Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 114
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IMMERSE
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BEGINNINGS
12:23-39
hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the
top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out
through the door until morning. For the Lord will pass through the land
to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and
sides of the doorframe, the Lord will pass over your home. He will not
permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down.
“Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your
descendants must observe forever. When you enter the land the Lord
has promised to give you, you will continue to observe this ceremony.
Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’ And you
will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the
houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he
spared our families.’” When Moses had finished speaking, all the people
bowed down to the ground and worshiped.
So the people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded through
Moses and Aaron.
And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons
in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his
throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the
people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard
throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died.
Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Get out!” he ordered. “Leave my p eople—and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go
and worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds,
as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave.” All the Egyptians
urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for
they thought, “We will all die!”
The Israelites took their bread dough before yeast was added. They
wrapped their kneading boards in their cloaks and carried them on their
shoulders. And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed; they
asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold. The Lord
caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the
Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their
wealth!
That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth.
There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children. A rabble
of n on-Israelites went with them, along with great flocks and herds of livestock. For bread they baked flat cakes from the dough without yeast they
had brought from Egypt. It was made without yeast because the people
