Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 12:12-28
Society has rules against acts which are inherently wrong such as murder, rape, or theft. The consequences of violating those rules can be quite severe. There are also laws which are not based on inherent morality, such as speed limits and zoning regulations. Even though there is nothing inherently wrong with driving 65 mph, if the speed limit is 55 mph, then there are consequences for breaking the law.
The Bible also has commands in both of those categories. Some commands prohibit actions which are inherently wrong, such as murder, rape, lying, and stealing. Other commands are quite arbitrary, such as head coverings or the command for women to be silent in church.
Christians tend to think the arbitrary regulations, such as the role of women, can be safely ignored or compromised. However, God issued a command to the Israelites which was quite arbitrary, but the consequence of disobeying the command was somewhat severe. This warns us that obeying all of God’s commands, even the trivial ones, should be taken seriously.
Yahweh had brought nine plagues upon Egypt, but Pharaoh refused to bow to Yahweh. Therefore, Yahweh began preparations for a final plague which would cause Pharaoh to drive Israel out of Egypt. Yahweh told the Israelites to slaughter a lamb and put some of the blood on the doorposts and lintels of their houses.
Ex. 12:12 And I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am Yahweh.
Notice the phrase “against all the gods of Egypt”. Yahweh was proving that He was more powerful than all the false Egyptian gods.
Ex. 12:13 And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and I will see the blood, and I will pass over you, and there shall be no plague among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
Look at the words “the blood shall be a sign”. In the passage we read yesterday, Yahweh instructed the Israelites to put blood on the doorposts and lintels of their houses. The blood protected them from destruction.
This is a picture of the work of the blood of Christ. Just as the blood of the lamb protected the Israelites from death during passover, so too the blood of Christ protects believers from eternal death.
Ex. 12:14 ¶ ‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to Yahweh; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a perpetual statute.
When Yahweh brought Israel out of Egypt, He not only gave them a religious law code, He also gave them a culture. Passover was one of the holidays given to them as part of their new culture.
Ex. 12:15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
Take note of the trivial nature of the command and the serious consequence of violating the command. The command was not to eat any leaven bread during this feast. This was not about murder, adultery, rape, or assault. Instead, it was about what type of bread they could eat. Meanwhile, the punishment for eating the wrong bread was to be cut off from Israel. That was a serious consequence for violating a trivial command.
There are many commands in the New Testament. Some of them are prohibitions against murder, adultery, or violence, activities which are clearly morally wrong. Other commands are arbitrary, such as head coverings or restrictions on the role of women. Christians often treat arbitrary rules as if they are not important. However, if the consequence of eating the wrong bread was to be cut off from Israel, then perhaps we should consider that the consequence of violating trivial commands, such as the role of women, might also be severe.
Ex. 12:16 Now on the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be done by you.
Ex. 12:17 You shall also keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall keep this day throughout your generations as a perpetual statute.
Ex. 12:18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.
Ex. 12:19 Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land.
This is a repetition of the command and consequence. The command was somewhat trivial: do not eat leaven bread for seven days every year. Despite the trivial nature of the command, the punishment was serious.
Ex. 12:20 You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your places of habitation you shall eat unleavened bread.’”
Ex. 12:21 ¶ Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Bring out and take for yourselves lambs according to your families and slaughter the Passover lamb.
Ex. 12:22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and touch some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the doorway of his house until morning.
Ex. 12:23 And Yahweh will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and Yahweh will pass over the doorway and will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you.
The blood would protect the Israelites from the destroyer. The blood of Christ protects us from destruction.
Ex. 12:24 And you shall keep this event as a statute for you and your children forever.
Ex. 12:25 And it will be, when you enter the land which Yahweh will give you, as He has promised, you shall keep this new slavery.
Ex. 12:26 And it will be when your children say to you, ‘What is the meaning of this new slavery to you?’
Ex. 12:27 that you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to Yahweh who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but delivered our homes.’” And the people bowed low and worshiped.
Ex. 12:28 ¶ Then the sons of Israel went and did so; just as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
Some commands in the Bible prohibit actions which are inherently wrong, such as murder, rape, lying, and stealing. Other commands are quite arbitrary, such as head coverings or the command for women to be silent in church.
Christians tend to think the arbitrary regulations, such as the role of women, can be safely ignored or compromised. However, God issued a command to the Israelites which was quite arbitrary, but the consequence of disobeying the command was somewhat severe. This warns us that obeying all of God’s commands, even the trivial ones, should be taken seriously.
What are other rules in the Bible which are not inherently morally wrong, but are wrong only because God said they are wrong?
How seriously do you take those arbitrary commands?
How do you need to adjust your attitude to the commands in the Bible which are arbitrary and not based on actions which are inherently wrong?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”