Scripture: Exodus 12:1-2, 8, 11-13 (NRSV)
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.
They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
Context
This passages describes the institution of Passover, originally observed as a means of warding off the tenth plague–the death of the firstborn. This is the only plague visited upon the Egyptians for which the Israelites had to take preventive measures. In the preceding plagues, the Israelites had been maintained in safety even when destruction was brought upon Egypt.
The essential element of Passover is the sacrifice of an unblemished year-old male lamb, with blood from the sacrifice daubed on the doorposts and the lintels of the houses of the Israelite people.
Along with protecting the people from the final plague, Passover is now to be celebrated as a permanent memorial.
Reflection Questions
- When is God’s love and power most apparent to you? When and how is it vivid?
- What are the foods that most remind you of God’s love and power?
- What are the meals that have meant the most to you over the years?
- When did you first hear the “old, old story” of Jesus and “his precious blood’s atoning?” (“Victory in Jesus”)
Prayer
O God, we give You thanks that you are faithful to Your promises, especially the promise to set Your people free. Help us to trust in the midst of life’s challenges and difficulties. Amen.
