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Exodus 20:1-6
And God spoke all these words:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” (NIV).
Qualified
In verses 43-51, we read that only full-time residents of Israelites qualify to participate in the Passover.
1581?!
In verses 21-42, we learn about many of the details of the first Passover.
Not only does the angel of death kill Egyptian firstborn males, but the Israelites plunder their former masters by asking for (and receiving!) large quantities of money.
Moses points out that the people escape captivity exactly 430 years after arriving in Egypt.
2011-430=1581
That would be equivalent to escaping a terrible situation that had started way back in 1581.
The scale of time involved is almost unimaginable.
Yeast-Free
In verses 14-20, we read a description of the process of celebrating Passover in future years, after the escape from Egypt.
It is clear from these verses that chapter 12 is not strictly written in chronological order.
Angel of Death
In verses 12-13, God describes the tenth plague.
Passover Meal
In verses 1-11, Moses provides details about the preparations necessary for the Passover meal.
Outline of Exodus 12
- General Description of Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread
- The First Passover
- Directions
- Dead Egyptians
- Plundering the Egyptians
- Passover for Natives Only
Healthy Fear
Moses explains to the Israelites, in verse 20, that God instills fear in his people to prevent sin. Sounds a bit like parenting.
Don’t Get Jealous
It’ll make you miserable (v. 17).
No Idols
In verses 3-6, the Israelites are warned not to confuse their allegiance to God with any other allegiances.
