Day 30 · Part 3: Out of Egypt
The Passover
In the Story
In context
The last plague is the death of every firstborn in Egypt, from Pharaoh’s son to the firstborn of the animals (Exodus 11:5; 12:29). This is a hard reading, told plainly. Each Israelite household kills a lamb, puts its blood on the doorposts and the lintel, the beam over the door, and eats it in haste, dressed to travel: “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (12:7, 11, 13). On the way they bake bread without yeast, because they were driven out before the dough could rise (12:34, 39).
Israel had lived in Egypt 430 years (12:40). About 600,000 men set out on foot, besides children, with a mixed crowd of others (12:37–38), and Moses carries Joseph’s bones, as Joseph had made them promise (13:19; Genesis 50:25). The Bible’s own numbers put this around 1446 BC (1 Kings 6:1); many scholars place it around 1260 BC. Centuries later Jesus ate the Passover with his disciples before he suffered (Luke 22:15), and Paul calls Christ “our Passover” (1 Corinthians 5:7).
knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ,
1 Peter 1:18–19 · The Passover lamb had to be “without defect” (Exodus 12:5); Peter writes of being redeemed by Christ’s blood, “as of a lamb without blemish or spot.”
For families
The Passover was kept by households, a lamb for each family, shared with neighbors if a family was too small (Exodus 12:3–4). These chapters expect children to ask what it means (12:26; 13:14), and tell parents what to say: “It is because of that which Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt” (13:8).
If you had been a child at the first Passover, what would you have asked your parents that night?
In the Bible
World English Bible, as published by eBible.org (public domain).
Exodus 11
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Exodus 12
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Exodus 13
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A hymn for today
Nothing but the Blood · words by Robert Lowry
- What can wash away my sin?Nothing but the blood of Jesus;What can make me whole again?Nothing but the blood of Jesus.RefrainO precious is the flowThat makes me white as snow;No other fount I know,Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
- For my pardon this I see,Nothing but the blood of Jesus;For my cleansing this my plea,Nothing but the blood of Jesus.RefrainO precious is the flowThat makes me white as snow;No other fount I know,Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
- Nothing can for sin atone,Nothing but the blood of Jesus;Naught of good that I have done,Nothing but the blood of Jesus.RefrainO precious is the flowThat makes me white as snow;No other fount I know,Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
- This is all my hope and peace,Nothing but the blood of Jesus;This is all my righteousness,Nothing but the blood of Jesus.RefrainO precious is the flowThat makes me white as snow;No other fount I know,Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
- Now by this I'll overcome,Nothing but the blood of Jesus;Now by this I'll reach my home,Nothing but the blood of Jesus.RefrainO precious is the flowThat makes me white as snow;No other fount I know,Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
- Glory! glory! thus I sing,Nothing but the blood of Jesus;All my praise for this I bring,Nothing but the blood of Jesus.RefrainO precious is the flowThat makes me white as snow;No other fount I know,Nothing but the blood of Jesus.