Careful instruction

Exodus 12:21-28; 5/17/2026; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang

Introduction

After returning from the short-term mission trip, we discovered that God is renewing the church and renewing our lives. Turkey seems like the last piece of cake God has prepared for the end-time church — inviting those who are willing to go out to labor with Him and share together in the joy of missions. Of course Pharaoh was not happy! He realized that the Israelites were really about to leave. And true to his nature, Pharaoh would do everything possible to stop the church from going out! Let’s look at the first point:

Sacrifice the lamb

In fact, for those who are satisfied merely with raising questions and venting emotions, they cannot understand why it is necessary to leave Egypt. “Why leave Egypt? Can’t we stay in Egypt and still preach the gospel to the Egyptians?” And even more, “Why is there a need to sacrifice the lamb?” Right? First, the Passover lamb. This was the very first Passover, and from that moment, “the Passover lamb” became a special term. Looking back, we see that sacrificing the lamb was a calling from God to the Israelites through Moses. What is a calling? A calling is the evidence of the spiritual identity of God’s children. All of us entered into a covenant with God because of His calling. It is a divine calling — a gracious calling, a call of grace. The center of the calling is the Lamb Himself, not the people who sacrifice the lamb. Christ was not forced to go to the cross. He willingly went to the cross and laid down His life for mankind. He was not an ordinary lamb — He is the mighty Christ! The prayer in Gethsemane determined the self-sacrifice of the Passover Lamb.

Secondly, take a bunch of hyssop. This is the first time hyssop appears in the Bible: “Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin, and put it on the top and sides of the doorframe.” Through the revelations written later by David, Solomon, and others, hyssop came to symbolize humility and faith. If the blood of Christ represents grace, then hyssop represents the vessel that carries grace — that is, our faith. We are justified by faith. And faith is not passive. Faith means applying the blood on the doorframe, offering ourselves, paying the price, and living out the reality of faith. God did not choose a cedar branch to apply the blood. Instead, He chose the smallest hyssop to carry the responsibility of life. Though hyssop is humble and small, it carries the fragrance of mint.
Finally, He will pass over that door. What is “that door”? That door represents a covenant between God and man — a covenant concerning life and death, a covenant that brings people out of death into life. First: “None of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.” God was teaching His children to honor order and boundaries. This is also the foundation of church life — God’s design and heart for the church. Second: “The Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.” This reveals God’s own commitment to His covenant. The Israelites applied the blood of the lamb to the doorposts and lintel, and God Himself took responsibility to keep the destroyer from entering their houses. If we hold firmly to our original faith until the end, God will never abandon us either. Now let us look at the second point:

Faithful obedience

Have you noticed how detailed God was with the Israelites, and how carefully He instructed them? Then as the people of Israel, shouldn’t they carefully obey the Lord’s commands? First, this is an everlasting ordinance. Why can the Passover become an eternal ordinance? Because its central value is God’s salvation —God’s ordained plan of redemption. As the Scripture says: “For while we were still weak, Christ died for the ungodly at the appointed time.” Christ laying down His life, and our justification by faith, are the fulfillment of the Passover that triumphs over death. When the angel of death passes over us, the only thing that brings us out of death into life and delivers us from destruction is faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, by faith we have entered into this grace in which we now stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the eternal glory of God. And even when we one day return to our heavenly home, faith will still remain the everlasting ordinance in the relationship between God and man.
Secondly, the ordinances we must keep. If faith is the essence of our relationship with God, then ordinances are the testimony of that relationship. When Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized, John felt unworthy and hesitant. But Jesus said, “Let it be so now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” In other words, we must do what is right before God, and it should also become a testimony and an influence to others. Keeping the Passover could not be merely something spoken with words. It required reverence, participation, and sincere involvement from everyone. In some ways, this is similar to how we attend online worship services, receive Holy Communion, join Sunday school, or participate in discipleship training. Our attitude matters — how we present ourselves, whether we are fully attentive, and whether we participate prayerfully from beginning to end. Because God is present, and His eyes are watching every action and every attitude of our hearts.
Finally, teach the children of God. The greatest thing I teach my children in life is not success or fame, but to walk the path of eternal life. I often say that my deepest hope is this: When my wife and I stand at the gate of heaven and look down the heavenly road, we not only see you, but also see your children. What does this mean? It is exactly what Scripture says:“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) So what should we teach our children? The very first thing is God’s salvation. By celebrating the Passover together with our children, we teach them to remember that God once delivered Israel out of Egypt — our spiritual ancestors. God saved Moses and those in his generation, and He will also save all who believe in Him through Christ Jesus. Now let us look at the third point:

Bow down in worship

Bowing down is about attitude; kneeling is about life itself. This is the basic posture of God’s children before Him. For human beings, bowing and kneeling before God is the highest form of worship and the noblest character. First, remember the grace of the Lord. Human nature is forgetful and ungrateful, and people often change their attitude faster than turning a page. For those who extend kindness, it should not be done with the expectation of return. Otherwise, even a small act of help can lead to resentment and an expectation of repayment. If one gives too little, there is inner dissatisfaction; if one gives too much, there is inner discomfort. Unless the one who shows kindness does so before God, considering it as done unto the Lord. For those who receive grace, they must also keep their focus on the Lord. Otherwise, bitterness will easily arise and disturb the heart day and night. God’s children offering thanksgiving for His works, and remembering the sacrificial death of His Son, is what pleases God. When people say they “always feel indebted before God,” this is exactly what it means.

Secondly, offer yourselves as living sacrifices. The Bible says: “You shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord.’” What does this mean? When we keep the Passover before God, in His eyes it is regarded as an offering. But what kind of offering can be made in such haste? When the people were leaving in urgency, there was no time to prepare a sacrifice in the usual way. So the only possible offering is a living sacrifice —a life itself laid down as a testimony, proclaiming and reflecting the great love of Christ. As Paul says: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1) The essence of sacrifice is to live a holy life before God — a life that pleases Him. What God says, we do.
Finally, there is the posture of obedience. In fact, bowing the head and kneeling down is the very expression of obedience before God. The Bible says:“As the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so the Israelites did.” It is easy to say, but not easy to do. Whenever we are about to obey, there are always thoughts within us that resist obedience. They disturb us and make us unwilling to submit. It is as if a voice rises within: “Why should I listen to you?” “Isn’t my need important too?” “Don’t I have other choices?” “Why must I follow Moses to Canaan? Can’t I just become a fisherman by the Mediterranean Sea? Fishing seems so much broader, so full of opportunity!” But even Jesus Christ Himself, in the Garden of Gethsemane, wrestled in prayer. He also experienced inner struggle and shared in our human suffering.

Conclusion

All right, praise the Lord! Before striking down the firstborn, God gave repeated and careful warnings — again and again. In this we see God’s love, His patience, and His heart toward His people. Even in the message preceding the judgment on the firstborn, He never ceased to weave in the message of salvation throughout.

Let’s pray together……

21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb.
22 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.
24 You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever.
25 And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service.
26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’
27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.