Question 1

What is the meaning of the Passover in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Passover in this chapter is the special night when God judged Egypt but spared the Israelites. Each family killed a lamb without blemish, put its blood on their doorposts, and ate the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, dressed and ready to leave. When God saw the blood, He “passed over” those houses and did not strike their firstborn. This was not just a one-time event. God made it a yearly memorial so Israel would remember that He redeemed them from slavery and that rescue came through the death of a spotless substitute.

Question 2

Why did God tell the Israelites to put blood on their doorposts?

Accepted Answer

God told the Israelites to put the lamb’s blood on the lintel and doorposts as a sign. That blood marked their houses as belonging to Him and stood between them and judgment. When the Lord passed through to strike the firstborn in Egypt, He would see the blood and “pass over” that house, not allowing the destroyer to enter. The act showed that safety did not come from being better than the Egyptians, but from taking shelter under the blood of the lamb. It points to how people later are kept safe by trusting in Christ’s sacrifice.

Question 3

What is the significance of the lamb being without blemish and eaten in haste?

Accepted Answer

The lamb had to be without blemish, a young male from the sheep or goats, to picture a perfect, flawless sacrifice. God was teaching that only a perfect offering can stand in the place of sinners. Eating it roasted with fire, with nothing left over till morning, showed the completeness and seriousness of the sacrifice. Eating it in haste, with belt fastened, sandals on, and staff in hand, reminded Israel that they were leaving bondage. They were to be ready to move as soon as God opened the way, trusting His word and acting on it.

Question 4

Why were the Israelites commanded to eat unleavened bread and remove leaven?

Accepted Answer

Unleavened bread pointed to the hurry of their escape. They had to leave so quickly that the dough could not rise. God ordered seven days of unleavened bread and told them to remove leaven from their houses, and anyone who ate leavened bread during that time would be cut off from Israel. This taught them to remember the speed of God’s rescue and also pictured a life cleaned out from old corruption. Later, leaven is often used as a picture of sin, so this feast reminds God’s people to live in sincerity and purity, fitting for those He has redeemed.

Question 5

What does this passage teach about God’s judgment and mercy?

Accepted Answer

This chapter shows both God’s strict judgment and His deep mercy. He strikes all the firstborn in Egypt, from Pharaoh’s house to the lowest prisoner, and even the firstborn of cattle. This shows He does not ignore stubborn rebellion and false gods. At the same time, He provides a clear way of escape: any Israelite home marked with the lamb’s blood is spared. The difference is not race or status, but obedience to His word. God judges what is evil, yet He also kindly provides a substitute and a sign of protection for those who trust and obey Him.

Question 6

Who could eat the Passover, and why were there restrictions?

Accepted Answer

God said no uncircumcised stranger could eat the Passover. A servant bought with money could eat only after circumcision. A foreigner staying only for hire could not eat it, but a sojourner who embraced Israel’s God and had his males circumcised was to be treated like one born in the land. The lamb had to be eaten in one house, with no bones broken. These rules showed that Passover was not just a meal, but a covenant sign. Only those who belonged to God’s people and bore His mark could share in this redemption meal.

Question 7

What was happening in Israel’s history when God gave these commands?

Accepted Answer

These commands came right before the last plague on Egypt. Israel had been slaves there many years and had seen God send sign after sign: water turned to blood, darkness, hail, and more. Pharaoh kept hardening his heart. Now God announced a final judgment, the death of the firstborn. Before this happened, He gave detailed instructions for the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread, turning the very night of judgment into the night of Israel’s birth as a free people. They were to be ready to march out that same night, which they did.

Question 8

How does this passage point forward to Jesus as the Passover Lamb?

Accepted Answer

This chapter prepares the way for how Jesus’ death is later described. The lamb is male, without blemish, and killed by the whole congregation at a set time. Its blood turns away judgment, and not a bone of it is to be broken. All of this lines up with how Jesus, sinless and perfect, died at Passover time and shed His blood so that those who trust Him are spared from God’s wrath. Eating the lamb also pictures taking Christ by faith into our lives, not just knowing about Him from a distance.

Question 9

How can believers today apply the message of Exodus 12?

Accepted Answer

Believers today can see in this chapter how God calls His people to trust His word, take shelter in the sacrifice He provides, and remember His rescue. We look back to Christ as the true Passover Lamb whose blood covers our guilt. Like Israel clearing out leaven, we are called to turn from sin and live in sincerity and truth. The yearly remembrance for Israel encourages us to keep the story of redemption alive in our homes, to explain it to our children, and to worship with thankful hearts for the God who brings people out of bondage.

Exodus 12:1

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

The First Passover

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

The Exodus Begins

Instructions for the Passover

The First Passover

Cross References

Exodus 12:1

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

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The First Passover

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

The Exodus Begins

Instructions for the Passover

The First Passover

Cross References