S4: Week 11 Day 1: Annotating Exodus 12:1-13

Summary

A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace: Season 4, Week 11 Day 1 – Annotating Exodus 12:1-13

Release Date: March 10, 2025

In this episode of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace, hosted by Beth and Alexa from The Daily Grace Co., listeners are guided through a profound exploration of Exodus 12:1-13. This session marks Season 4 of their Christ in All of Scripture reading plan, delving deep into the Old Testament to uncover the intricate connections pointing to Jesus Christ.

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Introduction to the Study

Beth opens the episode by reiterating the podcast’s mission: to walk listeners through the study "Christ in All of Scripture," examining one Old Testament and one New Testament passage each week to reveal how Jesus is central to the entire Biblical narrative. Alexa adds that whether listeners are participating directly or just following along, the aim is to illuminate Christ's presence throughout Scripture, fostering a deeper love and understanding of Him.

Beth [00:31]: "Hi friends, welcome back to another Week of Year in the Bible. My name is Beth and I am here again with my co-host Alexa."

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Reading of Exodus 12:1-13

Alexa takes on the role of reading the selected passage, Exodus 12:1-13, which details the instructions for the first Passover. The passage outlines the selection and preparation of the Passover lamb, the application of its blood on the doorposts, and the subsequent meal, all of which are pivotal events leading to the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt.

Alexa [00:38]: "The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, this month is to be the beginning of months for you. It is the first month of your year..."

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Annotating Exodus 12:1-13

Following the reading, Beth and Alexa dive into annotating the passage, unpacking its layers and uncovering its Christological significance.

Christ Connections

Beth highlights several connections between the Passover instructions and New Testament references to Jesus Christ:

1. Blood and Sacrifice:

   • The emphasis on blood and slaughter in Exodus foreshadows Christ's sacrificial death.

     Beth [02:30]: "All of the talk about blood and slaughter... points us to his death and how his blood washes us clean."

2. Eating the Lamb:

   • The act of eating the lamb resonates with Jesus' teachings in the Gospels, where He speaks of eating His flesh and drinking His blood.

     Beth [02:30]: "Eating the lamb connects to what Jesus says in the Gospels... in the Lord's supper, he's talking about the bread, but he says, 'This is my body, take and eat.'"

3. Protection Through Blood:

   • The blood applied to the doorposts, which protected the Israelites from the plague, parallels how Christ's blood shields believers from divine judgment.

     Beth [02:30]: "His blood washing us clean... we are protected from God's judgment, just like the Israelites."

God’s Attributes: Justice and Mercy

Beth and Alexa explore how Exodus 12:1-13 exemplifies God's dual attributes of justice and mercy:

1. God’s Justice:

   • The impending judgment on Egypt for oppressing Israel demonstrates God's righteous anger and commitment to justice.

     Beth [04:02]: "We see his justice and that he's going to execute judgment against Egypt for what they've done to Israel."

2. God’s Mercy:

   • The provision of the Passover lamb and the instructions to protect their households reveal God's mercy, sparing Israel from the same fate as Egypt through their obedience.

     Beth [04:02]: "But God is merciful to them because of the Passover Lamb... they're able to avoid the judgment..."

Alexa [03:48]: "I didn't think about the connection between eating the lamb and what Jesus says about eating his body. That's super, super fascinating."

Beth [04:02]: "Exodus is one of the best places to go to see how God's mercy and his justice work hand in hand."

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Key Insights and Reflections

• Interconnectedness of the Old and New Testaments: The episode underscores how Old Testament events and rituals are deeply interconnected with New Testament truths about Jesus, enhancing the understanding of both Testaments as a unified narrative pointing to Christ.

• Depth through Annotation: The length and detail of Exodus 12:1-13 provide ample opportunity for meaningful annotation, allowing for a richer exploration of themes and their fulfillment in Christ.

• God’s Character Revealed: The study highlights the balanced portrayal of God's character—His unwavering justice tempered by profound mercy, a theme that resonates throughout the Bible.

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Conclusion and Next Steps

Beth and Alexa conclude the episode by inviting listeners to join them in the next session, where they will continue unpacking Exodus 12:1-13 and delve deeper into why Israel, though deserving of judgment, is spared through God's mercy. They encourage engagement with additional resources available on their website and through their social media channels.

Alexa [05:05]: "Join us tomorrow as we go deeper in Exodus 12:1-13."

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Listeners are encouraged to visit thedailygraceco.com for studies, journals, and other resources to enhance their Bible study experience. Follow A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace on social media for daily encouragement and further study tools.

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This episode serves as a compelling example of how A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace seamlessly weaves Old Testament narratives with New Testament revelations, fostering a comprehensive and Christ-centered understanding of Scripture.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace. This year we want to spend a few minutes with you every day walking through our study Christ in All of Scripture each week we will dive deeply into two passages of Scripture, one from the Old Testament and one from the New, seeing how they connect and point to Jesus.

[B]

Whether you are doing the study yourself or just following along with us here, we are hopeful that through studying these passages each week, you will see how Christ is not only present throughout the entire Biblical story, but the center of it.

[A]

Hi friends, welcome back to another Week of Year in the Bible. My name is Beth and I am here again with my co host Alexa.

[B]

Hey everyone, Today we are annotating Exodus 12:1 13. But before we dive in, let me go ahead and read the passage for us. It's a long one, so stay with me. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, this month is to be the beginning of months for you. It is the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the 10th day of this month they must each select an animal of the flock according to their father's families. One animal per family. If the household is too small for a whole animal, that person and the neighbor nearest his house are to select one based on the combined number of people. You should apportion the animal according to what each will eat. You must have an unblemished animal, a year old male. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats. You are to keep it until the 14th day of this month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter the animals. At twilight. They must take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they eat them. They are to eat the meat that night. They should eat it roasted over the fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or cooked in boiling water, but only roast it over fire, its head as well as its legs and inner organs. You must not leave any of it until morning. Any part of it left until morning you must burn. Here is how you must eat it. You must be dressed for travel, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in a hurry. It is the Lord's Passover. I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. I am the Lord. I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. Okay, Beth, there's a lot there. So I'm curious how you went about annotating this passage.

[A]

Yeah, because of how long the passage is. Actually, I found it really fun to annotate. It gives you just a lot more opportunities to underline things and highlight things when there's more content. So it was actually fun having the length of the passage. And there were also quite a few Christ connections that I was able to find in this passage as well, which was really exciting. The first thing that I noted was all of the talk about blood and slaughter, how it's weird, but it does point us to Christ. It points us to his death and how he was slaughtered and how his blood washes us clean. So I found that really helpful. And then the other thing that I thought was interesting, which I hadn't really thought about before, the times that I've read this passage, was how even eating the lamb connects to some of the stuff that Jesus says in the Gospels. So in John 6, he talks about eating of his flesh, and then at the Lord's supper, he's talking about the bread, but he says, this is my body, take and eat. And so I thought that was interesting too, that the ceremony of the Passover doesn't just involve slaughtering the lamb, but it also involves eating it. And so that I thought was a Christ connection. And then obviously his blood being the thing that shields us from judgment, it's because Christ died and his blood washes us clean that we are protected from God's judgment, just like the Israelites. So that there's a lot, a lot in this passage that points to Christ. I think.

[B]

Yeah, there is so much there. You know, I didn't think about the connection between eating the lamb and what Jesus says about eating his body. That's super, super fascinating. Okay, so what about God's attributes? Did you see any of his attributes in this passage?

[A]

Yeah, the whole story of Exodus really highlights God's character and specifically his just character and how it is balanced out by his mercy towards his people. I think that Exodus. Yeah. Is one of the best places to go to see how God's mercy and his justice work hand in hand. And I think this story in particular shows us that. And so we see his justice and that he's going to execute judgment against Egypt for what they've done to Israel. And we see that if you pay attention to the last prompt, that's kind of what we're able to identify with that. But then also we see that Israel could and honestly should suffer the same fate. And we're going to unpack that a lot more tomorrow and talk about why Israel also is deserving of death, but God is merciful to them because of the Passover Lamb. Because he gives them these Passover instructions, they're able to avoid the judgment that could justly fall on them. And so yeah, I think that it's really cool to just see both God's justice and his mercy at play in this passage.

[B]

Yeah, I love that. That all makes me think of how often we see both God's justice and mercy at play so many times throughout Scripture. So I am excited to dive into this passage more. So join us tomorrow as we go deeper in Exodus 12:1 13. Thank you for listening to today's episode of a Year in the Bible with Daily Grace. Be sure to check out our show notes for some helpful links and resources related to today's episode, and make sure you're following a daily Grace Podcast and hedaily Grace Co on Instagram for more Bible study resources and encouragement. We're looking forward to studying God's Word with you again tomorrow. Bye, friends.