Exodus 12: Passover and Exodus Explained

Exodus 12 describes God’s final plague against Egypt—the death of the firstborn—to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. God instructs Moses and Aaron to tell the Israelites to select a spotless lamb on the 10th day of the month, slaughter it on the 14th, and smear its blood on their doorposts and lintels. That night, they are to eat the lamb roasted, with bitter herbs and unleavened bread, in haste, ready to depart. The Lord declares that He will pass through Egypt, striking down every firstborn, but will "pass over" the houses marked with blood, sparing those within. This event, called the Passover, becomes a perpetual ordinance for Israel, commemorating God’s deliverance.The chapter details the execution of this plague: at midnight, death strikes Egypt’s firstborn, from Pharaoh’s heir to the prisoner’s child, prompting Pharaoh to finally let the Israelites go. The Israelites, numbering about 600,000 men plus women and children, leave with their possessions and even goods from the Egyptians, fulfilling God’s promise of liberation. God further instructs that the Passover be observed annually with unleavened bread for seven days, a memorial of their swift exodus when no time was left for leaven.This chapter is rich with typology pointing to Jesus Christ. The unblemished Passover lamb prefigures Jesus as the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29), whose sacrificial death delivers believers from the bondage of sin. The blood on the doorposts symbolizes Christ’s blood, which protects from divine judgment (Romans 5:9). The unleavened bread ties to purity and haste in leaving sin behind, resonating with Christ’s call to a new life. The Passover’s lasting ordinance reflects the eternal significance of Christ’s atonement, celebrated in Christian communion. Thus, Exodus 12 is seen as a divine foreshadowing of salvation through Christ, linking God’s deliverance of Israel to the ultimate redemption of humanity.