Freedom at Last
The Israelites lived in safety under God’s care, while the Egyptians suffered destruction from the plagues. By now many of the Egyptians feared the God of the Israelites and Moses, His servant.
Moses said to the people, “God will bring one more plague upon the Egyptians, and then they will let us go. Gather yourselves together in order by your families, and be ready to march out of Egypt. At midnight, the Lord’s angel will go through the land and kill the oldest son in every house. But your family shall be safe if you do exactly as I command you.”
Every family was told to kill a lamb. They were to sprinkle the lamb’s blood at the entrance of the house, on the door frame overhead and on each side. No one was to go out of his house that night, for it was the Lord’s passover.
That night a great cry went up over all the land of Egypt. In every house, the oldest son had died. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, saw his own son lie dead and knew it was the hand of God. All the people of Egypt were filled with terror as they saw their children dead in their houses.
The king now sent a messenger to Moses, saying, “Hurry and get out of the land. Take everything you have and leave nothing. Pray to your God to have mercy on us.”
Early in the morning, the Israelites left Egypt after living there four hundred years.
The Lord God went before the large group of people. During the daytime He formed a great cloud, like a pillar, in front of them. At night it became a pillar of fire. It guided them by day and gave light by night.
Exodus 12-13
The blood of a lamb protects the obedient from death.
Parents:
Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. (1 Corinthians 5:7b)
Children:
1. What did the Israelites put on the door top and sides?
2. Why did they do this?
3. Who was to pass through at midnight?