EXODUS: The Lord God Gives the Children of Israel and the Strangers with Them the Instruction for the Observance of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread; "Thus all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did."

Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night of solemn observance to the Lord for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the Lord, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations. (Exodus 12:40-42) 

Oftentimes we read the scriptures and don't realize how much time passes from passage to passage.  The children of Israel were in Egypt for exactly 430 years, the Passover being on the last day of those 430 years. When Jacob (aka Israel) left the promised land of Canaan to go to Egypt because of the famine in the land, The total number of Jacob’s direct descendants who went with him to Egypt, not counting his sons’ wives, was sixty-six. In addition, Joseph had two sons who were born in Egypt. So altogether, there were seventy members of Jacob’s family in the land of Egypt. (Genesis 46:26-27 NLT) 

And 430 years later, the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock. (Exodus 12:37-38) Just as the Lord God had promised Jacob, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again;..." (Genesis 46:3-4) 

But what's even more confirming is He had said the exact same thing to Jacob's grandfather, Abraham. Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. (Genesis 15:13-14) Again, the Lord God had kept His Word, exactly as He had declared it would be, it was. 

Also notice, when the Passover came and the Lord God had Moses prepare the children of Israel to leave Egypt, He started calling them armies. That too was preparing them for what was going to come. They had been away from the promised land for 430 years.  They were going to have to fight the people in the land to redeem their land, and they would have to do this many times throughout their history, even today. 

And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to 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 a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.” (Exodus 12:43-49) 

Yet again, salvation and deliverance was not just for the children of Israel, but for the servant and the stranger also, who dwells with you, in other words, who wanted to stay with them and become like them, a child of God. Foreigners, sojourners and hired servants were not allowed to eat the Passover because they were not intending to dwells with them, in other words, stay with the children of Israel.  They would leave once they were able to go were they wanted. 

Salvation is available to EVERYONE, but not everyone will accept it. The main thing we need to learn from this today is what the circumcision represented, whether we actually practice being circumcised or not. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. (Romans 2:28-29) 

In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (Colossians 2:11-14)

Thus all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies. (Exodus 12:29-51) Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.” (Exodus 13:1-2) 

From the very beginning, the Lord God had required of all of us to make a sacrifice to Him of the first of everything He blesses us with.  That's why Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. (Genesis 4:3-5) Cain brought what he felt like bring, what he was willing to depart with; but Abel brought his best, the first of what he had reaped or received. The Lord God does not want our leftovers, but our first, our best. Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. (Proverbs 3:9-10)

And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. (Exodus 13:3-5)

"Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’ It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year. (Exodus 13:6-10) 

“And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. (Exodus 13:11-13) 

Moses was reiterating the Lord God's commandment to the children of Israel regarding the observance of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  As we studied previously, the Passover represented God forgiving them of their sins and saving them from the consequences of their sins. The Feast of Unleavened Bread represented God purifying and cleaning them from their sins. Interestingly, the sacrifice the Lord God required was every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. However, the firstborn of a donkey and all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem with a lamb.

Human beings were not to be sacrificed for their sins, but a substitute was to be used in their place to redeem them, a lamb. This was a foreshadowing of the coming of Christ Jesus, Whom John the the Baptist said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” (John 1:29-31) knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (I Peter 18-21) 

"So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.” (Exodus 13:14-16) AMEN!