God spoke to Moses and Aaron, announcing that the first month of their year had started. He instructed that, on the tenth day, a man from each Israelite household should take a lamb for his family. The size of the lamb should reflect how much the household would eat. Any household that was too small for a whole lamb was to share it with their nearest neighbour. The animals could be sheep or goats, and they had to be one year old. On the fourteenth day of the month, the lambs were to be slaughtered at twilight, and some of the blood put on the tops and sides of the Israelites' doorframes. The lamb was then to be roasted over a fire and eaten with bitter herbs and bread without yeast. Any leftover meat was to be burnt. The Israelites had to eat quickly with their cloaks tucked into their belts, sandals on their feet and staffs in their hands.

That night, God passed through Egypt killing the firstborn amongst all people and animals, bringing judgement on the gods of Egypt. However, he passed over the houses with blood on their doorframes.


Themes

• Passover - this is the first Passover.
• First day of the month - God is giving the Israelites a new beginning, freeing them from Egyptian slavery.
• Final plague - this is the last and most powerful of the ten plagues sent by God.
• Precise instructions - in order to be saved, the Israelites had to follow God's instructions to the letter.
• Speed - the Israelites had to eat quickly, dressed ready to leave, so that they could flee as soon as God ordered this.

Contemporary Issues

• Does God still care for his people?
• Power of God.
• Faith and trust in God.
• Judgement and punishment of God.

Revision