEW BEGINNING . . . Notice in verse two that God says, “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” From this time on, Israel’s entire future was changed. God considered the Passover to be so important that he chose to begin the year with it. Abib was established as the first month on the Jewish calendar for all future generations. “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.” (Deuteronomy 16:1) So, the Passover brought a new beginning.
This is also true of Christ our Passover. The Bible says in II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The day you were saved God passed over your sins and they became a thing of the past. You became a new creature in Christ. You were born again by God’s Spirit. Now, looking back, the day you were saved clearly stands out as the greatest day of your life. It is more special to you than any birthday, any wedding day, or any graduation day. This is the day you received a new life in Christ, a new beginning. This is your Passover.
This should also remind us that Jesus is to be first in all things, not salvation alone (Matthew 6:33; 22:37-38).
II. THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS . . . “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel . . . they shall take to them every man a lamb . . .” (Exodus 12:3)
Notice that God’s message of redemption was preached. God told Moses to speak to all the congregation. Perhaps there were other methods of passing the message along, but God chose preaching. “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (I Corinthians 1:21) Like Christians today, the Israelites heard the good news, they believed it, and they acted on it. They were saved as a result of truly believing a preached message. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)
III. THE LAMB WAS SET APART . . . “. . . In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb . . . And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month” (Exodus 12:3, 6)
The lamb was to be set apart for the Passover four days ahead of time. II Peter 3:8 informs us that “. . . one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” With this in mind, it seems no mere accident that God’s plan of redemption through Christ was set in motion 4,000 years before Calvary! We know this is true for Revelation 13:8 speaks of “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” The foundation of the world was 4,000 years (or four “days”) before Jesus died on Calvary.
Furthermore, Jesus himself was set apart from the general public a few days before Calvary. He was anointed for his burial, he made the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he spent some very special time with his disciples, and he administered the Last Supper all in the few days preceding his crucifixion.
IV. THE LAMB WAS SHARED WITH OTHERS . . . “And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.” (Exodus 12:4)
How’s that for a nugget? A small family was supposed to share their lamb with their neighbors!
In comparison to the manifold grace of God, are we not all small? Are we not all unworthy and “too little for the lamb”? Let us be witnesses for our Lord and give the good news of redemption to our fellow man. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
V. THE PERSONAL LAMB . . . Notice in Exodus 12:3 we read about “a” lamb. We then read in verse four about “the” lamb. Then, in verse five, the Lord makes it very personal by saying, “Your” lamb. So, Exodus 12:3-5 are progressive, making redemption more personal with each verse.
Is this not the way we perceive Christ in life? At first, as a small child, we only know Jesus as “a” man. Then we come to understand that he is more than just another man. We realize that Jesus Christ is a special man, unlike all other men. He is “the” Son of God, “the” Saviour of the world, “the” Lamb of God. However, this still is not enough for salvation. Jesus must become “your” Lamb. His blood must be applied to “your” sins.
I have never asked one person if they know Jesus as “a” Saviour, nor have I asked anyone if they know Jesus as “the” Saviour, yet I have asked many people, “Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as YOUR personal Saviour.” Do you, friend? Perhaps you acknowledge Christ as “the” Saviour, but have you made him “your” Saviour?
VI. A PERFECT LAMB . . . Verse five from our text says, “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year . . .”
It wouldn’t do for an Israelite to run outside and grab the first lamb he saw. God demanded a perfect lamb, one without blemish and one less than a year old. The lamb had to be healthy and strong. That is, God required the very best.
I Peter 1:18-19 tells us that Christ fulfills this type perfectly: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but not Jesus. Man at his best state is altogether vanity, except Jesus. There is none that doeth good, no not one, except Jesus. Jesus Christ is the perfect sinless Lamb which qualifies for taking away the sin of the world.
A lamb of the “first year” would be a strong and healthy lamb, one on which age had taken no toll. The same is true of the Saviour at thirty-three years of age. Thirty-three is an ideal age for a man, not too young and not too old. A man of thirty-three is old enough to have experience in life and be established, yet he is still strong enough to be active and provide for his own. So, it was at this age that our Lord laid down his life as a strong and healthy lamb of the “first year”.
VII. A SHEEP OR A GOAT? . . . Exodus 12:5 contains what first appeared to me as a strange command. Concerning the Passover lamb, the Lord said, “ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats.” Why, I wondered, would God permit his people to use a goat for the Passover? Christ is never likened unto a goat in the New Testament. In fact, goats are only mentioned six times in the New Testament, and two of those occurrences picture unsaved people (Matthew 25:32-33). Puzzled I was, for a while, and then it “hit” me. Jesus Christ meets the needs to two kinds of people: saints (sheep) and sinners (goats).
The saint needs Christ, the Good Shepherd, for his daily needs (Philippians 4:19), so Christ identifies with his people by being a “Lamb” as well as the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11). “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Christ was “like as we are.” He not only paid for our sins, he also humbled himself and identified himself with us, setting the perfect example for us to follow. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” (I Peter 2:21)
The sinner, on the other hand, needs salvation. He needs someone to identify with him and bear the burden of his sins. In Leviticus chapter sixteen Aaron was commanded to bring two goats before the Lord. One was to be offered as a sin offering, while the other was to be set free into the wilderness. So, the goat of Exodus 12:5 does picture Christ in regards to the sin offering that Christ became for us! Paul states it best in II Corinthians 5:21: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Like the scapegoat of Leviticus, we have been set free, because Christ humbled himself, took our place, and bore our sins. So, thanks be to God, he included the goat!
VIII. GOD DELIGHTS IN HIS SON . . . Exodus 12:37 tells us that some 600,000 men on foot left Egypt on the night of the Passover. This figure does not include children and women, so it is safe to say that over 2,000,000 Jews left Egypt that night, probably many more. This would give us at least 150,000 Jewish homes, conservatively speaking.
With this is mind, notice how God refers to the Passover lamb in the singular sense. In Exodus 12:4-11 God uses the word “it” thirteen times in reference to over 150,000 lambs! Not one time did God say, “they” or “those lambs.” God was thinking only of the individual need of his people, which was one lamb per household.
Today there is only one Lamb. “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God . . . For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:12, 14) The Bible says in I Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
IX. ALL HAVE SINNED . . . Rather than have the Passover lamb killed by the priests, God commanded that “the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” (Exodus 12:6) God chose this method because He knew that one dreadful evening the whole nation of Israel would be guilty of killing His Son. In Matthew 27:25 the Jews cried out, “His blood be on us, and on our children.”
Consequently, for this present age, God has withdrawn himself from Israel until she acknowledges her offence and believes on Christ (Hosea 5:15; Romans 11:26).
But the Jews also said, “We have no king but Caesar,” (John 19:15), and it was Caesar’s soldiers who nailed Christ to the cross. So, in reality, everyone had a part in the death of Jesus Christ, because everyone can benefit from it by receiving forgiveness of sin.
X. WHY IN THE EVENING? . . . The Passover lamb was to be killed in the evening for a couple of reasons. One is the fact that the Bible acknowledges the days of Christ on earth as the last days or the last times. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” A similar statement is made by Peter, immediately following his comments about the “lamb without blemish and without spot.” I Peter 1:20 says, “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” So, in the “day of man,” Christ was offered in the “evening.”
Another reason for the lamb dying in the evening is because this was the time of day that Jesus died. In fact, he died at the same time that the evening sacrifice was made, the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.). Some even believe his words “It is finished” (John 19:30) coincide with the slaying of the evening sacrifice that day.
But there is more here than this. From Mark chapter fifteen we learn that Jesus was nailed to the cross at the third hour (verse 25) and that he remained on the cross until the ninth hour (verses 33 through 37). So, on that particular day, Jesus Christ was the morning and evening sacrifice. In fact, since he was on the cross from morning till evening, it would be correct to say that he fulfilled Psalm 44:22: “Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.”
XI. “WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD” . . . In Exodus 12:7 God commands the Israelites to strike the blood of the lamb on the two side posts and on the upper door post of their houses. Later that night the death angel would come through and “pass over” those who were protected by the blood (verse 13).
Now this is a remarkable thing in the Bible. Only God knew this at the time, but every Jewish family in Egypt had a picture of Calvary right on the front of their house! There was blood on either door post, picturing the two thieves, and there was blood above the door, picturing Christ on the cross!
Furthermore, please notice that God required no blood to be placed under the door on the threshold. This just wouldn’t do because Hebrews 10:29 says, “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” We belong under his feet, but he doesn’t belong under ours!
Suppose a Jewish family was somewhat liberal and didn’t believe in using literal blood, so they splashed water on the door posts instead. Would they have been saved? No, because God said, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” What if they believed in transubstantiation and attempted to drink the blood instead? Would they have been saved? No, because God said, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” He didn’t say, “When you drink the blood . . .” What if a child didn’t actually see their father strike the blood on the doorposts? Would the child still be saved? Yes, because God said, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” It wasn’t necessary for everyone to see the blood. It was only necessary for God to see it.
Friend, it isn’t necessary for you to see the blood of Christ. It is necessary for you to have FAITH in the blood of Christ: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” (Romans 3:24-25) Has the blood of God’s Son been applied to YOU. Have you been cleansed from all your sins in the pure blood of the Lamb?
Christian, please consider this. Those Israelites down in Egypt had blood on the front of their houses, visible for everyone to see. In fact, it was so obvious that one couldn’t miss it! They surely looked foolish, but they were saved. They may have been labeled “fanatics”, but they were saved. They may have been accused of being “too old-fashioned”, but they were saved. It wasn’t possible to be redeemed by the blood and keep it a secret! If you are really saved, really washed in the blood of Christ, it will show. “But if any man love God, the same is known of him.” (I Corinthians 8:3)
XII. ROAST WITH FIRE . . . In Exodus 12:8-9 God commanded that the Passover lamb be roasted with fire. It could not be sodden in water. Through the Bible, fire is often God’s means of accepting sacrifices, so fire is required here, picturing God’s wrath toward sin.
Some of the final words of Jesus on the cross were, “I thirst” (John 19:28). He received no water when he thirsted, just as the rich man in hell received none (Luke 16:24-25). Christ took our punishment for us, his soul being made an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10), so there was no water given.
XIII. EATING THE PASSOVER . . . In Exodus 12:8 we read that the Israelites were told to eat the flesh of the Passover lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. As everything else we’ve seen, this also is instructive.
Eating the flesh pictures the believer feeding on the spiritual things of Christ, rather than the carnal things of the world. “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” (John 6:56-57) Just as Christ’s spiritual life was maintained through constant communion with the Father above, our spiritual life is to be maintained through constant communion with Christ. We must feed on spiritual things if we are to be spiritual and walk in the spirit. We must pray, read our Bibles, and we must apply the word of God in our daily walk. Job said, “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” (Job 23:12) The word of God is essential for our spiritual well being. Jesus once said, after saving a soul, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.” (John 4:32) He fed on serving God and saving souls. This brought him spiritual nourishment.
It wasn’t enough to see and roast the Passover. They had to eat it in order to reap the true benefit.
The Israelites also had to eat the Passover with unleavened bread. The Bible explains this picture in I Corinthians 5:7-8: “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Eating the Passover with unleavened bread pictured serving Christ in “sincerity and truth.” Malice and wickedness have no place under the banner of Christ. God wants clean and honest people who are sincere in their service to him. Christianity is not “show business” or politics. It is a serious business which requires the dedication of serious sold-out Christians. As we feed on Christ, let us also feed on the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
“Bitter herbs” were also required in the Passover meal. It seems at first glance that such a requirement would ruin the sacred meal, but not so. Bitter herbs were the perfect ingredient for reminding the Israelites of the bitter lives and hard bondage from which they were about to be delivered (Exodus 1:14). In the years to come, they would be reminded over and over of the great deliverance which God had wrought.
When serving and obeying God becomes “bitter” (Revelation 10:9-10), let us be thankful and remember the bitterness and bondage that we once knew before God’s work of grace changed our hearts forever.
XIV. ONE BODY . . . The Jews were told in Exodus 12:9 that they were to eat the lamb with the whole body in tact. A bone could not be broken (12:46) and the body parts could not be divided.
This, of course, pictures the perfect body of Christ which could not be broken (Psalm 34:20). Jesus was to crucified, rather than stoned, so as not to break his bones. He was to be buried and resurrected in the same body, so it was necessary for God to keep it in tact.
Furthermore, since we are “members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Ephesians 5:30), the body had to remain unified because the bride is unified (Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 3:15; I Corinthians 12:20). The Passover lamb could have no broken bones when it was slain nor when it was eaten because Christ is one undivided body.
XV. LET NOTHING REMAIN . . . Verse ten from our text says, “And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.” The Israelites were to consume all of the lamb, allowing nothing to be wasted.
Ah, what a spiritual truth we have here! Let us not pick through the things of Christ and select only that which we like. Jesus is “altogether lovely” (Song of Solomon 5:16). God forbid that we should refuse any portion of him and cling to this hopeless world! It isn’t possible for one to get “too wrapped up” in Jesus Christ as some suggest. He is worthy of every ounce of devotion we can offer, and there is no part of Christ which cannot benefit us if we receive him wholeheartedly.
Notice our text says that they couldn’t allow any part of the lamb to remain “until the morning.” The “morning” in Bible prophecy is the millennial kingdom of Christ, the new day when Jesus rules the earth in righteousness (Psalm 30:5; 49:14; Hosea 6:3; Malachi 4:2). The lesson here is obvious. A person who neglects salvation today will find God’s grace expired when Christ returns. “Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.” (Proverbs 1:28) Friend, now is the accepted time; this is the day of salvation (II Corinthians 6:2). Receive Christ now, and receive him wholly.
XVI. BE READY AND STAY READY . . . As a final consideration, please notice that in Exodus 12:11 the Jews were given specific instruction on how to eat the Passover: “. . . with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste . . .” The whole verse speaks of preparation. We read some similar words in Ephesians 6:14-15 in regards to the Christian soldier: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” God wants a prepared, disciplined and zealous people who are ready and willing to answer the call of Christian duty.
God delighted in Gideon’s three hundred soldiers who kept themselves alert and prepared for battle (Judges 7:6-7), and he delights in those today who stand ready to fight the good fight of faith.
At a moment’s notice the Israelites were to leave Egypt that night and not look back. Friend, do you manifest that same degree of faith and dedication to your Captain? Are you ready to join in the royal march, or is there some carnal desire bidding you to lay down your staff and cast your eyes upon Egypt? “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)
James L Melton
