Exodus 12:1-51
12:1 God begins to establish a new organization of life for the children of Israel through Moses and Aaron. Soon they will leave Egypt; their ancestors might have had their own societal constructs outside of Egypt but those have now been long forgotten. This huge population is about to embark on a massive exodus. Whenever we are about to embark on any journey, God prepares us.
12:2 The beginning of their year is decided by Him: the vernal (spring) equinox, symbolic of our God. The spring equinox is a time of light and renewal. The world has now established its own construct of the passage of time but spiritually, know that the Lord begins humanity's year during a time of verdant growth.
12:3-8 Although God has now done away with sacrifice, Hosea 6:6, sacrifice was the most tangible way people of the time could understand the concept of worship. Yet the concept of worship is still very much the same: our ability to discern between earthly and spiritual is still required. Our faith requires attention and work. We still go through the same rituals of spiritual cleanliness. Whatever our symbol for God is, for example: a cross, our fixation on it must be steadfast.
The Bible even tells us that our history, the lives of the children of Israel is still relevant to our lives. From I Corinthians 10:11 we read this: These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. We are gifted these stories, the accounts of these lives for our own benefit. They've already made the mistakes we're likely to make... they've fulfilled their purposes and endured the hardships. Their world might have looked different but humans were the same: desires, hopes, failures, struggles, triumphs... all withstand the passage of time without any corrosion or change. We have an opportunity they did not: to learn before acting.
12:4-5 This lamb is representative of Jesus; the ultimate sacrificial lamb. The manifestation of purity, compassion, wisdom, truth and light... given to humanity despite His betrayal by them.
12:6-8 Together they are instructed to sacrifice the lamb: to worship as a collective group. Afterward, they are instructed to bring their faith into the household. The love and will of God is all at once expansive and condensed, able to fill an individual and also a society of devoted individuals. The health of our individual faith enables the group to thrive.
12:9-10 Conditions for the sacrifice are set. The metaphor here is to be steadfast and complete in faith.
12:11 The Lord's Passover is established: the occurrence of God passing over His people in order to free them from bondage. At truly each of us are bound by something. The children of Israel were bound by Pharaoh but Pharaoh represented corruption. We all have areas (and varying levels) of corruption within us: jealously, greed, selfishness...etc. Whatever it is that holds you back from becoming the best version of yourself, God is hoping to free you from it. And He will... with your cooperation.
Passover is not more popularly referred to as Easter. Easter came from the pagan celebration Ishtar. The two celebrations were blended together but are entirely different. Ensure that your focus the spring celebration is on God rather than bunnies and colored eggs. The distractions add up like train-tracks, rerouting you and derailing you from God's track.
12:12 God's final plans for the enslaving Egyptians is about to be executed... quite literally. In His final attempt to teach the Egyptians to turn from corrupt kinds and toward the purity of the Lord, their leaders and future leaders are to be decimated.
12:13 The children of Israel are distinguished not only by the lamb's blood on their homes, but by the Lamb's blood in their veins. They live by and for God; they allow His life to flow through them. For that reason, they (and we) are delivered from death time eternal.
12:14 This is why we celebrate God every spring: this day becomes a memorial to keep as a feast to the Lord throughout our generations. Let us ensure that we keep its symbolic nature in our hearts. Passover is representative of our freedom in the Lord. He bursts the shackles, reduces the enemy to dust! It is an everlasting ordinance; He has promised to protect us in this way infinitely.
12:15 For seven days the children of Israel are instructed to eat only this symbolic meal: unleavened bread. Who is our sustenance? Our bread is God, through Christ. We live by His compassionate and wise instruction. His creative Hand has animated us; He alone has breathed life into our lungs, Genesis 2:7.
The bread is unleavened because it remains pure and in its natural state. It has not risen to the temptation of evil or way of the world. The meal is symbolic: if there is a child of Israel who is unwilling to commit to the justice of the Lord, that child separates himself from the kin of God.
Remember 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
12:16 Conditions for the celebration are made, a seven day holiday bookmarked by focused worship of God. What is worship? Submission has so many negative connotations in the world and rightly so. But worship and submission to God is elevating. It is the act which permits God to fill you with power and purpose and love. We worship not out of fear but out of joy and gratitude and fascination. It is our time to meditate on the beauty of our connection with God and the impossible miracle of His delicate yet powerful nature.
12:17 The continuance of this tradition is a gift to humanity. Who among us does not need reminding that God is our freedom? Who does not need to be reminded that since the beginning He has been wise and committed to empowering us and establishing us as fellow workers with him?
12:18-20 This version of fasting is created in order to help us remain steadfast, focused on the meaning of the celebration (to keep us from being distracted by meaningless such as bunnies and colored eggs).
12:21 Moses transfers God's exact directives to the elders of the children of Israel. Remember that the children of Israel are families descended from Jacob. These people are your ancestors who God spread throughout the earth generation after generation.
12:22-24 Stay home while God clears the blemishes and reduces the barriers. The children of Israel are told to stay home. God works with us to bring justice and compassion to humanity; we are tools, vessels, instruments of His good and blessed work. We have been given honorable and humbling opportunities. Yet God does all of the dirty work for us. The corruption in Egypt at the time is confronted by God Himself. At the culmination of our time here, God's arrival on the earth will be the same: He will confront evil as a whole and eliminate it as only He is able.
12:25-27 This celebration will become a remembrance. God is about this deliver this people to a new land. The first generation will remember because they will have lived it but it's important that their children (and children's children's children... you get it) remember also. We are a forgetful species... remember that a one point in history, the children of Israel were welcomed into Egypt as honored guests. Yet people forgot the blessings delivered to them by God and a complete reversal took place. If God frees you, remember who gave you that freedom so that those who follow you will retain the same blessings.
12:27-28 After bowing and worshiping, the children of Israel do exactly as God commands. They know that any commandment given by God is for their benefit and therefore they willingly, eagerly obey. If God points to a specific path and is adamant about you taking it, trust that down that path is a beautiful gift from Him.
12:29-30 The whole of Egypt confronts mortality. God exemplifies to them what happens when a person commits themselves to corruption. To commit to mortal things like accumulation of wealth or lust for power, is to commit to death. For those things are not eternal.
12:31-32 The Exodus begins. Moses and Aaron are directed to leave. At this point, the Egyptians want them to return to their God. They are told to take all of their possessions with them and are asked to put in a blessing for Pharaoh. God's power is known at this point; He has been acknowledged. There is no more denial or challenge.
12:33 The children of Israel are urged to leave. Remember that their freedom seemed impossible. God made it not only possible, but also plausible and inevitable. His blessings always build bridges between us and our dreams, archways that bend securely and protectively over our fears and enemies and inabilities. He makes our achievement accessible; all we have to do is follow His lead.
12:34-36 The children of Israel leave with everything the need and want. Everything that was stolen from them over years of enslavement is returned. God ensures that His children are abundantly blessed. We receive those blessings through the tunnel of our faith. Our wide is our tunnel of faith? The more space we give Him, the more He will fill.
12:37 The children of Israel journey out of Egypt: 600,000 men on foot not even including women and children! Of course there were no vehicles at the time but the journey on foot is still symbolic. We make our impact on humanity through the steps we take. When we make each step intentional, a step toward the Lord and simultaneously following Him, we embark on our greatest, more fruitful journeys.
12:38-39 Along with the multiple thousands of people (all descendants of Jacob, Issac and Abraham) there are flocks and herds of livestock. Their goods and provisions. Their commitment to God's will. Their steadfast faith.
12:40-42 After 430 years the children of Israel, the armies of the Lord, were freed. The generations of the children of Israel experienced tribulation collectively but individually, our relationship with God frees us everyday. Remember what the apostle Paul wrote:
Philippians 4:11-13
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
We and the children of Israel are spoken of as armies of the Lord because we are powerful and free. We wear The Armor of God:
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God.
12:43-47 This ordinance is created between God and faithful child. Not to be disrespected or neglected by anyone who is not steadfast in His philosophy of life. It is an intricate and sacred relationship between God and child, to be respected, honored and sanctified. God's commitment to us is firm and focused and devoted and we owe Him the same nature of commitment in return.
12:48-49 Our inclusive God of course welcomes all people. However: commitment to His compassionate philosophy is required. He has outlined a map of bringing justice, truth and freedom to humanity... and all who wish to partake must join in the spiritual fellowship of the work.
12:50-51 Precisely because Moses, Aaron and all the children of Israel follow God's will entirely, they are delivered out of slavery. Their journey, in many ways, has just begun. Our work with God begins at the end of our enslavement. He frees us and then establishes us. He enables each of us to be purposeful... to step into our personalized purpose here and above. There is so much instruction He has to offer us and all of it contributes the growth and strength of our souls. It is crucial that we remain steadfast in and grateful for His leadership because throughout our lives He chisels at us in order to reveal and enable the masterpiece: Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do.
