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Listen "#66 | Passover and Atonement: Making a Distinction between Egyptians and Israelites"
Episode Synopsis
In this episode we start a new series on the Passover in Exodus and the New Testament. This is a major part of Israel's story as well as the overall story of the Bible, and becomes a major point of reference for not only the prophets, but also Jesus and the writers of the New Testament.
A major goal for us in this series will be to help us understand the Passover as the Israelites themselves would have understood it. And the best way to do that is by looking at the Passover in its Biblical and historical context.
Then, after we get a good picture of what Passover meant for them, we can look at the ways New Testament writers use the events and symbolism of Passover to talk about Jesus and the Atonement. In short, we want to "read forwards" from the Old Testament into the New Testament before we "read backwards" from the New Testament into the Old Testament.
Biblically, and the point we will explore in this episode, is that one of the goals of Passover was for God to make a distinction between Israel and the Egyptians. Pharoah saw Israel as belonging to him and his Egyptian empire, but God was showing Pharoah through the plagues that Israel was his firstborn and belonged to him, and that it was time for Israel to advance to another stage along God's developmental path. As long as Pharaoh refused to recognize this truth, and the right God had to his own firstborn son, Pharoah would essentially be an enslaving kidnapper.
God had been making a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel starting with the fourth plague, and continued to make that distinction all the way up through the 10th plague of killing the firstborn of Egypt. However, after the 10th plague Pharoah finally acknowledged the distinction God had been making when he called for Moses and said "Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also." (Exo. 12:31-32) Once Pharaoh acknowledged this fact, and acted accordingly, the plagues ceased.
God retains this same interest to make a distinction between his people and the people under the power of evil in both the Old and New Testaments.
Key Passages:
Exodus 11:1-10
Plagues 4-10 working to make a distinction between Egyptians and Israelites
#4 - Flies - 8:22-23
#5 - Livestock - 9:4
#6 - Boils - 9:11
#7 - Hail - 9:26-27
#8 - Locusts - 10:1-6
#9 - Darkness - 10:23
#10 - Firstborn - 11:7
Numbers 9:13-14 - Failure to observe Passover entailed a decision to no longer identify as member of Israel be excommunicated from Israel. And a decision to keep Passover required one to be circumcised.
Explainer Video on how to use www.biblehub.com and www.blueletterbible.org
Leave us a question or comment at our website podcast page.
* Intro Music: "Admirable" Carlos Herrera Music
A major goal for us in this series will be to help us understand the Passover as the Israelites themselves would have understood it. And the best way to do that is by looking at the Passover in its Biblical and historical context.
Then, after we get a good picture of what Passover meant for them, we can look at the ways New Testament writers use the events and symbolism of Passover to talk about Jesus and the Atonement. In short, we want to "read forwards" from the Old Testament into the New Testament before we "read backwards" from the New Testament into the Old Testament.
Biblically, and the point we will explore in this episode, is that one of the goals of Passover was for God to make a distinction between Israel and the Egyptians. Pharoah saw Israel as belonging to him and his Egyptian empire, but God was showing Pharoah through the plagues that Israel was his firstborn and belonged to him, and that it was time for Israel to advance to another stage along God's developmental path. As long as Pharaoh refused to recognize this truth, and the right God had to his own firstborn son, Pharoah would essentially be an enslaving kidnapper.
God had been making a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel starting with the fourth plague, and continued to make that distinction all the way up through the 10th plague of killing the firstborn of Egypt. However, after the 10th plague Pharoah finally acknowledged the distinction God had been making when he called for Moses and said "Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also." (Exo. 12:31-32) Once Pharaoh acknowledged this fact, and acted accordingly, the plagues ceased.
God retains this same interest to make a distinction between his people and the people under the power of evil in both the Old and New Testaments.
Key Passages:
Exodus 11:1-10
Plagues 4-10 working to make a distinction between Egyptians and Israelites
#4 - Flies - 8:22-23
#5 - Livestock - 9:4
#6 - Boils - 9:11
#7 - Hail - 9:26-27
#8 - Locusts - 10:1-6
#9 - Darkness - 10:23
#10 - Firstborn - 11:7
Numbers 9:13-14 - Failure to observe Passover entailed a decision to no longer identify as member of Israel be excommunicated from Israel. And a decision to keep Passover required one to be circumcised.
Explainer Video on how to use www.biblehub.com and www.blueletterbible.org
Leave us a question or comment at our website podcast page.
* Intro Music: "Admirable" Carlos Herrera Music
In God we trust