February 2 — The Passover and the Price of Freedom
SCRIPTURE READING (KJV):
Exodus 10
¹ And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:
² And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.
³ And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.
⁴ Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
⁵ And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:
⁶ And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.
⁷ And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?
⁸ And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?
⁹ And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.
¹⁰ And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.
¹¹ Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
¹² And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.
¹³ And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
¹⁴ And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
¹⁵ For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
¹⁶ Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.
¹⁷ Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.
¹⁸ And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.
¹⁹ And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.
²⁰ But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
²¹ And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
²² And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
²³ They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
²⁴ And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.
²⁵ And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.
²⁶ Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.
²⁷ But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.
²⁸ And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.
²⁹ And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.
Exodus 11
¹ And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.
² Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.
³ And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.
⁴ And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:
⁵ And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.
⁶ And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.
⁷ But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.
⁸ And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.
⁹ And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.
¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
Exodus 12
¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
² This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
³ Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
⁴ And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
⁶ And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
⁷ And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
⁸ And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
⁹ Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
¹⁰ And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
¹¹ And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’s passover.
¹² For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
¹³ And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
¹⁴ And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
¹⁵ Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
¹⁶ And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
¹⁷ And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.
¹⁸ In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
¹⁹ Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.
²⁰ Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
²¹ Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.
²² And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
²³ For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
²⁴ And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
²⁵ And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
²⁶ And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
²⁷ That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
²⁸ And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
²⁹ And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
³⁰ And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
³¹ And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.
³² Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.
³³ And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.
³⁴ And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.
³⁵ And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
³⁶ And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.
³⁷ And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.
³⁸ And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
³⁹ And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.
⁴⁰ Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.
⁴¹ And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
⁴² It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.
⁴³ And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:
⁴⁴ But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
⁴⁵ A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.
⁴⁶ In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.
⁴⁷ All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
⁴⁸ And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
⁴⁹ One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
⁵⁰ Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
⁵¹ And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
DEVOTIONAL:
Exodus 10–12 brings the conflict to its climax: locusts devour what hail spared, darkness smothers Egypt’s confidence, and the final plague strikes the firstborn. Pharaoh’s offers reveal a heart that wants to negotiate with God—leave the children, leave the flocks—yet the LORD will not bargain away full obedience. The bondage of Egypt is breaking, but the deeper issue is still worship: Who owns Israel’s life, labor, and future?
The Passover is introduced as both rescue and remembrance. A lamb without blemish is slain, blood is placed on the doorposts, and the LORD promises to pass over the homes marked by that blood. Israel eats in haste like a people on the move, and the feast is established as a yearly memorial so that later generations will know that salvation was God’s work, not Israel’s cleverness.
Judgment and grace meet in the same night. Egypt experiences the wages of stubborn rebellion, while Israel is sheltered by a sign God Himself provides. In the New Testament, the language of Passover becomes a lens for Jesus’ saving work, but even here in Exodus the pattern is clear: redemption requires a substitute, and freedom begins with God’s word believed and obeyed.
These chapters also teach that deliverance is not merely escape from something, but belonging to Someone. Israel leaves with the spoils of Egypt, not to become self-made, but to become God’s covenant people. The LORD who judges idols also gathers a people to worship Him with their whole lives. In Jewish homes, Passover (Pesach) is remembered by telling the Exodus story and eating unleavened bread (matzah). The New Testament places Jesus’ final week in Passover season and calls Him our Passover sacrificed for us; His blood, like the blood on the doorposts, marks a people sheltered by God’s promise. Every Exodus deliverance becomes a signpost toward the greater redemption God provides in Messiah.
In daily life, …the Passover calls you to stop negotiating partial obedience and to trust God’s provided means of rescue. Let the memory of God’s deliverance shape your habits, so gratitude becomes faithfulness and remembrance becomes worship.
In U.S. civic life, …today’s reading lifts up the civic virtue of grateful remembrance—freedom is a gift, and it must not be used to forget God or to crush others. Pray for our leaders, courts, schools, and families to honor the truth about our history, to protect families, and to safeguard religious freedom for faithful worship without coercion. Christians should show up as thankful people who remember God’s deliverance, defend the vulnerable, and treat strangers with fairness.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Question: Why did God command Israel to remember Passover every year, and what does remembrance do to faith?
Question: What details about the lamb, the blood, and the unleavened bread stand out most to you—and why?
Question: How does ‘hurried obedience’ (leaving ready to go) challenge your own pace and priorities?
PRAYER:
ADORATION:
Holy LORD, Thou art just and Thou art merciful, mighty to judge and mighty to save. Thou seest every house and every heart, and nothing is hidden from Thee. Thou art the Redeemer who brings Thy people out with a strong hand.
CONFESSION:
I confess that I often treat obedience like a negotiation and worship like an accessory. I confess my forgetfulness of Thy deliverances and my dullness to the cost of redemption. Forgive me, and teach me to fear Thee rightly.
THANKSGIVING:
Thank Thee for the Passover mercy, for the shelter Thou providest, and for the faithful word that never fails. Thank Thee that Thou rememberest Thy covenant and dost not abandon Thy people. Thank Thee for Christ, our true Lamb, who fulfills the meaning of salvation by blood.
SUPPLICATION – GENERAL:
Mark my life with true faith, not mere habit, and help me to follow Thee without bargaining. Give me a grateful memory that fuels steady obedience. Teach me to live as one who has been redeemed for worship.
SUPPLICATION – U.S. / CIVIC:
Grant our nation a sober gratitude for liberty and a clear conscience about how we treat the weak and the stranger. Help us to resist oppression in every form, beginning with honesty in our own hearts and homes. Give our leaders wisdom to pursue justice without cruelty and mercy without compromise. Strengthen families, defend the oppressed, and teach us to steward freedom with gratitude and courage.
SCRIPTURE:
¹³ And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.