Lesson #14

EXODUS 12:21-28
Lesson #14
REDEMPTION WITH HYSSOP

• Memory Verse: Psalms 51:7

• God had given the instructions for keeping the Passover to Moses and Aaron. Those instructions had to be explained to all the leaders among the people.
• This next passage in Exodus is that communication, for, then the leaders had to explain the Passover to the people so they would understand how to obtain protection from the plague of the death of the firstborn.
• Principle #1

: Communication of the plan or vision is extremely important in all levels of an organized group in order to move people forward in God’s plan.

• Without this communication, the people would not have put the blood on the door posts.
• Without this communication, the people would not have been packed and ready to leave Egypt on a moment’s notice.
• Remember, we are talking about moving more than 2,000,000 people in the exodus.
• Read Pro 29:18

• Read Exo 12:21-23
• In this passage we see two major details of the Passover that were not previously mentioned.
• =1= The use of hyssop (22):
• What is hyssop?
• This is an herb plant called marjoram (Syrian Sweet Marjoram). It has a pungent smell or taste similar to peppermint. It grows only to a foot tall with gray-green foliage and tiny white fragrant flowers. It grows among the rocks or on terraced walls.
• This plant was used in the ceremonial purification of lepers. (Lev 14:4, 6)
• This plant was used for the ceremonial purification from a plague. (Lev 14:49-52)
• This plant was used in the purification rites of the red heifer. (Num 19:2-6 Heb 9:19)
• What is the symbolic significance of hyssop?
• Hyssop symbolizes faith:.
• Notice that this herb is small. Every believer in Jesus Christ is given a small measure of faith by God when he is born again. (Rom 12:3b Mat 17:20)
• Notice that the herb has a pleasing fragrance, and faith is pleasing to God. (Heb 11:6)
• Notice that this herb was used to apply the blood to the door posts, while faith is necessary to apply the blood of Christ to our hearts and lives.
• Read Rom 3:25
• Notice that the use of this herb in the Old Testament was for purification purposes in the application of blood.
• Read Psa 51:7
• In other words, David is calling on the application of blood applied with hyssop to cleanse him from his sin with Bathsheba
• Unless the New Testament believer applies the blood of Christ to his heart and life by faith, his sins are not forgiven. (Heb 10:22)
• Read Heb 11:28-29
• According to verses 28 and 29, faith was necessary in the keeping of the Passover.
• In which areas of the Passover is faith demonstrated?
• In the killing of the Passover lamb.
• In the application of the blood of the lamb on the doorposts.
• In remaining inside of the house protected by the blood.
• In the eating of the Passover meal.
• In the readiness to leave Egypt.
• In conjunction with faith is obedience.
• Read Jam 2:14, 17.
• The people of Israel had to do all those specific things to prove their faith.
• You can imagine a rebellious firstborn son saying to his father on the night of the first Passover, “I believe in God. I believe Moses’ words. Father, you can put the blood on the door posts to protect the family, but I have a date tonight and I won’t stay home.” Faith without obedience is dead.
• =2= The destroyer (23):

• “For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.”

(23)

• Who is the destroyer?
• The destroyer is the enemy of man’s soul, Satan.
• However, notice who is in control of life and death.
• The Lord, Jesus Christ has the ultimate power and authority over death and hell. (Rev 1:18)
• On the night of the first Passover, God permitted the actions of the destroyer (Satan) to kill the firstborn. Satan, in the form of the angel of death, caused death where there was no protection from the blood.
• Could the Egyptians have had protection if they followed Moses’ instructions concerning the Passover Lamb?
• Yes. The warning was given to Pharaoh. Therefore, in the message of God is the opportunity for God’s protection if the conditions of repentance are met. In other words, redemption was available to all. In reality, there were many Egyptians who did take advantage of the redemption of the Israelites. In the book of Numbers, they are called the “mixed multitude”.
• There were many Egyptians who were married to Israelites.
• Just as redemption was available to all in Egypt in the book of Exodus, redemption is available to day to all who come to Jesus Christ, the redeemer.
• The basic concept of redemption built into the Passover:
• In the book of Exodus we see for the first time the introduction of the concept of redemption that continues through the rest of the Bible into the New Testament. Because this concept continues in Exodus in various ways, we need to make sure we understand what God had in mind.
• The word, “redeem”, first occurs in the Bible in Exo 6:6.
• The word, “redemption”, in the Bible means = the deliverance from some evil by the payment of a price (an animal sacrifice, money, the blood of Christ).
• The payment of a price is very important to the Biblical concept of redemption. Therefore, deliverance by a ransom price is included in the meaning of the word redemption.
• Unfortunately some new versions of the Bible have totally removed the words, redemption and redeem. (NCV = New Century Version and CEV = Contemporary English Version).
• Redemption in the Bible occurs in three areas:

Redemption	People (Including the firstborn, the poor, the slave, the widow, etc.)	Animals	Land and Property
The Passover	The firstborn of Israel redeemed from death by the blood of a lamb (Num 18:15)	The firstborn of Israel’s animals redeemed from death by the blood of a lamb
	All Israelites redeemed from slavery in Egypt by the blood of a lamb	All Israelite animals redeemed from Egypt by the blood of a lamb
The Mosaic Law	Firstborn of Israel redeemed by payment of money (Num 3:44-51)	Animals redeemed by payment of money (Lev 27:9-13)	Land redeemed by the payment of money (Lev 25:23-34)
	The poor and the slaves redeemed by payment of money (Lev 25:35-55)	Firstborn ceremonially unclean animals are redeemed by money (Lev 27:16-34 Num 18:15-19)	Houses and fields redeemed by the payment of money (Lev 27:14-25)
	People making a vow redeemed by silver (Lev 27:1-8)
The book of Ruth	Ruth and Naomi are redeemed from poverty by the payment of debts		Naomi’s property is redeemed by payment of money
	Ruth is redeemed from being a widow by marriage to a kinsman redeemer
The New Testament	Believers in Jesus Christ are redeemed in body, soul, and spirit by the payment of the blood of Christ on the cross (Rom 3:24 Eph 1:7, 14 Col 1:14 Heb 9:12 Rom 8:23 1Cor 1:30)	All creation is redeemed through Jesus Christ by the payment of Christ’s blood on the cross (Rom 8:18-24)

• Read Exo 12:24-28
• The perpetual ordinance of the Passover:
• The Jews were supposed to keep the Passover forever. Why?
• They were to remember the basic concept of redemption (the payment of a price for deliverance):
• So they would love God for bringing them out of slavery and be His people.
• So they would recognize Christ and His redemptive sacrifice on the cross.
• How do the Jews celebrate the Passover today that honors this basic concept of redemption?
• The Jews combine the Feast of Unleavened Bread with the Passover. The celebration begins on the evening of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
• All products containing leaven are removed from the house.
• A man and a child perform a ceremonial search of the house for leaven.
• They find some crumbs of leavened bread intentionally left in an obvious place. The crumbs are swept into a spoon with a feather. Then they are wrapped in a napkin and removed from the house.
• The next day all the men burn the napkins with the crumbs in a ritualized bonfire.
• All dishes and pots are cleaned or special Passover dishes are used. The wife sets the table, lights the candles, and places the seder plate on the table.
• The Seder Plate (a blue enameled brass dish with 6 divisions):

• =1=

The shank bone from a roasted lamb or a chicken neck which represents the Pascal Lamb and the outstretched arm of God that delivered the Israelites by power.

• =2=

The brown roasted hard-boiled egg that represents new life and triumph over death.

• Before the Passover meal, the eggs are sliced and each person dips the egg in salt water (which represents the tears of the people in slavery and much later in history, the tears over the destruction of the temple).
• =3=

Horseradish root that represents the bitterness of slavery.

• =4=

Freshly ground horseradish which represents the bitterness from current persecution.

• =5=

Lettuce, parsley, or celery = bitter herbs, dipped in salt water (tears).

• =6=

A brown mixture of chopped nuts, apples, raisins, cinnamon, and wine. This symbolizes the clay the Israelites used to make bricks in Egypt.

• It is sweet because when redemption was in sight, even the most difficult labor was sweet.
• Three pieces of unleavened bread in a bag with three compartments.
• Four cups of wine to correspond to the 4 statements in Exo 6:6-7

• “I will bring you out”
• “I will deliver you”
• “I will redeem you”
• “I will take you to be my people”

• Two of the cups are larger and ornate. One sits at the head of the table for the host. The other one sits at the opposite end before an empty chair kept for Elijah who will come some day to announce the coming of the Messiah. (Mal 4:5)
• A large book (the Haggadah) covers the host’s dinner plate. This book is bound in royal blue and has gold lettering. A smaller edition is beside the plate of each guest.
• Each chair has pillow because once the Jews were slaves but now they are free and at ease.
• The host wears a long outer robe of white (to symbolize purity) and a tall, white, silk head-covering similar to a crown (the man is king and priest of his family).
• The host stands, opens the book, raises the cup of wine, and chants the prayer of sanctification.
• Everyone takes a small sip of the first cup of wine. (the cup of sanctification).
• The hostess brings a towel and a silver bowl of water.
• The host dips his finger tips in the water and dries them.
• The hostess gives a lettuce leaf to each guest who chants and dips it in salt water and eats it.
• The host removes the middle unleavened bread. He breaks it in 2 pieces. One piece is RETURN ed to the bag and the other piece is wrapped in a napkin. The children close their eyes while the host hides this napkin somewhere around the table. This broken piece of unleavened bread in a napkin is called afikomen.
• The 3 pieces of unleavened bread represent Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• Even though the Jews do not know it, the broken piece that represents Isaac actually represents Jesus Christ broken for us and prefigured by Isaac.
• The host uncovers the other pieces of unleavened bread and places them on a plate.
• All recite, “This is the bread of affliction.”
• The cups are filled with wine. The youngest asks written questions. The host responds to the question by reading Deu 6:21; 26:8. He recites each of the 10 plagues. With the mention of each plague, the guests place 1 drop of wine in a saucer. When the saucer is full (10 drops), it is called the cup of iniquity. (Cup #2)
• There is a chant and a song of praise.
• The host explains the lamb bone, the bitter herbs, and the unleavened bread.
• The host says, “In every generation let each man look on himself as if he came forth out of Egypt…” (Exo 13:8)
• All make a toast with the wine but do not yet drink.
• All recite Psa 113 and 114, recite an ancient prayer and drink cup #2 (the cup of iniquity). However, it is now called the cup of praise.
• A basin of water is passed to all guests who repeat a prayer and wash their hands.
• The host breaks the unleavened bread into pieces for each of the guests. They recite together prayers of thanksgiving for bread. Then they eat a piece of the bread.
• The host dips the bitter herbs into the brown nut and apple mixture. Each guest is given a piece to eat after a benediction.
• The host makes a sandwich of bitter herbs and unleavened bread. He eats it with a ritual statement.
• The Passover meal is served.
• After the meal, the table is cleared and the children look for the afikomen (the hidden unleavened bread in the napkin).
• The child who finds it receives a gift of money that represents the price of redemption.
• The host unwraps the afikomen, breaks it into pieces so each guest receives a piece to eat.
• The host pours the third cup of wine and says a blessing. After a prayer of Exo 6:6 is said over the wine, all drink it. (This is the cup of redemption or the cup of blessing)
• There is a prayer for the Lord to come and for Elijah to bring Him. A child is sent to the door to see if He came.
• The host reads Psa 115-118 and Psa 136. Then there is a closing hymn.
• The fourth cup of wine is poured and blessed. Then all drink it. (This is the cup of acceptance or the cup of Elijah).
• It is at this cup that Jesus said in the last supper, “…this is my blood of the new testament…” (Mat 26:28-29)
• There is a prayer for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.
• Summary and application:
• Through the Jewish Passover we can understand Jesus’ glorious redemptive act, the bitter price of redemption, and God’s intention to bring His people to a new relationship of freedom with Him.
• It is by faith that we, in this New Testament age, can be part of a redeemed people.
• We can notice in the current Jewish celebration of the Passover that each participant personally drinks the cup of redemption, just as each person must identify himself personally with the crucified Lamb of God in order to be part of the redeemed and protected from the second death where the destroyer (Satan) reigns. (Rev 20:6, 14 Rev 21:8)

HOMEWORK
EXODUS 12:29-51
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of Exo 12:21-28
• What new aspects of redemption did you learn from this section of chapter 12?
• In what ways will this change:
• Your appreciation of Christ?
• Your appreciation of God’s plan?
• Your appreciation of God’s Word?

• Preparation for Exo 12:29-51
• Read Exo 12:29-36
• What interesting thing do you notice in verse 32? Of what significance is it?
• What was the fear among the Egyptians that caused them to hastily rid Egypt of all Israelites?
• Read Exo 12:37-42
• What name did God give the exodus? (42)
• Read Exo 12:43-51
• What is God’s attitude toward those who were not Israelites?
• What provision did God make for them?

• Memory verse: Psalms 107:2 (King James preferred) “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”