Exodus 12:1-13
A Lamb for Each Household
Read the passage
1Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
2“This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year.
3Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man must select a lamb for his family, one per household.
4If the household is too small for a whole lamb, they are to share with the nearest neighbor based on the number of people, and apportion the lamb accordingly.
5Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats.
6You must keep it until the fourteenth day of the month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight.
7They 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.
8They are to eat the meat that night, roasted over the fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
9Do not eat any of the meat raw or cooked in boiling water, but only roasted over the fire—its head and legs and inner parts.
10Do not leave any of it until morning; before the morning you must burn up any part that is left over.
11This is how you are to eat it: You must be fully dressed for travel, with your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. You are to eat in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover.
12On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.
13The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a sign; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The LORD speaks to Moses and Aaron in Egypt and says that this month is to be the beginning of Israel's year. On the tenth day, each household is to take a lamb; if a household is too small for a whole lamb, it is to share with its nearest neighbor according to the number of people.
The lamb must be without blemish, a male a year old, taken from the sheep or goats. The households are to keep it until the fourteenth day, kill it at twilight, and put its blood on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they eat it.
They are to eat the flesh that night, roasted, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Nothing is to remain until morning, and they are to eat dressed for travel, with sandals on their feet and staff in hand. It is the LORD's Passover.
God says he will pass through the land of Egypt that night and strike every firstborn, both human and animal, and execute judgments on Egypt's gods. The blood will be a sign on the houses, and when he sees it, he will pass over them; the plague will not destroy them.
Israel's households also need protection from judgment. They are to trust the provision God appoints: a lamb is killed, and its blood marks the house where they shelter. Their safety rests on God's promise to pass over them when He sees the blood. They eat ready to leave because the same Lord who shelters them will bring them out.
Paul later identifies Jesus as our Passover lamb, sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7). The rescue in Egypt helps us understand salvation through Christ: God Himself provides the sacrifice on which His people's hope rests. We receive that mercy with trust and lives turned toward Him.
How We Know
Paul explicitly calls Christ our Passover lamb in 1 Corinthians 5:7 and connects that sacrifice with a life of sincerity and truth. This gives a direct New Testament basis for reading the Passover in relation to Jesus. It establishes the biblical connection, rather than providing independent archaeological evidence for the event.
Questions
1 What kind of animal must each household select?
AnswerAn unblemished year-old male from the sheep or goats. A household too small for a whole lamb may share with its nearest neighbor.
2 What promise does God attach to the blood on the doorframes?
AnswerWhen He sees the blood, He will pass over that house, and the plague will not destroy those inside. The blood is the sign He has appointed.
3 Why are they to eat dressed for travel?
AnswerThis is the LORD's Passover, and they must be ready for the departure He is bringing. Their meal expresses trust in His coming deliverance.
4 How does the New Testament connect Passover with Jesus?
AnswerIn 1 Corinthians 5:7, Paul calls Christ our Passover lamb who has been sacrificed. Christians look to Jesus' sacrifice for salvation and respond with sincere obedience.
What This Means for Us
The families inside the marked houses depend on God's promise. The blood does not work as a charm they invented or a reward for being better than their neighbors. God gives a way of shelter from judgment, and they are called to trust Him.
Our hope of forgiveness rests on Christ's sacrifice. We cannot replace it with a good family reputation, a religious routine, or enough effort to make ourselves acceptable. Bring your sins to Him honestly and thank Him for the mercy He provides.
That mercy should shape a generous home. The command to share a lamb makes room for a smaller household. Notice someone who would otherwise be left alone, and offer a place at your table or another practical share in what you have received.
Prayer
Father, thank You for providing rescue for Your people and for giving us Jesus, our Passover lamb. Teach us to trust His sacrifice, turn from sin, and receive Your mercy with grateful, generous hearts. Amen.
Your reading
Keep your place.
Save this passage to your private reading history.
Sign in to save your reading