Exodus 13:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Then verse two adds, Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.  God spoke to Moses once again and told him to dedicate the first born of all the people and animals of the nation of Israel to God.  God had spared all their first born when He destroyed the first born of Egypt, so it was a reasonable request that they be dedicated to God.  God spares us from the penalty of sin when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, so it is a reasonable request that we dedicate ourselves to living for Him.  Verse three declares, And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.  The day that the people of Israel were delivered was to be remembered each year by eating unleavened bread.  We as followers of Christ today celebrate Easter for the same reason.  Easter is a celebration of the day that God delivered us from the power of sin and death.  Verse four adds, This day came ye out in the month Abib.  This verse specifies the time on their calendar of that day.  Verse five continues, And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.  God told Moses that when God brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey that they were still to observe this day.  Sometimes, when God really prospers us, we tend to forget about serving Him, but we should always remember Who God is and what He wants of us as His followers.  Verse six states, Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.  The people of Israel were to eat unleavened bread for a week, then have a feast to the LORD.  Verse seven adds, Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. Not only were they to eat unleavened bread, they were to have no leaven in their house.  This would remove any temptation to use it.  When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we should attempt to remove all things from our lives that could lead us into temptation.  Verse eight continues,  And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. They were to teach their children why this was done, just as we are to tell our children about salvation through Christ today.  Verse nine states, And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.  They were to keep the memory of what God did before them at all times, just as we are to with the memory of what God did for us when Christ died for us,  Verse ten concludes, Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year. This was to be a yearly celebration.

Exodus 12:41 says, 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.  The Israelites left Egypt after four hundred and thirty years.  That was a long time for people to be waiting for deliverance, but God did deliver them.  No matter how long it takes, Christ is returning again.  Verse forty-two states, 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.  This was to be an important day for the Israelites to observe remembering God's deliverance.   As followers of Christ, we should always remember to honor God for His deliverance of us from the penalty of sin.  Verse forty-three adds, And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:  The Passover would be for the Israelites alone.  Salvation today is only available for those who accept Christ as Savior and Lord.  Verse forty-four continues, But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.  Those who were servants bought for money who had been circumcised would be expected to observe the day.  As followers of Christ, we are not born into the nation of Israel, God's chosen people, but we are expected to live under God's law by our faith in Christ.  Verse forty-five continues, A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.  Though those who were servants who had been bought were expected to observe the celebration, those who were just hired and foreigners were not.  Verse forty-six adds, 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.  Nothing was to be taken away from the feast.  We today can take nothing physical away from our relationship with Christ, but we must simply live by our faith in Him.  Verse forty-seven says, All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.  No one in Israel was exempt from the feast, since it represented a time when they were all delivered from Egypt.  Likewise, no believer in Christ is exempt from celebrating his or her deliverance from sin by the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  Verse forty-eight states,  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.  Strangers had away to become the same as the Israelites before God.  They were to be circumcised and obey God's law.  There is a way for anyone to become part of the family of God, and that is by accepting Christ as Savior and Lord.  Verse forty-nine continues, One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.  All people were to be under the same law, and that was God's law, and the same is true today for those who follow Christ.  Verse fifty declares, Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. We are told that all the Israelites obeyed God's command.  Verse fifty-one concludes, 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.  That day, God delivered the people of Israel from Egypt.  The selfsame day we accept Christ, we are delivered from the power sin and the death penalty that it brings.

Exodus 12:29 says, 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.  God delivered on His promise.  God had given Pharaoh and the Egyptians plenty of opportunities to let the Israelites go before this final plague, and God gives everyone an opportunity to repent and accept Christ today before the final judgment.  Verse thirty states, 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.  Pharaoh and the Egyptians rose in the night with great anguish, because there was not any household that did not suffer the death of a family member.  Verse thirty-one declares, 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.  Pharaoh had told Moses that the next time he came before him he would die, but Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told them to take the Israelites and go and serve God.  When we are freed from the bondage of sin it is so we can go and serve God.  Verse thirty-two adds, Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.  Pharaoh was no longer attempting to set conditions, and he also asked Moses and Aaron to bless him.  What he really needed to do was to ask God to forgive him.  Verse thirty-three declares, 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.  The Egyptians were anxious for the people of Israel to leave, because they figured that if they didn't, they were going to die.  We should have that same urgency about coming to Christ today, because if we don't, we are spiritually dead forever.  Verse thirty-four states, And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.  The people of Isael obeyed God's instructions, just as we must today.  Verse thirty-five adds, 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:  Not only did they take the unleavened bread, but they borrowed gold and silver jewels and clothes from the Egyptians, as Moses and Aaron had instructed them to do.  They would never repay the Egyptians, just as we can never repay God for the gift of salvation and the things He blesses us with today.  Verse thirty-six declares, 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.  Though the things loaned may have come from the Egyptians, it was God Who made it possible, just as He is behind all our blessings today.  Verse thirty-seven states, And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.  About six hundred thousand Israelites left Egypt.  God was fulfilling His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Verse thirty-eight adds, And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.  There were others, a mixed multitude, who went with the Israelites, along with all their flocks and cattle.  This wasn't just a small group who were leaving.  Verse thirty-nine adds, 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.  The people ate the unlearned bread, because they had to leave too quickly to prepare anything else.  We are better off with unleavened bread following Christ than with the finest food in the world without Him.  Verse forty concludes, Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.  The people of Israel had been in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years before God set them free.  No matter how long we have been in spiritual bondage, God stands ready to set us free.

Exodus 12:14  says, And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.  God told Moses that the people of Israel were to keep this feast as a memorial forever.  We today really don't celebrate the Passover as they did, though we do usually make note of it, but we celebrate the Lord's Supper, when the power of death passed over us by the blood of Christ.  Verse fifteen states, Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.  The people were of Israel were to eat unleavened bread for a week and if they didn't, they were not to considered a part of the nation of Israel.  Today, there is no ritual that keeps us from being a part of God's kingdom, but there is a relationship that does.  We must accept Christ as our Savior and Lord in order to be a part of God's kingdom.  Verse sixteen adds, 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.  The first and last day of the feast were to be set aside for the worship of God, with only that work that was necessary being done.  Verse seventeen continues, 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.  This was to be done on the day that God brought them out of the land of Egypt.  Our day of deliverance is the day that we accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord, and we should thank Him every day.  Verse eighteen says, 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.  Then verse eighteen adds, 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.  This was a repeat of the instructions given earlier, with the dates added and the fact that it would apply to strangers as well.  Verse twenty concludes, Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.  This was to be an important event since God emphasized it so much.  The observance of the Lord's Supper is not emphasized as much, nor is there a time given when we are to observe it, but we are told that as often as we do, that we are to be sincere in our observance of it.  Verse twenty-one says, 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.  Moses called the elders and told them to kill a lamb according to their families and make ready for the Passover.  Verse twenty-two adds, 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. They were to put the blood of the lamb on their doors, and to stay in their houses.  We are saved by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and should always remain under His blood.  Verse twenty-three continues, 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.  The blood was to be a sign that the people were to be spared, just as the blood of Christ is today.  The  people had a choice of whether to obey or not, just as people do today about believing in Christ.  Verse twenty-four proclaims, And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.  Moses told the people of Israel that this was to be celebrated forever, just as salvation through Christ should be celebrated forever.  Verse twenty-five adds, 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.  This observance was to go on in the land that God was going to give them.  Verse twenty-six adds, And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?  Moses told them that their children would ask them why they did this.  Verse twenty-seven continues, 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.  The people of Israel were to teach their children the meaning of the Passover, just as we must teach our children, the next generation, about the gospel of Christ.  Verse twenty-eight declares, And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.  The people did as Mises and Aaron instructed them to do.  For the gospel to have effect for someone today, that person must come to Christ as the gospel says. God did not force the people of Israel to put th blood over their doors, and He doesn't force people today to accept the gift of salvation.

Exodus 12:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,  Then verse two adds, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.  God told Moses and Aaron that the month that they left Egypt would be the beginning of a new year for the Israelites.  When we accept Christ as our Savior an Lord, it is a new start in life for us.  We may not literally start a new calendar, but we do have a new division in time, that being the time when we were doomed without hope and then when we claim everlasting life with Christ.  Verse three states, Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:  God begin to give Moses instructions for all the Israelites about what they were to do and how they were later to commemorate the day of deliverance.  Though we may not do anything special to commemorate the day we accept Christ, we should never forget it.  We do not celebrate it collectively because it is different for each individual.  Verse four adds, And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.  God told Moses that some households might be to small to sacrifice a lamb, but they were not exempt for the commemoration, but were to combine with another household for it.  We are never to small in our faith to celebrate our salvation, but fortunately we do not have to combine with others to do so, though it never hurts to do this  Verse five continues, Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:  The sacrifice was to be the best that the household had.  Once we come to God by faith in Christ, then we should sacrifice, or give, to Him the best of everything we have.  I believe that more accurately, we should give God everything we have, since it all belongs to Him anyway.  Verse six adds, And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.  They were to keep the lambs separated for four days, the assemble together for the sacrifice.  Verse seven goes on, And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.  They were to put the blood on the door post of the houses where they were to eat.  As followers of Christ, we are always living under the sacrifice of His shed blood.  Verse eight adds, And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.  They were to eat the meat with unleavened bread and bitter herbs that night.  This was to be a reminder of their deliverance from Egypt, just as the Lord's Supper is a reminder of our deliverance by Christ today.  Verse nine continues, Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.  They were to roast and eat all of the lamb.  Verse ten states, And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.  Nothing was to remain of the lamb until morning, but if it did, then it was to be burned.  Verse eleven continues, And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’s passover.  God told Moses to tell them to eat it ready to travel, because it was God's Passover, and in this first Passover observance, they were to leave Egypt.  When we celebrate the Lord's Supper, we should likewise be ready to go out into the world and witness to the lost people about what Christ has done for us.  Verse twelve continues, For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.  God said that He was going to pass through that night and execute His judgment on the Egyptians.  There is coming a day of judgment of everyone, and those who are not covered by the blood of Christ will suffer everlasting punishment.  Verse twelve concludes, 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.  The blood of the lamb on the doorpost then was to be a sign for God to Passover the house.  God did not just exempt all the Israelites, but required them to obey His instructions for deliverance.  God does not just save everyone today, but requires us to accept His gift of salvation through Christ.  Though salvation is a free gift from God, each individual must accept it in order to be cleansed by the blood of Christ.

Exodus 11:1 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.  God tells Moses that He will bring one more plague on Egypt, after which Pharaoh would not only let the Israelites go, but he would thrust them out.  God's plans will never be defeated forever.  Verse two states, Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.  God had Moses to instruct the Israelites to all borrow as much as they could from their Egyptian neighbors.  God will always provide a way to meet our needs and often will bless us with even more.  Verse three declares, And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.  God made Moses favorable in the sight of the Egyptians.  After all the plagues Moses had been used by God to tell about and participate in causing, this had to be God's work.  We should never underestimate the power of God.  Verse four states, And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD,  About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:  God began to reveal His plan to Moses. Verse six adds, And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.  God said that all the first born of the Egyptians would die, from the first born of the Pharaoh to the first born of the lowest servant, as well as the first born of all their cattle.  We might think this harsh or maybe even unjust, but all the Egyptians had opposed letting the Israelites go, and not just Pharaoh.  We may not always understand the way that God works, but we can be certain that He will always be fair in His judgment.  Verse six adds, And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.  It is hard to imagine the way that the people of Egypt were going to feel.  The first born would not have been just babies, but people of all ages, and those left would know this.  Verse seven continues, But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.  God once again said He would make a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites, who would not be harmed, so that the world would know that He was God.  Though we may not see as much of a physical distinction in the amount of suffering today, God gives those who follow Him by faith in Christ a distinction from the rest of the world.  In order for someone to claim that distinction, he or she must first know that God is indeed the only God.  Verse eight concludes, And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.  After Moses delivered God's message, he went out from Pharaoh.  Once we have delivered God's message of salvation today, we can only go and leave it up to the person whether he or she will accept the message.  Verse nine declares, And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.  God told Moses that Pharaoh was not gong to listen so that God's wonders might be done in the land of Egypt.  I don't believe that God caused Pharaoh to not listen just so God could show off His power.  God shows us His wonders today, not with displays of power, but by faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, which is available to all who will believe.  Verse ten states, And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.  Just like Moses and Aaron, all we can do is present God's message to the world, and it is then up to them whether they accept it or harden their heart against God's word.

Exodus 10:21 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.  God told Moses to stretch out his hand toward heaven, and that there would be a darkness that could be felt.  The Creator of light was going to remove the light for a time.  God really didn't need Moses in order to accomplish this, but He chose to work through Moses, and God doesn't really need us today to accomplish His will but He choses to work through us.  Verse twenty-two states, And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:  Once more Moses did what God told him to do, and God delivered on His promise.  It was dark for three days, just as there was a spiritual darkness for three days when Jesus was in the tomb.  Verse twenty-three adds, They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of  Israel had lights in their dwellings.  The darkness was just on the Egyptians and not the Israelites.  Today, those who are not followers of Christ live in spiritual darkness.  Verse twenty-four declares, And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.  Pharaoh tried to compromise once more, saying all the people could go but not the herds.  People too often attempt to compromise with God, wanting to accept part of what God's word says, but not all.  Verse twenty-five proclaims, And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.  Moses told Pharaoh that he must give the Israelites something to sacrifice to God.  All we can really sacrifice to God is our life.  Everything else is already His, but we can only become His by willingly sacrificing ourselves to Him.  Verse twenty-six adds, Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.  Moses then said that all their cattle had to go as well.  We must bring everything to God if we are to truly worship Him.  Verse twenty-seven declares, But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.  Once more, Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he changed his mind.  Verse twenty-eight continues, And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.  Pharaoh told Moses to leave and if he came again Pharaoh would kill him.  We may never face such a test of our faith, but if we do we must be ready to stand firm.  Verse twenty-nine concludes, And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.  Moses told Pharaoh that he would see him no more.  If we give up on a person accepting Christ, we must make sure that God has told us to do so.