Exodus 12

Bible Gateway link Chapter 12

There are many things that symbolize Christ. Here are the two that stand out for me. Let's just start with the Lamb itself. Christ is often referred to as the Lamb of God in the New Testament. Then of course the condition of the lamb. Not a blemish, spotless. I do not know if you have ever searched for a lamb that is spotless, but since reading the Bible, it is something I look for every time I am around a herd. (yes, I am a little bit of a redneck, so I see cattle, goats, sheep, and horses more often than others). It is hard to come by an animal without a blemish.....but every now and then one comes along.....Christ is our lamb without a blemish, he was spotless of sin, something that none of us will ever attain, and when reflecting on Christ as a spotless lamb it paints a clear picture of just how precious, unique, and perfect Christ is. Then we have the command that the lamb be a year old, and male. Well the male is obvious, but the lamb being a year shows that God did not want a young lamb, he wanted a lamb at it's best. Here again like Christ. Christ was sacrificed in the prime of his life, not as a child, not as a man in his twilight years, but as a man at his prime, just like a year old lamb.

Of course the blood of the lamb will deliver the Israelites form the angel of death, just as the blood of the lamb which is Jesus Christ will deliver us from our sins. The blood was to be sprinkled on to the sides and the top of the door. This would be the outward sign for the angel of death to pass over the house. This also to me indicates how we should live our lives in Christ. Our actions and our habits should be our outwards sign of our faith in the blood of Christ. I think this is one of the biggest challenges we face in our daily lives. It is easy to love the Lord on the inside, but letting it shine is the challenge! I like the way Henry puts it in his commentary "there is a back way to hell, but no back way into heaven." We have to go through the front gates, and it is my prayer that we will be identified a mile away by our actions!

Just as the Lord said in verse 13 "And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you" may we all find a way in our life to model our outward sign of Christ.

Peace,
Brian