Exodus 1:8-12 New American Standard Bible 1995 “8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are [a]more and mightier than we. 10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and [b]in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and [c]depart from the land.” 11 So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with [d]hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they [e]spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel.”
Exodus 3:6-9 New American Standard Bible 1995 “6 He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down to deliver them from the [a]power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9 Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.”
Now Moses job was to speak before Israel and Pharaoh for God. (Exodus3:11, 3:16) Many times Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh telling him to “let my people go.” God showed His power to Pharaoh by turning water to blood, he sent frogs on the land, and a plague of insects. Egyptian cattle died, God sent a plague of boils and one of hail. God sent a plague of locusts and then sent darkness on the land. Each time Pharaoh refused to listen and his “heart was hardened.”
Exodus 11:4-5 New American Standard Bible 1995 “4 Moses said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well.”
Exodus 12:3-7 New American Standard Bible 1995 “3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a [a]lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a [b]lamb for [c]each household. 4 Now if the household is too small for a [d]lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the [e]number of persons in them; according to [f]what each man should eat, you are to [g]divide the lamb. 5 Your [h]lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 [i]You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it [j]at twilight. 7 Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel [k]of the houses in which they eat it.”
Exodus 12:12-13 New American Standard Bible 1995 “12 For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you [a]live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you [b]to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 12:29-32 New American Standard Bible 1995 “29 Now it came about 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 cattle. 30 Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. 31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, [a]worship the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.””
It is important to note that the blood of a spotless lamb was required for God to Passover the Israelites houses to spare the lives of the first born of Israel.
Fast forward to the time of Christ. Jesus Christ was a Jew descended from the tribe of Judah. He celebrated the Feast of Passover during his life. He understood fully the meaning of the blood of the spotless lamb used to protect the Israelites in Egypt.
John the Baptist testified about Jesus “29 The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who [a]has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” John 1:29-30 New American Standard Bible 1995
So, Jesus and disciple’s proceeded to prepare for the Passover.
Luke 22:7-22 New American Standard Bible 1995 “7 Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.” 9 They said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare it?” 10 And He said to them, “When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters. 11 And you shall say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 12 And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there.” 13 And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. 14 When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. 15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. 21 But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with [a]Mine on the table. 22 For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
God had given the Law to Moses, but mankind was not able to keep the law. There were annual animal blood sacrifices offered for the forgiveness of sin. But invariably man being man could not live up to the requirements of the law. So, another means of forgiveness of sin had to be found. Romans 8:3 New American Standard Bible 1995 “3 For what the Law could not do, [a]weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of [b]sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,”
Christ was not forced by the Father to die. He did it willingly, submitting his will to the Father’s. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He became our Passover. His blood which is applied to us individually when we acknowledge him as lord and savior protects us from the second death just like the blood of the lamb on the door posts protected the Israelites.
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