WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I WILL PASS OVER YOU
EXODUS 11: 1-12: 42
INTRODUCTION
Exodus chapter 11-12 brings us to the final onslaught on the Egyptians. The 10th and final plague is going to succeed where the 9 plagues failed.
God’s people will be liberated from slavery, and Pharaoh and his people will drive Israel out of Egypt.
In (4: 22-23) God said, “Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, let my son go, so that he may worship me. But you refused to let him go; so, I will kill your first-born son”.
In 2001 while working at the Caltex Garage in Parkwood near Grassy Park, someone began to threaten to kill me. My manage and colleagues would comfort me and say he won’t do it.
Murderers don’t go about telling people publicly I will kill you. But one day I had the gut feeling when he came with young boys in his car pointing at me and cursing me.
I knew that day he meant business, I decided that day to stop work it was a Friday. Monday in the evening two young boys came on the same Garage, in a case of mistaken identity killed my colleague with two bullets. That man took the bullets meant for me because his skin and statue looked like mine.
Yes, when man says he will kill you, it may happen or it may not happen. But God is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he will change his mind.
He promised Pharaoh that if you resist to let my firstborn go, I will kill your firstborn son.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3: 9).
Yes God’s promise or threat on your life will surely be fulfilled.
Pharaoh if you refuse to bow down before God’s word, you will bend to God’s judgement.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE TENTH PLAGUE (EXODUS 11:1- 10)
There is a difference between the previous nine plagues and the tenth and final plague.
In the previous plagues, Moses was used and empowered by God to perform those signs and wonders.
But this final plague God will fulfil it Himself without Moses being actively involved.
The final plague leads to God’s salvation/deliverance of his people, salvation is initiated from above not from below.
Salvation is an act of God and not man.
For the Hebrew scholars, you will quickly notice the interesting play of words.
The word ‘deber’ means plague and it is the word used for the nine plagues.
The word ‘nega’ means plague but it is only used here in the tenth plague.
‘nega’ is a plague with a touch of God. This is personal, God himself brings the death that leads Israel out of Egypt.
God Himself will bring the sacrifice for the salvation of His people.
Just as God came in human flesh to die a death that led us into salvation.
God said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt”.
In (Vs. 3-4) “Ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold….”
What is happening here? Does it mean we as Christian must plunder the wealthy of unbelievers by receiving support and finances from drug dealers, criminals and corrupt politicians?
I am not going to enter that domain of debate even if I have provoked you with a question, consider the question food for thought!
However, I believe by asking the Egyptians to lend them articles of silver and gold it is a fulfilment again of scripture.
“As the sun was settling, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the LORD said to him, know that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions” (Genesis 15: 12-15).
“And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. Supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and wine press. Give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today”. (Deuteronomy 15: 14-15).
In (Vs. 4-8) Moses announces the death of the firstborns of Egypt to Pharaoh.
The firstborn son of Pharaoh who sits on the thrown to the firstborn of a slave girl who is at her hand mill and the firstborn of the cattle will all die.
The loud cries of grief and mourning will be heard throughout Egypt, but among the Israelites not even a sound of a barking dog.
The LORD will make a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
THE PASSOVER (12: 1-28)
In the previous nine plagues, the LORD did not require the Israelites to mark themselves or to do anything to be spared.
God made a distinction between Egypt and Israel, but in this 10th and final plague God gives instructions that Israelites must obey and act upon faithfully to be spared.
The Passover was instituted as the rite of passage of Israel from slavery in Egypt to the promised land.
Passover therefore is a once off event that happened in the life of Israel and will not be repeated.
But the events of that day should be remembered or narrated to the generation to come, every year when the Passover is commemorated or remembered,
“In days to come, when your son asks you, what does this mean? Say to him, with a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 13: 14)
Passover is the new beginning for Israel, and marks the first month in the Jewish calendar.
Each household is to take a one year old male lamb without defect.
The blood of the lamb on the door posts was a sign that the occupants of that household have put themselves under God’s protection.
When the wrath of God is unleashed on Egypt, when the Angel of death moves door to door to kill the firstborns, “When I see the blood, I will Pass over you”.
It was not their faces that God was looking at, nor the color of their skin, nor their nationality, it is the blood on the door posts that stood for their salvation.
The blood on the doors was significant in the sense that God did not say,
“When I see you” I will pass over you, but God said, “when I see the blood I will pass over you”
The Passover meal was the meal that they ate before starting the walk towards God.
And because it was to be eaten in a hurry, there was no time to put yeast and wait for the dough to expand.
They ate quickly unleavened bread, in readiness to go. Exodus has a sense of urgency, just like the gospel has this sense of urgency.
Before the Passover, Israel could not leave Egypt, after the Passover Israel could not stay in Egypt.
The nine plagues as powerful as they were could not grant Israel deliverance until the blood was spilled.
Passover distinguishes between the children of God, and the Egyptians.
It is the blood that has the power to protect us from the judgement of God.
Scripture says, “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin”.
What can cleanse us from the stains of sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
They were saved only by the blood of the lamb. It is the blood that spoke on their behalf.
It is the blood of Jesus that secured our salvation, we have been marked with the eternal blood of Jesus.
In (12: 31- 36), After the death of the firstborns of Egypt, Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron,
“Up! Leave my people you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested”
Indeed, there is no rest for the wicked, while Moses and the Israelites were at peace, Pharaoh and his people were in trouble.
Up! There is a sense of urgency, the man who stopped them from leaving is the same man asking them to leave now.
Pharaoh not only asks them to leave, but he seeks a blessing,
“And also bless me”.
With the articles of silver and gold the Israelites left Egypt full. They came Empty into Egypt, worked as slaves for 400 years.
With the plunder of silver and gold the Israelites were paid for all the bitter work they did for Pharaoh.
God will one day pay you back for all the years that the cankerworms stole from you.
APPLICATION
Just as the Passover cannot be repeated but remembered, so the death of Jesus Christ cannot be repeated but remembered.
“For I received from the LORD what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night that he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, this in my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way after supper he took the cup saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood, do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11: 23- 26)
The distinction between the Egyptian household and the Israelite household was the blood.
The Israelites were saved not on their own merits, but by God’s grace.
Scripture says, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. And that our own acts of righteousness are as filthiness in the sight of God.
The difference between a believer and the non-believer is the blood of the lamb.
When God Passed over Israel, he never looked inside, he looked at the blood outside on the door.
When God looks at me, he sees the blood of his Son Jesus Christ smeared all over me.
When he looks at me, he looks at me through the accomplished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
And He sees the righteousness of Christ that is imputed upon me by Jesus Christ.
When I was tired trying to play soccer, trying hard to score and failed I was taken off the pitch and Jesus Christ replaced me as a substitute player.
On the soccer field Christ took my number, my place, my position. I sat on the bench resting, while Christ took over my place.
Christ was chasing the ball for me, he was tightly marked, he was tacked and injured in my place.
He kept on playing even though he was badly injured by the opponents, good news is that Christ scored and won the game on my behalf.
Jesus is that substitute lamb that died in my place so that I can have life, everlasting life in Christ Jesus our LORD.
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