Day 9 - Exodus 12:1-20 - Deliverance

Connecting to the Larger Story

Moses returned to Egypt and demanded that pharaoh release God's people. Pharaoh refuses, and plagues are brought upon the land. Pharaoh at first agrees to let the people go but then changes his mind. More plagues follow, and the pattern repeats. Nine plagues come and go, but the tenth plague is the worst of all - the same punishment pharaoh dealt to the Israelites, the death of children, is to be visited upon his people. ​God tells Moses what the people are to do so that this plague will pass over them - the origin of the Passover feast.

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Important to Note

1) The lamb without blemish became a symbol of God's deliverance. Jesus is later considered as the "Lamb of God" whose blood, like that of the Passover lamb, brings deliverance to God's people.
2) God commands the people to observe the Passover not just as the tenth plague sets in upon Egypt but as an annual observance and a day of remembrance. Through the meal, they are to tell the story of how God has delivered them. This sentiment is echoed later in Jesus' words at the Last Supper: "Do this in remembrance of me..."

Thoughts for Reflection

1) Why is important to remember and retell the stories of God's deliverance and of our faith?