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| The Passover Lamb |
The History of the Passover Feast
The Passover feast is one of the seven major feasts of Israel. The feast is celebrated to commemorate the liberty that the Israelites gained from the Egyptian Pharaoh Rameses II. Egypt had stored a large supply of grain, having been warned of the approaching famine by God through Joseph, one of Jacob’s sons who was sold into Egypt (Gen. 37: 28). Israel and his family who had earlier bought some grains in Egypt settled there through Joseph because of a severe famine (Gen. 47: 11). Israel and his family were seventy (70) in number when they settled in Egypt (Exo.1:5).*That is the word Passover is ambiguous: it could mean the lamb that was slain at the feast or the name of the feast itself.
The word Passover is used for the first time in the Torah in Exodus 12: 11 and explained in verse 13 of the same chapter. The Passover is the only night feast of the Israelites. Israel (Jacob) and his sons were given a land called Goshen; it is very good for rearing animals. The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty, and the land was filled with them. The Bible says that there arose a new king who knew not Joseph.
“There arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph” (Exo 1:8).
This does not mean that the new king did not know Joseph personally but it may mean that he did not value what Joseph had done to help Egypt during the famine in the earlier years. Because the Israelites multiplied and waxed greatly, the Egyptians feared that they would join their enemies and fight against them. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. The Egyptians made the lives of the Israelites bitter with hard work, in the mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field.
“All their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour”. (Exo 1:14).
The Israelites cried to God. He heard their cry and sent Moses to deliver them from bondage. The Pharaoh, Ramses, because of the hardness of his heart denied Moses and the rest of the Israelites their freedom. God brought the Egyptians ten devastating plagues. The Egyptian Pharaoh did not grant freedom to the Israelites until the tenth one; the killing of the firstborns.
To escape the tenth plague, the Israelites were asked to mark the lintel and the two doorposts of their door with the blood of the sacrificial lamb. As a result, the Lord “passed over” their homes. Pharaoh Ramses after losing his firstborn son finally granted the Israelites their freedom.
Elements of the Passover Feast (Exodus 12: 8)
- Passover Lamb
- Unleavened Bread
- Bitter Herbs
*These elements are only true for the pre-exodus. There are several other elements that were added in the post-exodus feast.
Qualities of the Passover Lamb and other instructions concerning the Passover Feast (Exod. 12:1-28)
- They were to select a lamb on the tenth day of the month (Nissan)
- The lamb should be a male of the first year.
- The lamb was to be without blemish.
- The lamb should be slaughtered in the evening after keeping it until the fourteenth day of the same month.
- They should take the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
- The lamb should be roasted with fire with its entrails.
- They were to eat it in the night with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
- The roasted lamb should be consumed, all, but the rest which remained should be burnt the next morning with fire.
- They should be prepared while eating the Passover lamb: with lions girded shoes on and staff in their hands.
Type and Antitype
Type
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| The Passover Lamb as the Type of Jesus Christ |
A large body of types found in the Bible is Messianic; they point to a particular aspect of His person, life and accomplishments foretold by the first and Second Advent.
The Antitype
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| Jesus Christ is the Antitype of the Passover Lamb |
The Passover lamb as a Type and Jesus Christ as the Antitype
The correspondences between the Passover lamb, the Type and Jesus Christ, the Antitype.
The Lamb was to be unblemished
The lamb was to be without blemish that was why even though the lamb was selected on the tenth day of the month, it was kept till the fourteenth day to provide room to further scrutinize the lamb for defects. Jesus Christ as the Antitype is pure and spotless; He is without sin. The Passover lamb which was to be without blemish pictured the purity of the life of Jesus Christ.(Exod. 12:5) Your lamb shall be without blemish…
(1Pe 1:19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot
(1Jn 3:5) And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.
Others
(2Co 5:21)
(John 19: 4).
(Matt. 27: 4).
The Passover lamb was to be a male of the first year
The Passover lamb must be a young one that is a male of the first year; Jesus Christ too was young when he went to the cross. This correctly corresponded to the Passover lamb which is the Type and Jesus Christ who is the Antitype.
The bones of the Passover lamb was not to be broken.
The Israelites were instructed not to break the bones of the Passover lamb when they eat it; the bones of Jesus Christ too were not broken. When the Roman soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves on both sides of Christ, they found Jesus dead already so they did not break his bones. This further proves that Jesus Christ, and not the thieves is the Messiah, the real Lamb of God who took away our sins when we obeyed the gospel.(Exod. 12:46) ... neither shall ye break a bone thereof.
(John 19:33) But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs.
Christ’s bones not broke fulfilled the Type of the Passover lamb as its perfect Antitype.
The bloodshed from the Passover lamb was a life given and redemption accomplished.
The Israelites were saved by the grace of God when they obeyed the instructions concerning the Passover lamb. They smeared the blood of the lamb on their doorposts and the lintels by the use of hyssop. The angel of death passes over the houses where he sees the blood on the doorposts and the lintels when he goes through the land of Egypt to kill the firstborns. This was how the Israelites were saved. Jesus Christ is the real Lamb of God who takes away our sins if we also obey the instructions given by God.(Exod. 12:13) And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt.
(John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(Act 2:38) Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
You must personally believe Christ as the Lamb of God, who would take away your sins to save you from the wrath to come. No one else can do it for you!
It was an act of faith for the Israelites to put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts. But once they did so, that faith saved them from the angel of death when they obeyed.
Once you and I put our trust in the blood, baptized and remained faithful, we would also be saved from the second death which is eternal separation from God in the lake of fire.
References:
The Holy Bible (KJV)TRUTH for TODAY - The Book of Exodus
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