"Seven days shall ye eat unleaven bread [during the Passover]."
How many days is unleaven bread to be eaten during Passover?
| 12:16
And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the
seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work
shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be
done of you. |
|
| 12:17
And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame
day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye
observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. |
|
| 12:18
In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall
eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. |
|
| 12:19
Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever
eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the
congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. |
|
| 12:20
Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat
unleavened bread. |
|
| 12:21
Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw
out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. |
|
| 12:22
And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in
the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that
is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until
the morning. |
|
| 12:23
For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth
the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass
over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses
to smite you. |
|
| 12:24
And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons
for ever. |
|
| 12:25
And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will
give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. |
|
| 12:26
And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What
mean ye by this service? |
|
| 12:27
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. |
|
| 12:28
And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded
Moses and Aaron, so did they. |
|
| 12:29
And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of
Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the
firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of
cattle. |

"The LORD smote all the firstborn in the land."
After God has sufficiently hardened the
Pharaoh's heart (Ex.11:10), he kills all the firstborn
Egyptian children. When he was finished "there was not a house where
there was not one dead." Finally, he runs out of little babies to kill, so
he slaughters the firstborn cattle, too.
What the Bible says about children and
God
But there shouldn't have been any
cattle since God already killed them with a "grievous murrain (Ex.9:6)." Well maybe he created some more so that he'd
have some more to kill.
|
| 12:30
And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the
Egyptians; and there was
a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one
dead.
|
| 12:31
And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you
forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go,
serve the LORD, as ye have said.
|
| 12:32
Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and
bless me also. |
The Death of the First Born
Charles Sprague Pearce (1877)
|
| 12:33
And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them
out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.
|
| 12:34
And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their
kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. |
(12:35) "The children of Israel did according to the word of Moses;
and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment
God encourages the Israelites to steal from the Egyptians.
Is it OK to steal?
Egyptians Plundered
|
| 12:35
And the children of
Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the
Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
|
| 12:36
And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that
they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the
Egyptians.
|
| 12:37
And the children of
Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on
foot that were men, beside children. |
(12:37) Population Explosion!
The Israelites went from a population of
only seventy (Exodus 1:5) to several million (600,000 men) --
a fantastic number -- in a few hundred years.
Egyptians Drowned
|
| 12:38
And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even
very much cattle.
|
| 12:39
And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out
of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt,
and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.
|
| 12:40
Now the sojourning of
the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty
years.
|
| 12:41
And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even
the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out
from the land of Egypt. |
(12:40)
"The sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty
years."
How long was the Egyptian Captivity?
|
| 12:42
It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from
the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the
children of Israel in their generations. |
|
| 12:43
And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the
passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: |
(12:43, 45, 48) No stranger, foreigner, slave, or uncircumcised person can eat
the passover.
|
| 12:44
But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast
circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. |
"But every man's servant that is bought for money...." Once again,
God shows his approval of slavery.
Is slavery OK?
|
| 12:45
A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.
|
| 12:46
In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the
flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.
|
| 12:47
All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. |
|
| 12:48
And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to
the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and
keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no
uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. |
|
| 12:49
One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that
sojourneth among you. |
|
| 12:50
Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and
Aaron, so did they. |
|
| 12:51
And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children
of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies. |
|
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