Knowable Word

Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible

Copyright © 2012–2025 DiscipleMakers, except guest articles (copyright author). Used by permission.

You are here: Home / Archives for Passover

Exodus 12:29-13:16: Like It Or Not, God Owns You

By

The Passover narrative is certainly long and convoluted, spanning more than 2100 words in English, and sneakily alternating between immediate exodus-generation instructions and future memorial-ritual instructions. When reading these chapters, I usually find myself afloat in what feels like a swampy mess. By the time my eyes glaze, I’m happy to get a mere nugget or two and move on to the more delightful Red Sea episode.

But curiosity drives me to observe and ask questions. Upon investigating, I find the Passover narrative is similar to the upcoming tabernacle narrative, in that it has two main sections: the instructions describing what will happen (Passover: Ex 11:1-12:28, Tabernacle: Ex 25-31), and the narrative describing what happened (Passover: Ex 12:29-13:16; Tabernacle: Ex 35-39). I covered the first Passover section last week. Now, I’ll try to make sense of the second.

Observation of Exodus 12:29-13:16

Most repeated words: Lord (24 times), all (17x), out (15), Egypt (14), firstborn (14), people (13), land (10), Israel (9).

  • This passage narrates Israel’s last night spent in Egyptian slavery. No wonder “out” is repeated so many times.
  • And while Ex 11:1-12:18 predicted God’s destruction of the firstborn, the theme of “firstborn” becomes truly prominent only in this second half.

Changes in setting and characters drive the action:

  • Ex 12:29-33: God decimates the firstborn of Egypt.
  • Ex 12:34-42: Israel’s experience the next day, narrative evaluation of this earth-shattering event.
  • Ex 12:43-51: Yahweh’s first speech to Moses and Aaron, the people’s response.
  • Ex 13:1-16: Yahweh’s second speech to Moses, Moses’ speech to the people (connected by focus on firstborn).

Thematic outline:

  1. When God kills someone in every Egyptian home, the Egyptians begin to fear they will all die (Ex 12:29-33).
  2. Yahweh watches his people and grants them favor with their oppressors (Ex 12:34-42).
  3. Yahweh is very concerned with who may eat this Passover in the future. Who is in, and who is out? (Ex 12:43-51).
  4. Yahweh claims personal ownership over every firstborn of both humans and animals (Ex 13:1-16).

Tony Hammond (2016), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 12:29-13:16

Some possible questions:

  1. Why does God treat Egypt so severely?
  2. Why do the Egyptians give so much stuff to the Israelites as they leave?
  3. Why is Yahweh so concerned with who gets to eat this annual meal?
  4. Why does God claim personal ownership of every firstborn?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. When I analyzed chapter 1, I made a point I’ll repeat here: The Lord returns the Pharaohs’ evil on their heads. This is divine justice at work. Because Pharaoh oppressed the people, God sent oppressive plagues. Because Pharaoh tried to murder Israel’s sons, God now executes Egypt’s sons. We’ll see soon what happens to those who tried drowning a generation of Israel’s boys…
  2. The text makes very clear that the plundering came as a result of God giving favor (Ex 12:36). This same God had been watching them all along (Ex 2:25), and especially on that last night in captivity (Ex 12:42). The same God who has power over life and death (Ex 12:29-33) also has power over favor and oppression. He owns these people and their situation. He can get them out and grant them favor in a single night whenever he wants. He is not absent, blind, or aloof. He is not distant or silent. So the point here is not so much that Israelites get all this stuff from the Egyptians, but that God can give them all this stuff whenever he’s ready to do so.
  3. Yahweh is the one who performed this feat of rescue (Ex 12:51). He has called this people to himself, and he gets to decide who is in and who is out. There must be no confusion as to who is a member of the congregation of Israel and who is not, who is a part of God’s people and who is not. God redeemed, or paid for, these slaves. Now he owns them!
  4. Ex 13:3-10 says nothing that wasn’t already said in Ex 12:14-20, except that this time, the directions for the Feast of Unleavened Bread are bracketed by God’s claim on the firstborn (Ex 13:1, 11-16). He confirms what we saw in chapter 12, that the Feast of Unleavened Bread represents a fresh start, a new beginning. Whatever is born first belongs especially to God (“whatever is the first…is MINE!”). Therefore, it must be either executed (to go right to God) or paid for (to be of use to a family). Of course, human children must be paid for; child sacrifice is unacceptable. Therefore, they have not only an annual feast but also every birth of human or animal, all to remind them of this night when God made them his own people. They are to explain this fact to their children at every opportunity (Ex 13:14-15). God wants them to know he owns them. He owns their firstborn. He owns their children. He owns their livestock. He owns everything.

Train of thought: Because God provided a way to spare his people from the worst disaster of all time:

  • He owns death and life.
  • He grants favor and watches everything.
  • He knows who are his.
  • He owns his people and everything they have.

Main point: Yahweh strikes his enemies and blesses his people to show he owns all the people of the earth.

Connection to Christ: Jesus took on the form of a bondservant (submitted to the Father’s ownership of him) to rescue God’s people. He did all God’s will, and now he reigns over heaven and earth until all nations come to him.

My Application of Exodus 12:29-13:16

I prefer to feel in control of my life, but any such feeling is an illusion. Because God owns me, all I am and all I have is his.

Right now, God has called me to work through some excruciating conflict. Some of it involves revisiting and dealing with the most difficult season of my life, to pursue peace and reconciliation. Some of it involves entering in to help others deal with one another in ways that honor the Lord. For obvious reasons, I can’t share many details. But I would rather not go through these things at all. I wish my life were safer and more predictable. Yet, I can give no less than my best efforts, for I’ve been paid for and my life is not my own. I belong body and soul to my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

Exodus 11:1-12:28: How to Survive the Greatest Disaster of All Time

By

Moses clashed with Pharaoh through three rounds of increasingly devastating plagues, through which Yahweh revealed himself as the Judge, the Divider of Peoples, and the Destroyer of Worlds. Pharaoh’s heart has only gotten harder, and he still refuses to let the people go. Therefore, the time has finally come. “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here” (Ex 11:1). Because this final plague’s narrative is lengthy, I’ll divide it into two parts. This week, we’ll look at the plague’s prediction and instructions. Next week, we’ll study the plague’s execution and fallout.

Observation of Exodus 11:1-12:28

Most repeated words: day (16 times), Lord (15x), eat (14), Egypt (14), land (12), house/household (11), all (10), Israel (10), people (9).

  • The timing of this one will be very important. They must get the “day” exactly right.
  • Another important theme is that of “eating” in the “house.”

As I observe repeated words, I notice some of them come in clusters

  • “People” and “all” occur mostly, though not exclusively, in the first section (Ex 11:1-10).
  • “House” is scattered all through Ex 12:1-28, but not Ex 11:1-10.
  • “Day” occurs almost exclusively in the paragraph of Ex 12:14-20.
  • “Eat” occurs only in Ex 12:4-20.
  • “Pharaoh” shows up only in Ex 11:1-10, but every other proper name (Lord, Egypt, and Israel) is scattered through the full passage.

Noticing these clusters, we can compile a rough thematic outline:

  1. Pharaoh’s stubbornness will have drastic consequences—widespread death and an unprecedented outcry—for all the people – Ex 11:1-10
  2. Only those who “eat” in the “house” can hope to escape – Ex 12:1-13
  3. Because this “day” is so important, it must become a memorial day to all future generations – Ex 12:14-20
  4. What to expect when the plague hits – Ex 12:21-28

Interpretation of Exodus 11:1-12:28

Some possible questions:

  1. Why will God take such drastic action by killing every firstborn in the land of Egypt?
  2. What are the Israelites to eat in their houses, and why?
  3. What should they expect when the plague hits?
  4. So what is God trying to communicate through memorializing this disaster?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. Ex 11:1 says that this last plague will result in Pharaoh driving them away completely. We should remember how the previous Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites by murdering their sons (Ex 1:15-16). And because Pharaoh mistreated God’s son, God promised to kill his sons (Ex 4:22-23). The Lord has set up this event as an act of perfect justice toward an evil dictator. God is about to win this fight, and win big. This is not like a boxing match where you merely knock out your opponent. This is like winning in such a way as to make sure your opponent can never box again—and that he quivers in cowardice if he sees your face again.
  2. While Ex 12:8 includes unleavened bread and bitter herbs, the section of Ex 12:1-13 overwhelmingly focuses on the lamb. In particular, what they are to do with the lamb’s flesh (Ex 12:1-6, 8-11) and blood (Ex 12:7, 12-13). However, for future celebrations, the chief menu selection is unleavened bread (Ex 12:14-20). These details spawn a few more questions.
    1. Why must they eat a lamb on that night? “I will pass through the land…and I will strike all the firstborn…When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you” (Ex 12:12-13). God will pass through some, and he will pass over others. The difference is the lamb. So: either the sons die, or the lamb dies. The slaughtered lamb becomes a clear substitute for the sons.

      Carl (2008), Creative Commons

    2. Why must they eat unleavened bread for future celebrations? The text doesn’t directly or explicitly answer this question. But we get some help by learning what exactly “unleavened bread” is. We usually think it’s bread without yeast, but that’s not technically true. From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: “The ancient Hebrews always kneaded with their bread a piece of fermented dough reserved from a previous baking (cf. Mt. 13:33).”1  “Leaven” refers not only to the presence of yeast, but to the use of a starter lump of dough from a previous batch (which would, typically, have had yeast in it). Therefore, clearing out everything leavened, and eating only unleavened bread for 7 days, refers to getting a fresh start, a new beginning, even a symbolic new birth. This helps us to understand why God wants this day to be their New Year’s Day (Ex 12:2). This feast celebrates their birth as a nation, and it represents the new life God wants for his people.
  3. The last paragraph (Ex 12:21-28) summarizes and explains what to expect. It repeats what they should do with the lamb’s blood (Ex 12:21-22). It repeats how God will “pass through” some and “pass over” others (Ex 12:23). Those who want to live should hope for Passover and not Passthrough.
  4. The final verses expect that generations yet to be born will have questions. What should we communicate when they ask what all this means? “It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses” (Ex 12:27). This feast of Unleavened Bread celebrates the fact that Yahweh judges all the earth, that he divides people into those who are his (those who have a substitute lamb) and those who are not, and that he justly destroys all who fall on the wrong side of the divide.

Train of thought:

  • You must survive one last plague.
  • To survive, you must have a substitute and a new beginning.
  • Those without a substitute and a new beginning will be swept away in the last plague; those with a substitute and a new beginning will survive.

Main point: When Yahweh finally strikes his enemies, he will provide a way for his people to be spared.

Connection to Christ: Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed once for all. Eat his flesh and drink his blood, and you, too, can avoid the wrath to come.

My Application of Exodus 11:1-12:28

Who can withstand God’s power and fury at our acts of indifference and rebellion toward him? We, too, must survive one last plague against all the earth.

I cannot escape this plague without the death of a substitute. I need Jesus; I must never let go of him. Whenever I partake of the Lord’s Supper, I proclaim his death until he comes. “Here, Lord, is the blood that was shed for me. Please see it, and pass over me!”

I cannot escape this plague without a new beginning, a new birth. The old must go; the new must come. God doesn’t rescue me just so I can stay the same. He rescues me in order to make me a new person, to conform me to the image of his son. No part of my life is sacred, and I must be willing to clean out the old desires and replace them with godly desires.

The Passover has not been done away with in the New Covenant. Of course, it looks completely different now, but the point is the same. In particular, we don’t keep an annual 7-day ritual anymore. But we keep the Passover when we grow in grace and exercise effective church discipline (1 Cor 5:6-8). Without these things, we will not escape the wrath to come.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.
1Harrison, R. K. (1979–1988). Leaven. In G. W. Bromiley (Ed.), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised (Vol. 3, p. 97). Wm. B. Eerdmans.