Instructions For The First Passover

Exodus 12:1-14

Moses had announced God‘s final action that would free the Israelites from Egyptian domination in Exodus 11:4-8. “And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.”

God had promised that he would spare the Israelites from the plague, and that it would result in their deliverance. Now God described what Israel must do to prepare for their deliverance. It was to be the basis of a custom Israel was to keep forever. The Passover is especially for Christians to understand as the New Testament uses it to explain what Christ’s sacrifice means. The communion service was instituted during Christ’s celebration of the Passover, and serves the same purpose for the Christian as Passover does for the Jew. Since failure to keep Passover according to the guidelines was grounds for dis-fellowshipping, Jesus and his disciples were following these guidelines at the Lord’s supper. To observe Communion in manner consistent with the New Testament description, we will need to observe a very similar standard.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.” (Exodus 12:1-4)

In the Jewish calendar, the first month is Nissan, which runs from about the middle of March to the middle of April. Because the Catholic Church adopted the pagan way of setting Easter rather than the Jewish calendar, our Easter date varies, always coming on a Sunday, rather than on the set date, which would not always occur on Sunday. Since the Bible does not command us to celebrate the Resurrection on certain day, we are not obligated to follow the Jewish custom in this regard, and adhering to the traditional Easter date is acceptable.

Notice that each family was to partake the Passover, sharing with another family only if the family was not large enough to consume the entire lamb. It was not to be a gathering of all Israel, but of individual families. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper, he did not invite others, but limited it to the twelve apostles. The Communion service would thus appear to be intended for the members of the Local church, not for the general public.

“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.” (Exodus 12:5-7)

I Corinthians 5:7 declares “… For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” As our Passover lamb, Christ was declared innocent by both Herod and Pilate. He had been observed, not just for four days, but for three years. When the sacrifice was killed, it was to be done publicly and when Jesus was executed, almost the entire population of Jerusalem was there to observe the crucifixion.

Each family was then to individually apply the blood from their lamb to the doorposts and across the lintel of the home where it would be eaten. It could not be done by some priest or religious organization for all the people. It could not be done by proxy, even after the temple was built. In the same way, in the New Testament, salvation is only through individual acceptance and cannot be obtained action of the church, by the prayers of priests or saints, or by baptism for the dead.

“And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.” (Exodus 12:8-11)

Very specific guidelines were described as to how the Passover was to be prepared and what could accompany it. The entire body was to be roasted. It could not be boiled or eaten raw. There could be no leftovers. The bread eaten with it could not be leavened, could not have any form of yeast in it, and only natural vegetables could be used, the bitter herbs. There were logistical reasons for these requirements. They were to have everything packed and ready to leave. There was not to be time to wash kettles or bowls used in allowing the bread to sit while it raised. There would not be time to save the leftovers. They were to be ready to leave as soon as they finished eating. While boiling would destroy the bitterness of the herbs, it would require washing pots and kettles. Unleavened bread could be prepared on a moment’s notice and with minimal mixing simply wrapped in leaves and baked in the fire or roasted on a stick over the fire.

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 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.” (Exodus 12:12-13)

The application of the blood to the doorposts and lintel was critical. Any house where the blood was not applied would be subject to the same judgment as would come on the Egyptians. No one would be killed in any house where the blood was applied, and every house which lacked the blood would suffer a death.

I Corinthians 5:7 stated that Christ is our Passover, and John 3:16-18 paints a similar picture of acceptance of Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Just as death was certain for anyone who did not apply the blood to the doorposts and Lintel, eternal death is certain for everyone who does not proactively believe in Christ. They could not later apply the blood so their children would be restored to life. It had to be done before the Death Angel passed by. There is no opportunity for either the Catholic purgatory or the Mormon version of baptism for the dead.