Exodus 12:13  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.
14  And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
15  Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
16  And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
17  And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.
18  In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
19  Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.
20  Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
21  Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.
22  And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
23  For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
24  And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
25  And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
26  And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
27  That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
28  And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

The Passover was instituted by the LORD in preparation for the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. Egypt is sometimes used in the Bible as a picture of the world and sin. The Passover required the killing of a male lamb of the first year, without blemish. It required the shedding of the blood of that lamb. That blood needed to be applied to the two side door posts and the upper door post of the house. The meat of the lamb needed to be roasted in the fire and then eaten in haste. It was all a picture of the way of being set free from the bondage of sin.
The lamb is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ Who is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. The unleavened bread is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ Who is without sin. The blood is a type of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. His blood alone is able to forgive the sin of the repentant sinner.
The Passover was a very important event. The children of Israel needed to follow the instructions carefully and exactly because it was a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 13 we read that the blood was to be a token upon the houses. It would be necessary in order to spare the firstborn son.
In verse 14 we read that this day was to be a memorial for the nation of Israel. The nation was to keep this feast every year as a memorial to the LORD.
In verse 15 we see that along with this day, there were to be seven days where unleavened bread was to be eaten. On the first day of this feast all leaven was to be removed from the houses and it was to be kept out of the houses until the seventh day. Leaven is used at times in the Scriptures as a picture of sin. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Adam committed one sin and that ruined his life and all of creation. We are all born as lost sinners. We are sinners before we ever commit any sin. We have a sin nature that can only be changed through repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Together with the above instructions was that this week was to be started with a holy convocation and it was to be ended in the same way. No manner of work was to be done during that entire week. The only work allowed was the preparation for eating. It was to be a special time in the nation of Israel. As they would set that time aside, it would be a reminder of God’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage. It was not meant to be a party time. It was a time to reflect on what God had done for them and what ultimately, God would do for them and for all of mankind. The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who alone can and does provide salvation for mankind.
Today, Jesus Christ is our Passover. We remember His death through the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is not a saving Supper. It is done in remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the cross of Calvary. He died there and He shed His blood there.
Interestingly, in verse 17 the LORD again referred to the children of Israel as an army. The Hebrews were not trained in physical warfare. However, they were to be obedient to their King, the Lord Jesus Christ. An army needs to be disciplined to be able to follow instructions as given. An army needs to be focused on the task at hand. It cannot be distracted.
In verse 18, the nation was again reminded of the duration of this feast. In verse 19 they were again reminded of the need to be sure no leaven was found in their houses during the time of this feast. Anyone in the nation who would not obey this command, would be cut off from the congregation of Israel. It did not matter if they were born in the nation or if they were a stranger in the land. This was important. Recognizing the significance of this feast was important for the nation of Israel. It is a picture of Jesus’ sacrifice for mankind. Jesus Christ fulfilled all the law. Those who are born again are those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. There is no room for the Catholic heresies or the Pentecostal heresies, etc.
Salvation is a work of God. Those who are saved have trusted in the Lord alone for their salvation.
In verse 21 we read that Moses instructed the elders to follow the instructions as the LORD had given them to Moses.
The details are repeated in verses 21-22. The blood of the lamb needed to be applied as instructed. The houses needed to be properly prepared for the event of the “destroyer” to pass over the houses.
The LORD would pass over the houses of the Egyptians and He would smite the firstborn from among that nation.
Moses also instructed these elders with the instructions for the future. These elders would die in the wilderness, but it was up to the elders to be involved in passing on the instructions given to them. Sound Biblical teaching is important in every family.
This observation was important for the nation. It was to be kept in such a way that when their children would ask about it, the parents would give the clear purpose of this feast. It was a reminder of the LORD’s deliverance of His children from Egyptian bondage. They were to be reminded that the LORD smote the Egyptians at that time. This was a very sober event. It was a warning of the disastrous results of rejecting the LORD.
We read in verse 28 that the children of Israel went and did as they were instructed. Hearing instructions is important. Doing what is required is also very important. Obedience to the LORD is always important. Obedience is the evidence of the faith that is required. The obedience is necessary because the events of this first passover were a picture of what the Lord Jesus Christ would one day provide as the only way of forgiveness of sin. It was Christ’s obedience and His sacrificial death and shed blood that alone can provide salvation for mankind.
Today is the Lord’s Day. It is another opportunity to gather together in a true house of God, and receive instruction from the Word of God. For the saved it is another opportunity to fellowship with the Lord and with other saints in our local area. For the lost it is another opportunity to attend a true church and be challenged to turn to the Lord and be saved. Don’t shrug off this important day. God designed our calendar so that one day in seven is set aside to meet particularly with Him. It is not designed be an empty social event. It is the Lord’s Day and should be focused on Him.
Pastor Bartel