Trinity Christian College

Celebrating the Passover:

Callie Groenhof
Theology 221: Pentateuch
Professor Thomassen
10-04-2016

The bible expresses a variety of different laws and regulations that a person follow to
show his faith and relationship with Yahweh. In the book of Exodus, it tells a story of Gods
chosen people being in slavery, and how they exited their bandaged to begin their journey in the
wilderness. Exodus looks at how the first Passover took place and what guidelines the people of
Israel are supposed to follow. In Exodus 12:3-9 it examines how the Lord is instructing Moses
and Aaron on what they are to tell Gods people on how they are to prepare for the Passover. The
Passover that God instituted in the Old Testament was to act as a sign and to prepare the people
for Christs coming and dying on the cross. The instructions that God gives to the people for how
they are to prepare the animal and the foods, that are supposed to accompany the meal, has
different symbolism to them.
The book of Exodus tells the story of the people of Israel preparing to leave Egypt and
start their journey to the Promised Land. Although the author of this book is not explicitly stated,
it is believed that Moses was the author of this book with telling what happened to the Israelites
in Egypt and as they entered and lived in the wilderness. Throughout this book, it is suggested
that there were different sources that Moses used in order to write this book. God also has
authorship in this book with writing the laws that are presented, the architectural plans for how
the people are to build the temple, and also the inscription on the tablets of the Ten
Commandments.1
Exodus also looks at how God is fulfilling his promise to Abraham. In Genesis 12, God makes a
covenant with Abraham promising to make him a great nation. Because of this covenant, God

1 Dozeman, Thomas B. Commentary on Exodus. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 2009.

31.

grants to Abraham the promise of descendants and land.2 In Egypt, the people of Israel
multiplies and grows to an extent that the Egyptians fear that the Israelites were going to begin to
have more people than their own nation. Because of this fear, they began to oppress the Israelites
by making them slaves and later by having the midwives kill all the baby boys that are born by
the Israelites. Gods promise of land to Abraham is show when God is leading his people out of
Egypt and preparing them in the wilderness to enter the Promise Land.
There are four major themes that take place in the book of Exodus. First is the theme of
liberation. This theme is primarily concerned with the transformation of a social situation from
oppression to freedom.3 The next theme is about the law which is the way that God shows his
people his will for all aspects of their personal and public life.4 The third theme in this book is
the covenant. The proclamation of Law has as its purpose the making of a covenant, a binding
relation whereby Yahweh and Israel are intimately, profoundly, and non-negotiably committed to
each other. In this act, a social novelty is introduced into the world, a community founded on
nothing other than an act of faith and loyalty.5 The final theme that is found in this book is
presence. Throughout the book of Exodus it shows the presence of God and how he talks to his
people and leads them out of slavery and into the wilderness.

2 Janzen, Waldemar. Exodus. Waterloo, Ont.: Herald Press, 2000. 15.

Old Testament, the Book of Genesis, the Book of Exodus, the Book of Leviticus. Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 1994.678.
4 The New Interpreter's Bible: Volume 1. 679.
5 The New Interpreter's Bible: Volume 1. 679.

The story the surrounds Exodus 12:3-9 is when the plague of the death of the first born is takes
place. The eleventh chapter of Exodus looks at when Moses is warning Pharaoh about all the first
born children will be killed if he does not let the Israelites go. The plagues of killing the first
born child is the tenth and the final plagues that God does in the book of Exodus. In the bible, ten
is the number of completeness. With this being the final plague, it shows that Gods work is
complete in Egypt and that the people of Israel were going to be set free from their slavery. After
telling Pharaoh about the death of the first born, the Lord speaks to Moses and Aaron and tells
them what they need to tell the people to stay unharmed through this plague. The children of
Israel did as God commanded them to do and they went through the plague unharmed.
The chapter of Exodus 12 looks at how the Lord wants the Passover done. It tells the
narrative of what the Lord is going to do in the tenth plague, explains the festival of unleavened
bread, and tells the story of Pharaoh commanding the Israelites to leave Egypt. In the beginning
God tells Moses and Aaron how to commemorate the Passover. As the chapter continues, God
tells the two men that an angel will go through Egypt and kill all the first born of the people who
do not commemorate the Passover. The Lord continues to tell Moses and Aaron about how he
would like them to celebrate the festival of unleavened bread. Finally, chapter 12 tells the
narrative of the Exodus with Pharaoh telling Moses to leave with his people.
Looking specifically at Exodus 12:3-9, it focuses on when God is telling Moses and
Aaron how to observe the first Passover. Verses three through five describes the animal that is to
be sacrificed, and part of verse five through verse nine looks at how the ritual is to take place
with the animal being slaughtered and consumed. The verse before this section and in verse three
it explains when in the year the Passover is to take pace which is around the time of the Hebrew

new year of the Hebrew calendar.6 With having the Passover at the beginning of the year it serves
as a reminder to the people of Israel on how they were delivered from their slavery. This New
Year is around the time of the months March and April in the Gregorian calendar.
In Exodus 12:3 Yahweh states, Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this
month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. The words
community of Israel in some translations it is written as the congregation of Israel. This is the
first time the bible refers to the nation of Israel as a community or congregation.7 This verse also
shows that the Passover was instituted as a day that the family observes together. Also, looking at
the day that the Lord commands that the Passover is on is the tenth day. The number ten in the
bible often symbolizes completion.8 The angel passing over the houses was that last plague
meaning that the plagues were complete and that the Israelites were going to be set free from the
land of Egypt.
Verse four states, If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their
nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine
the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. This verse looks at if
a family is small then they are able to join together with another family in order to celebrate the
Passover. To define the size of being too small Sarna states, a minimum quorum of ten
participants was required for this ritual in Second Temple time. The actual slaughtering of the

6 Currid, John D. A Study Commentary on Exodus. Vol. 1. Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press,

2000. 238.
7 Currid, John D. A Study Commentary on Exodus. Vol. 1. Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press,

2000. 239.
8 Currid, A Study Commentary on Exodus, 239.

animal was performed in groups of no fewer than thirty.9 With this instruction comes two
interpretation: households are combined by proximity or by size, meaning the combination of
households is determined by an equal number of persons in each.10
Verse five states, The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may
take them from the sheep or the goats. The animal that is to be sacrificed must be a one-yearold male, which according to later law at Sinai is a clean animal.11 Because the animal is
qualified as a clean animal, it can be sacrificed and eaten by the children of Israel. When
choosing an animal to use for the Passover, it was supposed to be without blemish and perfect.
Without defect suggests that this animal was supposed to be the perfect sacrifice to the Lord.12 In
a sense this can be looked at for our lamb that was sacrificed for us, Christ. He was perfect
without blemish and without sin. Also, in Hebrew terms the people could choose to sacrifice
either a sheep or a goat.13
Verse six continues on explaining, Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month,
when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Each family
is supposed to guard and take care of their animal so that it will stay unblemished till the
fourteenth day. That meant that the children of Israel were supposed to keep watch over their
9 Sarna, Nahum M. Exodus = : The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation.

Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1991. 54.

2009. 265.
11 Currid, John D. A Study Commentary on Exodus. Vol. 1. Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press,

2000. 240.
12 Dunnam, Maxie D. The Communicator's Commentary. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1987. 148.
13 Currid, A Study Commentary on Exodus, 240.

sacrifice for four days. Then on the fourteenth day of the first month the people are to slaughter
the lambs/goats simultaneously. The sacrifice is a united act of worship.14 With the lambs being
slaughtered at twilight, it is the time that Jesus was crucified on the cross as the perfect Passover
lamb. Twilight in the bible is considered to be from noon time until sunset.15
This chapter continues in verse seven to explain, Then they are to take some of the blood and
put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. With
placing blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes suggests that every part of the entrance is
supposed to have blood placed upon it. Later in the chapter in verse thirteen it states that this is to
act as an external sign for those that are Yahwehs people to show that they have been set apart.16
This sign of blood typically signifies entrance into, and being part of, the covenant with God.17
Verse eight declares, That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with
bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. The bitter herbs that the people were to eat are
believed to symbolize the bitter experiences of the Hebrews in Egypt.18 The bread that is
made without yeast is also referred to as unleavened bread. Bread is normally cooked with yeast
to make the bread rise. Without having the yeast in the bread is to symbolize the Israelites

14 Currid, A Study Commentary on Exodus, 240-241.

Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1991. 55.

2000. 241.
17 Currid, A Study Commentary on Exodus, 241.
18 Hamilton, Victor P. Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker

Academic, 2011. 183.

hurried departure from the land of Egypt.19 So the herbs and bread put together symbolized the
Israelites hurried departure from their bitterness.
Verse nine states, Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a firewith the
head, legs and internal organs. With God instructing the people to have the meat cooked over
the fire, he is making sure that the meat being prepared is fully cooked. In the Ancient Near East
pagan rituals, they would include consuming a raw or half-cooked sacrifice.20 With God
commanding his people to eat the fully cooked meat, he is in a sense abolishing the pagan rituals
that were happening. The verse tells the children of Israel that they are to roast the lamb or the
goat over the fire with the head, legs, and internal organs all attached to the body. No part of the
animals body was supposed to be withheld from the fire.
This passage applies to people today as a reminder of Christ the Passover lamb being sacrificed
for his people. For the Israelites, the sacrificing of an unblemished lamb was a sign for them of
their deliverance out of bandage. This is a sign of Christ dying on the cross to deliver us from the
bondage of sin. It was also a sign for the Old Testament people to know about the Christ, the real
Passover lamb. The Old Testament people continued to celebrate the Passover until Christ was
sacrificed on the cross. Every year Gods people were reminded that someday the perfect
sacrifice was going to come so that they would not have to sacrifice a lamb or a goat for their
sins any more. Christ died as a perfect sacrifice so that people do not have to go out and sacrifice
a lamb on Passover day.

19 Dozeman, Thomas B. Commentary on Exodus. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.,

2009. 269.
20 Currid, John D. A Study Commentary on Exodus. Vol. 1. Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press,

2000. 242.

The Passover is also an assurance for Gods children to see that God keeps his covenant
with his people. This is shown with how God had his people practice the Passover every year so
they would remember that there is a savior coming to deliver them from the slavery of sin. God
kept his covenant with his people by sending his son to truly deliver his people out of the
bondage of sin. With seeing his covenant fulfilled back then, we can be assured of our salvation
in Christ and that all the promises that God makes in the bible will be fulfilled in his time.
Knowing this assurance of our salvation, we can live a life that is fully dedicated to God in
service for him.
Examining Exodus 12:3-9 gives a person a better understanding on how the Old
Testament Israelites were to participate in the Passover. With knowing the back ground of the
book and seeing how God continually cares for his people back then and in today day and age, it
shows his grace and sovereign care for his elect. When the Israelites were to look at the Passover,
they were to see it as a reminder of God delivering them from the land of Egypt. They were able
to remember how he cared for them during that time by not killing their first born child like he
did to the Egyptians. God spared his people from his wrath. As Christians today we look at Good
Friday and Easter for when our lamb died and was sacrificed for us. We can look at Christ to see
that God has delivered us from all of our sins and by his grace we do not have to continually
offer sacrifices for the sins that we commit.

Bibliography
The New Interpreter's Bible: Volume 1: General Articles on the Bible, General Articles on the
Old Testament, the Book of Genesis, the Book of Exodus, the Book of Leviticus.
Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994.
Currid, John D. A Study Commentary on Exodus. Vol. 1. Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press, 2000.
Dozeman, Thomas B. Commentary on Exodus. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 2009.
Dunnam, Maxie D. The Communicator's Commentary. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1987.
Hamilton, Victor P. Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic,
2011.
Janzen, Waldemar. Exodus. Waterloo, Ont.: Herald Press, 2000.
NIV Bible. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2007. Print.
Sarna, Nahum M. Exodus = : The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation.
Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1991.