Passover

Lesson Text: Exodus 12:1-14

Thought to Remember: Jesus is the Passover

Lessons learned:

To enact the Passover for God's chosen people who were captives in Egypt,  the people had to eat the roasted flesh that night, symbolizing judgment. It was to be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, representing the bitter experiences in Egypt. The meat had to be thoroughly roasted, not raw or boiled, to distinguish it from pagan practices and to signify that judgment is spared through the lamb. The entire animal was to be prepared, symbolizing Jesus' sacrifice, and any leftovers were to be burned by morning, highlighting the sacrifice’s totality.

Why The 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. Exodus 12:12

Marvel created a series about Egyptian gods. In the series "Moon Knight," there is a relationship between the Egyptian moon god Khonshu and a human whom the god uses as an avatar, Marc Spector. In this series, Khonshu, the god of the moon and vengeance, grants Marc his powers as Moon Knight. I mentioned this series because even our make-believe world of entertainment has relevance when you search the Scriptures. These gods in the Old Testament were applicable to the human world. For this reason, God notes that He will smite all firstborn in the land of Egypt, including the animals.

The Israelites lived in a polytheistic environment in which the Egyptians worshipped many gods. Each of their god was associated with one to three animals. The term theriomorphism is the practice of attributing animal forms to their gods. The chart below lists these associations:

Deity Role Associated Animal(s)

Anubis God of mummification and the afterlife Jackal or African golden wolf

Horus God of the sky and kingship Falcon

Bastet Goddess of protection and the home Cat (originally a lioness)

Sobek God of the Nile and fertility Crocodile

Thoth God of wisdom, writing, and magic Ibis or Baboon

Sekhmet Goddess of war and healing Lioness

Khnum God of the source of the Nile Ram (with horizontal twisting horns)

Hathor Goddess of love, music, and motherhood Cow

In the Marvel series Moon Knight, the goddess Taweret, embodying the essence of childbirth and fertility, is strikingly portrayed with the head of a hippopotamus, powerful lion-like limbs, and a tail resembling a swift crocodile. This vivid representation underscores the ancient belief that gods could take on animal forms. As such, it becomes evident why the Most High God killed the firstborn male of both creatures and humans alike, intertwining the fates of all living beings in a profound tapestry of life. Way too often, the Bible commentaries view these gods as fake, which one may interpret as false or nonexistent beings. If such is true, why would God point out that He will smite all the gods of Egypt in the form of judgment?

Yet, in Psalm 82, the Most High God lays out a detailed plan for dealing with gods like those found in Egypt.  

(Psalm 82:1, 6-7 KJV) 1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. ... 6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

In the book The Unseen Realm, Michael Heiser interprets Psalm 82 as depicting God presiding over a divine council of lesser gods (Elohim), critiquing their failure to administer justice on earth and ultimately pronouncing judgment against them for their ineptitude. Likewise, God judged these gods in Egypt by killing the male firstborn of associated animals.  If we fast-forward to the present day, one will see reflections of these gods in our society, as in the television series Moon Knight. Often, you will hear sports commentators make joking statements like the football gods. Although this colloquial phrase metaphorically refers to luck or fate in football, will a sporting event ever rise to the level of a god when sports figures receive more homage than the Savior?

Let us remain vigilant in remembering the Passover while recognizing that the Death Angel passed over the houses where the blood was applied to the doorpost. Likewise, Jesus is the Passover, and we, too, can escape the judgment that awaits the gods through Jesus’ blood.