The Hebrew people had two calendars, a civil calendar and a sacred calendar related to God’s salvation. This corresponds with the fact that God’s people have two births, two beginnings: a physical birth with a physical beginning and a spiritual birth with a spiritual beginning (cf. John 3:3-6). The Passover, a new beginning for the children of Israel, was held in the first month of the sacred year, the month of Abib (Exo. 13:4 and note Exo. 13:4^1a).

Exodus is a book of pictures that portray God’s salvation as revealed in the New Testament. The passover portrayed in this chapter is an all-inclusive type of Christ as our redemption to begin our experience of God’s salvation. It is a full development of Christ’s redemption first indicated in Gen. 3:21 (see notes there). The entire passover is a type of Christ (1 Cor. 5:7); Christ is not only the lamb of the passover (John 1:29) but also every aspect of the passover. See notes in this chapter and note John 6:4^1a and note 1 Cor. 5:7^2a.

See note Acts 16:31¹.

This shows that we should not only bring our own family to receive God’s salvation but also lead the families of our neighbors to share in God’s rich and boundless salvation, which our family cannot exhaust.

That a household could be too small for the lamb, that the lamb was taken according to the number of persons, and that the count for the lamb was made according to the eating of each man indicate that as the Passover lamb, Christ is all-sufficient. The extent to which He can be enjoyed is both according to the number of people and according to our capacity to partake of Him.

Signifying that the Lord Jesus as God’s redeeming Lamb was fresh and not used for any other purpose (Heb. 10:5-10).

According to Matt. 25:32-46, sheep signify those who are good, and goats, those who are evil. At the time of His crucifixion Christ was both a sheep and a goat: in Himself He was altogether good, but as our Substitute He was a sinner, in that He was made sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21).

The passover lamb was taken on the tenth day of the month (v. 3) and was examined for four days to confirm that it was unblemished (v. 5); then it was killed on the fourteenth day. In the same way, the Lord Jesus as the real Passover lamb was examined for four days and was found to be perfect, without fault (John 8:46; 18:38; 19:4, 6), before He was killed on the day of the Passover (Luke 22:7-8, 14-15; John 18:28). See note Mark 10:1¹, note Mark 12:37¹, and note Mark 14:12².

In the Bible seven days signifies a period of completion, and the end of a week denotes the end of life. The fact that the passover lamb was killed on the fourteenth day of the month, the end of two complete weeks, signifies that Christ’s death terminated the entire history of our old life.

As the Passover lamb, Christ was killed by all God’s people. Cf. note John 19:20¹.

Lit., between the two evenings; probably referring to the time interval between sunset and darkness. So also in Exo. 16:12; 29:39, 41 and Exo. 30:8.

The blood put on the doorposts and the lintel of the houses typifies the redeeming blood of Christ (Matt. 26:28; John 19:34; 1 Pet. 1:18-19). This blood opened the way for the redeemed ones to enter into the houses, implying that the blood of Christ opens the way for us to enter into Christ, who is typified by the house (Heb. 10:19). The same blood closed the way to the destroyer, thereby guarding the redeemed from judgment (v. 23).

The houses in which the children of Israel ate the passover lamb typify Christ. The lamb was the means of redemption, and the house was the means of preserving the redeemed ones. As the redeeming one, Christ is the lamb, and as the keeping one, He is the house. The blood of the lamb was on the door, and the flesh of the lamb was in the house. The lamb, the house, and those who enjoyed the passover thus became one. This is a picture of the identification of the redeemed ones with Christ. See note Exo. 12:22².

The blood of the passover lamb was for redemption, to redeem the children of Israel out of God’s death-judgment, and the flesh of the lamb was for life supply, to strengthen the people to move out of Egypt. The flesh of the lamb signifies the crucified and resurrected life of Christ as the supply for God’s redeemed people. Through Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection His flesh has become the food of God’s redeemed. In the reality of the passover, Christ’s blood is drinkable, Christ’s flesh is eatable, and Christ in totality is eatable (John 6:51-57, 63 and notes).

In the Scriptures leaven signifies what is sinful, evil, corrupt, and unclean in the eyes of God (1 Cor. 5:6, 8). To eat with unleavened bread means to eliminate all sinful things (see note Exo. 12:15^2a). To eat with bitter herbs means to regret and repent, to experience a bitter taste regarding sinful things.

To eat Christ “raw” is to regard Christ not as the Redeemer but only as a model or example of human living to be imitated. To eat Christ as if He were boiled with water is to regard His death on the cross merely as martyrdom under man’s persecution, not as death for our redemption. To eat Christ “roasted with fire” is to believe that on the cross Christ suffered for us under God’s holy wrath exercised in His judgment, as signified by the fire here (Heb. 12:29).

See note Exo. 12:9¹.

The head signifies wisdom, the legs signify activity and move, and the inward parts signify the inward parts of Christ’s being, including His mind, emotion, will, and heart with all their functions. Eating the passover lamb with the head, legs, and inward parts signifies taking Christ in His entirety, in His wisdom, activities, move, and inward parts (John 6:57; 1 Cor. 1:24; Rev. 14:4b; Phil. 1:8).

Not to let anything of the lamb remain until morning signifies that we must receive Christ in a full way, not partially.

The children of Israel applied the passover in such a way that they could become God’s army (vv. 17, 41, 51). Both their girding their loins and their putting sandals on their feet were their preparation for fighting (cf. Eph. 6:14, 15). The girdle, the sandals, and the staff were all for their journey out of Egypt, a journey of warfare (Exo. 13:18). Because the battle was imminent, they ate the passover lamb in haste. Their eating of the lamb equipped them for the battle.

The noun passover, from the verb pass over (v. 13), indicates that the judgment of God passes over us because of the blood of Christ, the real Passover lamb (John 1:29).

The firstborn here signifies the natural man, the old man in Adam. Since Adam was the first man (1 Cor. 15:45a), the firstborn includes everyone who is in Adam (cf. 1 Cor. 15:22a). The redeeming blood of Christ is not effective for those who remain in Adam (see note 1 John 2:2²; cf. note Exo. 12:22²). Furthermore, to apply Christ as the Passover in a complete and adequate way, we must condemn everything within us that is related to the firstborn, that is, to Adam (1 Cor. 5:6-8; Eph. 4:22).

The firstborn were the constituents of Egypt, whereas the gods were components of Satan’s kingdom. During the passover both were judged. Behind all the gods of Egypt were Satan and the demons (cf. 1 Cor. 10:20). Therefore, on the night of the passover, Satan and all the demons also were judged. In the fulfillment of the passover, both the world and Satan with his evil power of darkness were judged by God through Christ’s death on the cross (John 12:31; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14).

This indicates that we should remember Christ’s redemption perpetually in a specific and detailed way.

The Passover was to be kept as a feast to Jehovah; i.e., it was to be eaten with enjoyment both for Jehovah and with Jehovah. The emphasis in the Passover is on the eating of the passover (vv. 8-11; Luke 22:11, 15). The significance of eating is that we live by what we eat (John 6:57).

The Passover itself, held on the fourteenth day of the first month (vv. 2, 6), lasted only one day. Continuing from the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted seven days (vv. 15-20; 13:6-7). See note Matt. 26:17^1b and note 1 Cor. 5:8¹.

In the Feast of the Passover the lamb was to be eaten with unleavened bread (v. 8 and note Exo. 12:8^2a). In the continuation of the Passover the eating of unleavened bread for seven days (a full course of time) signifies that for our entire Christian life, from the time we receive Christ and are saved, we should continue our enjoyment by eliminating everything sinful. During the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, no leaven was to be found in the houses (v. 19), and no leaven was to be seen among the people of Israel (Exo. 13:7). This signifies that, although it is impossible for us to be completely without sin, we must eliminate any sin that is seen; i.e., we must forsake the sin of which we are conscious (cf. Heb. 12:1). To deal with manifested sin is to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (1 Cor. 5:7-8). If we tolerate sin once it is exposed, we will lose the enjoyment of the fellowship of God’s people (v. 19; 1 Cor. 5:13). The only way to eliminate sin is to daily eat Christ as the crucified, resurrected, and sinless life, signified by the unleavened bread.

Lit., soul. So also elsewhere in this chapter.

This signifies that in partaking of God’s salvation there is place only for eating, for enjoyment, not for any human work (cf. Rom. 3:20).

Hyssop was among the smallest of the plants (1 Kings 4:33). Here it signifies our faith, which God does not require to be great (Matt. 17:20). The blood of Christ, the Passover lamb, is applied not by great faith but by a small amount of faith. Even a little faith is sufficient for us to apply the blood of Christ that we may enter into Him as the house and have a full enjoyment of the Passover.

To participate in the passover, the children of Israel had to enter into and remain in the houses that had been sprinkled with the blood (vv. 13, 22-23). In the same principle, to participate in Christ and His redemption, we must be identified with Christ by entering into Him and remaining in Him (Eph. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:30; John 15:4; cf. Gal. 5:2, 4). The house and the blood were inseparable; likewise, Christ and His redemption are one. See note Gen. 3:21^2a, note Gen. 6:14³, and note Gen. 8:18¹, par. 2.

In the tenth and final plague, the firstborn of the Egyptians and even the firstborn of their beasts were killed (see note Exo. 12:12^1b). This was done by God to display His sovereignty, i.e., His absolute right, authority, and power, in relation to Pharaoh and His mercy in relation to Israel (Rom. 9:14-24). By this last plague Pharaoh was subdued (Exo. 11:1; 12:21-30, 33), albeit only temporarily.

In order to accomplish the salvation of His people, God subdued Pharaoh and all the Egyptians by the strength of His hand (Exo. 13:3, 14) so that they drove the people out of Egypt (v. 39; 11:1). The blood of the passover lamb saved God’s people from His judgment, but the subduing of the environment by God’s hand was required to save them from Pharaoh’s usurpation. This portrays the way in which the almighty saving God saves His redeemed people from Satan and the world.

Because the children of Israel were driven out of Egypt, they had no time to bring leavened food (vv. 34, 39). Thus, they left Egypt in a pure way, with no leaven. See note Exo. 12:8^2a.

This was not a robbery but a belated and righteous payment for a long period of slave labor. The silver, gold, and clothing (v. 35) given to the children of Israel by the Egyptians were used not for the enrichment of God’s people but for the building of the tabernacle (Exo. 25:2-8; 35:4-9). To plunder the world is not to take anything from the world unrighteously; it is to labor in the world and use the gain from our labor for the building of God’s dwelling place, God’s testimony on earth.

In making an absolute exodus from Egypt, the children of Israel brought all their possessions with them. They were so prevailing that a mixed multitude, some who were not Israelites, were willing to follow them. This is the kind of departure from the world that is ordained by God.

The Septuagint adds, and in the land of Canaan.

See note Gal. 3:17^3a.

During the night of the passover God was watching over His people in order to bring them out of the world, and they cooperated with Him by watching with Him and to Him. In order to make an exodus from the world, we should not “sleep” but should be watchful, vigilant, and alert (Rom. 13:11-13a; 1 Thes. 5:5-7).

A foreigner signifies both an unbeliever and the natural man, who is no different from an unbeliever. A hired servant (v. 45) signifies the natural man who works for God in the natural life in order to receive compensation (Rom. 4:4-5 and note Rom. 4:4¹ and and note Rom. 4:4²). A purchased servant (v. 44) signifies one who has been redeemed by the Lord and serves Him as a slave (Rom. 1:1 and note Rom. 1:1²). Such a redeemed one must also be circumcised (vv. 44, 48); i.e., his natural life must be cut off through the cross (Phil. 3:3; Col. 2:11). Only the redeemed and circumcised ones are qualified to partake of Christ as God’s Passover.

When Christ was crucified, His legs were not broken (John 19:33, 36). Christ’s unbroken bone signifies His unbreakable and indestructible eternal life that imparts life into us. See note Gen. 2:21² and note John 19:36².

God’s people left Egypt as an army arrayed for battle (Exo. 13:18). God’s complete redemption produces an army to fight for His interests on earth (cf. Eph. 6:10-20).