July 23, 2026
Thursday, July 23
In Exodus 12, the angel of death descends upon the land of Egypt. It is a night of horrific grief, the worst of all the plagues the Egyptians have suffered. At last, Pharaoh relents. He sends word to Moses and Aaron that they are to leave the land immediately. They pack up their things and leave in haste. They don’t even have time to bake bread for the journey; they’ll have to make flat, unleavened loaves until the flour runs out.
As they’re going, God comes back to Moses and Aaron, and again gives them more details about this annual celebration they need to have. This time, He tells them how to handle the foreigners who live among them (Egyptian converts, I presume), and He adds this instruction: When you slaughter, roast and eat the Passover lamb, make sure you don’t break any of its bones.
Think about this moment. The Passover was so important to God, He interrupted the escape of His people from four hundred years of slavery to embed this idea into their minds. The question is, why this event? Why not celebrate the parting of the Red Sea? That’s a more spectacular miracle, and it’s when the people knew they were finally, fully free. Why not the giving of the Law at Mt Sinai? The Law is what made them different from all other people on earth. For that matter, why not celebrate the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah, hundreds of years before? He was the beginning of their race.
Here is what I believe: God insisted they observe the Passover every year because He wanted them to remember who saved them, and how they were saved. They weren’t saved because of their Jewish blood; that’s why He didn’t tell them to celebrate Isaac’s birthday. They weren’t saved because of their own heroism or righteousness; that’s why He didn’t tell them to celebrate the parting of the Red Sea or the giving of the Law. They were saved because God chose to save them. They had no reason to boast or feel superior.
Think about how they were saved: By the death of a lamb. That’s why v. 13 says “The blood shall be a sign for you.” God didn’t need the blood on the doorpost to tell Him who believed and who didn’t. The sign was for the Israelites themselves, so they would know, “I would be dead without this sacrifice.”
From then on, every Israelite child would experience the same thing every year. One Spring day, their father would bring a spotless lamb into their house. Five days later, their dad would slaughter that lamb. They would grow up knowing that the only reason they were alive and free was because an innocent substitute took their place. That should have made the people humble. It should have made them dependent upon God. And it should have prepared them for a perfect Lamb still to come.
“Lord Jesus, you are the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world, including mine. Before you, I repent of my pride and vanity, my self-righteousness and self-centeredness. Help me to live fully free, and to overcome the enemy by your blood and the word of my testimony. In your name, amen.”
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
