Tenth Plague: Death of Firstborn – Warning Part 4 (Blood on Doorposts)

 

Tenth Plague: Death of Firstborn – Warning Part 4 (Blood on Doorposts)

Exodus 12:²¹ Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. ²² And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. ²³ For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. ²⁴ And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. ²⁵ It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. ²⁶ And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ ²⁷ that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. ²⁸ Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

 

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GOD provided very specific instructions to Moses about what was about to happen. Moses collected the elders of Israel and told them what to do. They had to place the blood of an unblemished lamb specifically on the top and two sides of the door posts. They obeyed.

 

My Observations:

• GOD was announcing the need for JESUS to die on the cross.
• GOD made a distinction between the Egyptians and the children of Israel during the plagues, but this time HE needed an outward showing of blood in three spots.
• JESUS would proceed through the streets and look at the mark of belief and HE would not allow the angel of death to enter that household.

 

Anyone who believed would place the blood on the door and the LORD would declare that household saved from the plague of death. “Belief” is the everlasting ordinance. Our belief in JESUS as LORD and Savior gives us a Passover from eternal death.

 

The markings include the FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT and the arrangement on the doorposts represent the outstretched hands of JESUS on the cross. This symbolic gesture would save an entire family from tremendous grief.

 

Moses could not tell everyone himself. He had to enlist people to spread the word. GOD does the same with you and me. HE wants you too tell people that JESUS not only saves, but guides people who believe in wisdom and knowledge and understanding.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the placement of the blood on the doorposts?
• Is there a symbolic gesture you can do that publicly declares you belong to GOD?
• What public declaration can you make to show the world you believe you need JESUS daily?

Tenth Plague: Death of Firstborn – Warning Part 2 (Passover Meal)

Tenth Plague: Death of Firstborn – Warning Part 2 (Passover Meal)

Exodus 12: Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, ² “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. ³ Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. ⁴ And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. ⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ⁶ Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. ⁷ And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. ⁸ Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. ⁹ Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. ¹⁰ You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. ¹¹ And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.

 

¹² ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. ¹³ Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

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GOD turns from speaking to Pharaoh to speaking to Israel. HE told Moses and Aaron how to prepare the Passover Feast. This would be a feast that is performed to this day.

 

My Observations:

• GOD was using a double entendre for the Passover meal; recognizing the historical significance of HIS grace for those who put the blood on their door, and the prophetic significance of JESUS being the Sacrificial Lamb / Scapegoat, shedding HIS blood to save mankind.
• GOD instituted the need for an outward sign of obedience by requiring a specific marking from a specific animal.
• GOD mentioned HE was executing judgment against “all the gods of Egypt” to Israel so they would not worship humans or idols.

 

There seemed to be a lot more going on here with GOD’s statement. We can get lost in the plagues of Egypt and forget that GOD made a promise to Abraham that HE would make a great nation out of his descendants. GOD not only speaks prophetically about JESUS dying for the sins of mankind, but HE mentions the need for a being who needed to be perfect to open the scrolls mentioned in Revelation.

 

A lamb without a blemish would be the requirement of the being who could open the judgment scrolls. JESUS was that lamb. But Moses had no clue about what GOD was talking about. It wasn’t about punishment; rather, salvation! GOD was taking down the mindset that humans could be gods and at the same time HE was announcing that HE would save you and me!

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about HIS prophecy?
• What outward action is GOD calling you to do to show you are related to HIM?
• How do you actively remember what GOD has done for you?

First Action to Dismantle a Mindset

First Action to Dismantle a Mindset

Exodus 7: ¹⁹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.’ ” ²⁰ And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. ²¹ The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

 

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GOD told Moses to tell Pharaoh to let HIS people go. That was the warning. But now it was time for action. GOD told Moses to speak to Aaron. So he did. Aaron took his rod and touched the water in the river and all water turned into blood. Even water in buckets and stone pitchers turned into blood.

 

My Observations:

• GOD gave Pharaoh a chance to let the people go, but Pharaoh’s heart became hard and would not surrender to GOD.
• GOD said to Moses that he would be like GOD to Aaron, so Moses commanded Aaron to strike the water.
• GOD started the process of dismantling a belief system that openly opposed HIM.

 

When GOD made the promise to Noah that HE would not wipe out humans with a flood in the future, I believe HE was also saying HE was going to allow humans to choose HIM as GOD. Unfortunately, some humans saw themselves as god.

 

This belief system existed with the Egyptians. Pharaoh was revered as a god. But the true GOD was dismantling this belief. HIS first action was to turn the life sustaining water into blood. There was no escape. GOD was delivering HIS people from those who had a mindset that they could be a god. HE may have used blood on the first plague to show we need the blood of JESUS to sustain physical life as well as eternal.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses of the action HE took against Pharaoh when turning water into blood?
• Have you taken your eyes off of GOD and placed them in a limiting belief?
• What limiting belief do you have that makes you fear, worry or doubt that GOD can deliver you?