Chapter 12
Israel's calendar set to the first month because of the Exodus. Passover to be on the 10th day of the first month. The Passover lamb had to be without blemish. It was to be kept four days, then killed at twilight. Lamb's blood to be put on the doorposts and lintel. Roasted, not boiled or fried, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Roasted whole it appears. Leftovers to be burned. Not to be eaten after Passover. To be eaten hurriedly, and with shoes on, ready to travel.
2021 - What does this last phrase mean?
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. [Exo 12:12 ESV] I don't think we're ever told just what this means. Could mean all the statues were torn down, fell over, or something like that. Could mean the pagan Egyptian temples collapsed or burned. A death angel that killed the first born of man and beast could also have made short work of stone idols, pagan priests and priestesses, and so on. But we really don't know.
Passover to be a tradition with the Jews forever. For seven days they eat unleavened bread. All leaven to be removed from the houses from the 14th to the 21st. The penalty was removal from the people. A pretty harsh sentence.
29 At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. [Exo 12:29 ESV]
This verse implies that the striking down was instantaneous throughout the land. It wasn't the death angel creeping through as in the movie. All the first born died at once. And it says there wasn't a single house where someone hadn't died.
2/9/25 Addendum - In his sermon today, Bobby Kelly said that the Egyptians did not know about the blood. They didn't have blood on their doors because they weren't told about that requirement. This also means that the death angel didn't kill them because they were Egyptians any more than he passed over the Hebrews because they were descended from Abraham. The blood on the door was the only factor, just as the blood applies to Gentile and Jew alike under the New Covenant.
The firstborn die, Pharoah calls Moses and Aaron in the middle of the night and tells them to get out. And to bless him also. Has he finally repented? No...we know that he will send his army after Israel just a few hours after they leave.
The Egyptians give away gold, silver and clothing, because God makes them look with favor on Israel. Thus they are plundered. Egypt is looted as if by an invading and victorious army, though no conventional battle has been fought.
The people go from Ramses to Succoth, 600,000 men. They were leaving after 430 years, to the very day.