Today we read about the final three plagues: locusts, darkness, and death of the firstborn. The Lord says to Moses, “About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.”
God instructs the children of Israel to take a male lamb without blemish on the tenth day of the month and says, “Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it… And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.” And any house under the blood will be passed over by the plague.
God tells the Israelites to keep this day as a memorial so they will never forget what the Lord has done for them; and the Lord gives them instructions on celebrating the Passover. “So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.”
The Lord strikes all the firstborn in Egypt that are not under the blood of the lamb, and there is a great cry throughout Egypt. The Egyptians urge the Israelites to leave quickly, but first the Israelites plunder the Egyptians as God instructed Moses (Exodus 3:22). They leave with great possessions as the Lord told Abraham would happen (Genesis 15:13-14).
“Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. A mixed multitude went up with them also.” So we see that anyone who puts their faith in the Lord by being under the blood of the spotless male lamb is brought out of Egypt. This is a foreshadowing of Jesus, the ultimate spotless Lamb, whose blood will be shed to save us from far more than circumstantial, worldly oppression. Jesus will be nailed to a cross and shed His blood so that we may be restored to the Father and have the hope that is only found in Christ – the hope of a transformed and eternal life. Jesus is on His way, but next up, the Israelites escape through the Red Sea, so keep reading. (Exodus 10:1-12:51)
Chronological Bible in Layman's Terms 