Exodus 12:1,2,26,27

Exodus 12:1,2,26,27 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. The Lord had a tenth and final plague for stubborn Pharaoh. But before God brought this last plague upon the Egyptians, He gave instructions to the Children of Israel to hold a Passover feast. This new ceremony was odd and serious and joyous, all at the same time. They were to hold this feast with all of their traveling clothes on. They were to kill a Passover lamb and roast it and eat it. And they were to take some the blood from the lamb and put it on their door. This blood would indicate that the people inside were believers in God’s power and deliverance. The house held obedient followers of Almighty God. Then, at midnight, God sent His Death angel to punish all of Egypt. Any house that did not have the blood applied on the doorposts and the lintel above would be the target of the Death angel. The firstborn of every family would die in that unbelieving household. Not only would the firstborn child of that household be affected, but the mother or father might be the oldest in their family as well. And at midnight, such a cry went up all over Egypt that everyone could hear it. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron to his palace and told them to leave immediately: they, their families, all of the Children of Israel, all of their flocks and herds – absolutely everything! “Just get out of my sight” Pharaoh said. And they did. It was too bad that it took so many deaths for the Egyptians to release the Israelites! But God had to punish Egypt for their brutality upon His chosen people. So in one night, God punished evil and gave deliverance to his followers. Never forget: God is powerful and just.