Exodus 12

We finally get the (Not So) Super-Secret Origin Story of Passover. While it's not as flashy as, say, Batman's or Baymax's, it does involve a traumatic event from which the heroes emerge, bruised but not broken. In addition, we get a rip-roaring preview of how the back half of Exodus and all of Leviticus will be like.

I was a Cub Scout who somehow made it all the way to Webelos. All the Pack-wide events took place in the fellowship hall of a Presbyterian church, while the more dignified, formal events took place in the church's sanctuary, an impressive, imposing chamber complete with pews and a pipe organ. Instead of paying attention like I was supposed to, I always snuck a peek at the Bibles stored in the back of the pews. Yes, I did have my own Bible back at home, but for some reason, I found myself engrossed in the minutiae of Leviticus and the last half of Exodus whenever I found myself in that august sanctuary. Just one of my little quirks.

Anyway, God commands His people to paint blood over the door so He knows not to kill the firstborn sons residing there. Clearly, God knows who's an Israelite and who isn't, but as with most Old Testament directives, He's just seeing who's actually paying attention to what He's saying. I know that I ignore God's promptings--sure, I haven't actually heard Him speak to me, but it doesn't take a perceptible voice for me to know that He disapproves of some of the more ignoble actions I take.

God tells His people to make bread without yeast (verse 15), but when the actual exodus begins, verse 39 explains their bread was unleavened because "they did not have time to prepare food for themselves." I wouldn't quite call this a retcon, but God did say that they weren't to eat bread with yeast for seven days. Does this mean that the exodus began more than seven days after the death of the firstborn and the first Passover? If so, that's an awfully long time for Pharaoh to be sitting around on his royal rear after his firstborn son and the firstborn sons of all his subjects have been killed. The Egyptians are only too eager to see the Israelites go (verse 33), allowing the former slaves to abscond with some of their jewelry to boot.

Intriguingly, verse 38 says, "Many other people went up with [the Israelites]," implying that some Egyptians also decided to up sticks and take their chances with the Israelites. Seeing what their Pharaoh had allowed, from boils to unsavory infestations to death, I wouldn't blame them. Although the Israelites were God's chosen people, there were those who still acknowledged and even put themselves under God's sovereign power centuries before Christ graced the planet with His presence.