When the descendants of Israel were enslaved in Egypt the people cried out to God for deliverance. God heard their prayers and answered by sending Moses to demand that King Pharoah let them go free. But Pharaoh refused to allow them to go. Then God sent a bunch of plagues, but Pharaoh still refused to allow them to go. Then God sent the final plague, the death angel would pass through the land and every first-born male, both human and animal would die.
However, God made an exception for His people. If they would kill a lamb and paint some of its blood on the doorpost and over the door and stay inside their houses the death angel would pass over their house and their first-born males would all be protected. Hence the name Passover. They were to celebrate this deliverance every year on this special date forever.
When Pharaoh realized his first-born son and all the first-born sons of all generations both human and livestock had died, he was broken and not only allowed them to leave but forced them to leave. Exodus 12: NLT 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died. 31 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Get out!” he ordered. “Leave my people—and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the Lord as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave.” 33 All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, “We will all die!”
They were now free. Passover was and is about freedom. The people of Israel today as always celebrate Passover as the time when God miraculously delivered them from slavery, gave them their freedom and made them into His special people and made a covenant with them at Mt Sinai.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose the Passover Celebration as the time when He would give His life for ours? Romans chapter 5 through chapter 8 explains it for us. The Apostle Paul tells us there that we as descendants of Adam were enslaved to our sin nature and Jesus chose that time to come to deliver us from our enslavement. Romans 5: 6 NLT 6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Romans 5: 17 NLT 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Romans 6: 14 NLT 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 7: 25 NLT 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. Romans 6: 17 – 18 NLT 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Romans 8: 1 – 2 NLT So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
I wrote about how that process works in our lives in my book, The Umbrella of Worship in chapter 14, Make No Provisions.
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