God institutes the Passover festival.  God's instructions to the Hebrews concerning the Passover are very specifically detailed. The great significance of the Passover is in the prophetic symbolism. Some 1500 years later Jesus became the fulfillment of the Passover by becoming the Passover lamb. The days, hours, minutes, the directions and orders concerning the regulations of the Passover are exact. They are specific so that we can recognize the connections between the first Passover and the fulfillment in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The prophecies were fulfilled exactly. From the penning up of the lamb on the tenth of the month to the slaughter of the lamb at twilight on the 14th of the month, Jesus fulfilled these prophecies precisely. As we go through this study we will discover many prophecies that point to Jesus and the cross. Details are on the website www.philandpatti.com concerning the prophetic messianic symbolism of the Passover. Look under A Biblical View of Holy Week. Please consider joining us on Thursday nights at Christ United Methodist Church in Indianapolis for an in-depth study of Holy Week - including a day by day account of the week and an hour by hour account of the crucifixion and resurrection. This study begins on February 7 and will conclude in March with a fellowship meal and communion.


Finally, after the final plague of the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh relents and lets the people go.  At this point, it appears that Pharaoh still believes they are taking only a three day journey into the desert to celebrate a festival to the Lord.

The Egyptian people are glad to see them go and give them articles of silver and gold, and cloth.  These articles originally belonged to the Israelites, as the result of a legitimate sale for food many, many years earlier when Joseph ruled in Egypt. (see Genesis 47).  These articles of gold and silver and costly material will be used in the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness.  Just an example of the providence of God!

The Israelite men (by most records men were those over age 20 and under age 60, those who were of fighting age) who left Egypt in the exodus numbered 600,000, not counting women and children. Whew!
We must take into account that not all the Hebrews left Egypt.  Some remained.  Also there were other people who left with them who were not Hebrews.  They will later be known as "the rabble". 

When the Lord instituted the Feast of Unleavened Bread, He said to do this as a remembrance of how He had brought them out their bondage in Egypt. After Jesus' fulfillment of this feast day, we as Believers are to still remember, but instead of remembering that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, we remember that Jesus redeems us from a life of bondage in sin.  “This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the Lord is to be on your lips”

A sign on our hand is what we do. A reminder on our forehead is what we think and remember. The law of the Lord should be in what we communicate to others by the way we live our lives.

How do we as Believers observe and honor our remembrance of what God has done for us?