Passover Night Story - Bible

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 'This month is to be for you the first month. It is the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family. He is to take one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor. You must take into account the number of people there are. Each person must eat his share of the lamb.

The animals you choose must be year-old males without any flaw. You may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month. Then all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire. They must eat it with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water. Roast it over a fire. Eat the head, legs, and inner parts. Do not leave any of it till morning. If some is left till morning, you must burn it.

This is how you are to eat it. Have your cloak tucked into your belt. Put your sandals on your feet. Have your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover.

On that same night I will pass through Egypt. I will strike down every firstborn of both people and animals. I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

This is a day you are to commemorate. For the generations to come you must celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You must celebrate it as a lasting ordinance. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses. Anyone who eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh day must be cut off from Israel. On the first day hold a sacred assembly. On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly. Do no work at all on these days. You must only prepare food for everyone to eat. That is all you may do.

Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. On this very day I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day for all time to come. In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast. Do this from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. Anyone who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.'

Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel. He said to them, 'Go at once and select the animals for your families. Slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop. Dip it into the blood in the basin. Put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. He will pass over that doorway. He will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. When your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord. He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. He spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.''

Then the people of Israel bowed down and worshiped. The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.

At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt. He struck down the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne. He struck down the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon. He struck down the firstborn of all the livestock as well. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night. There was loud wailing in Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died.

During the night, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. He said, 'Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.'

The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. They said, 'For otherwise, we will all die!' So the people took their dough before the yeast was added. They carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing.

The Israelites did as Moses had instructed. They asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people. So they gave them what they asked for. They plundered the Egyptians.

The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many other people went up with them. There were also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.

The time the Israelites lived in Egypt was four hundred thirty years. At the end of the four hundred thirtieth year, to the very day, all the Lord's divisions left Egypt. Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.

The Passover night was the night of freedom. God's people had been slaves in Egypt for four hundred thirty years. On that night, God set them free. The blood of the lamb on their doorposts saved them from death. The lamb died so they could live. The Passover pointed forward to Jesus. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His blood saves us from death. When we trust in Jesus, God passes over our sins. He sets us free from slavery to sin. Jesus is our Passover lamb.

The Passover Night story teaches obedience and remembrance. It shows God’s protection and provision. This story highlights faith and deliverance.