Death to Feast

It's a rather abrupt shift in focus from the end of Exodus 11 to the first part of Exodus 12. God has described the final of the 10 plagues that will wipe out the firstborn of Egypt, from Pharaoh to the handmaid.

It says:
Exodus 11:6 (ESV) There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again.

In other words, the worst thing to happen to the Egyptians ever will be happening now. 

Then immediately Exodus 12 opens with a vivid description of what God wants for His people concerning the "Passover." They are to take a year-old perfect male lamb into their homes on the 10th day, kill it on the 14th day and spread it's blood on the doors of their homes. They are to roast the lamb whole (with its inner parts) and eat all of it leaving none till the next day. They are to eat it in haste.

There's more...

They are to eat one lamb per household. This will be a community experience. They are not to gorge themselves. They are to share. If their homes are too small for one lamb, they are to bring another household into their home to share the lamb. 

God is being very very specific about this one particular meal.

Why? Because it's pointing to Jesus. 

Jesus is brought into the city of Jerusalem on the 10th day - we call it "Palm Sunday". He is betrayed on Passover night 4 days later. He is put to death as a whole person (inner parts and all). It happens rather quickly as the guards do not need to break his legs (John 19:33). He is a perfect man.

And there's more:

He is one sacrifice for all. The salvation He provides is to happen IN COMMUNITY. Christian faith is not an isolated individual event. We are brought into the HOUSEHOLD of God (Ephesians 2:19; 1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 4:17). We are to bring other households together where there are not enough people. The reason the Israelites were to eat the lamb in families was to signify the way God would draw people into the new families of God (churches) throughout the world.

Christian - Get in community! Christ never came to make a person... He came to make a PEOPLE - a FAMILY of faith brought together around this one central event of history... His blood sacrifice and triumphant resurrection.

For Israel in Exodus, all this was to happen as part of God's enacting a "new" calendar upon their nation:

Exodus 12:2 (ESV) “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.

This is big! God is changing their seasons and months around His deliverance from their slavery. Why? Because He was teaching them to link even their measuring of time to his calling on their lives. 

So too the Christian lives a new life according to the acceptance of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. We are "born again." Our seasons start over, so to speak, around the day we came to Jesus. 

The Passover night was to be followed by seven days of eating bread made without yeast. Yeast is a symbol of sin hidden in the loaf of our lives. The number seven represents completion (Creation) in the scriptures. When we come to Christ we are completely washed of all our sins, past present and future. Taking the Lord's body and blood in communion are to remind us of that fact most of all. The work of our redemption is TOTALLY COMPLETE.

At the new birth, like Israel, we move suddenly from death to feast because the Lamb has been slain. 

Let's celebrate!