Exodus 12: Instructions about Pesakh (Passover)

As the 10th plague was set to begin against the first-born children and livestock of Mitsraim (Egypt), God told Moshe (Moses) the month with Pesakh (Passover) and the Exodus would be the beginning of Yisra’el’s year (Ex. 12:2). God told Moses of the particular rituals that are to happen during this first month, called Aviv (Ex. 12:3–11). This was relayed to them at the beginning of the month, a couple of weeks before the final plague.

There are particular housekeeping rituals that had to be done in advance as well. A particular goat or lamb had to be chosen, leavened items were to be removed from the home, etc. Moses gave all these instructions to the elders of Israel to help them prepare.

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Barley is key here, because it is the first grain to mature in the year. In Mitsraim, the hail and the locusts had destroyed the barley completely but the wheat was not affected because it hadn’t sprouted yet (Ex. 9:32). Barley was the main source of substance for mankind in the spring.

There are various opinions of when the Pesakh begins and ends. I’ll try to help you sort it all out. In Hebrew, we are told that the lamb is to be killed “between the [two] evenings” (בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם‎ beyn ha-’arbim) on the 14th day (Ex. 12:6).

Modern Hebrew has a phrase for afternoon — אחרי הצהריים ’akharey hatsohorayim. In Biblical Hebrew, noon, or midday, is translated from צָּהֳרַיִם tzohorayim (from צֹהַר tsohar H6672, mounts its highest; used only as a plural, Gen. 43:16, 25; Deut. 28:29; 2nd Sam. 4:5; 1st Kings 18:26–27, 29; 20:16; 2nd Kings 4:20; Isa. 16:3; 58:10; 59:10; Jer. 6:4; 15:8; 20:16; Amos 8:9; Zeph. 2:4; Psa. 37:6; 55:18; 91:6; Job 5:14; 11:17; Song 1:7). Afternoon is described as כַּעֲבֹר הַצָּהֳרַיִם‎ ka’avor hatsaharayim (H5674 + H6672) “when midday was past” (New American Standard Bible, King James Version) or “at the passing by of the noon” (Young’s Literal Translation) (1st Kings 18:29).

Noon is right when the sun is the highest point in the sky, a minute after that point, we talk about that time as “afternoon.” Right when afternoon starts, the clock is ticking and coming closer and closer to evening, which is sunset.

When the Torah says to kill the goat or lamb “between the evenings,” it is to be killed between afternoon and sunset, which in the spring time would be approximately 3 p.m. This is when the afternoon sacrifices were performed in the Temple and is when Yeshua was killed on the cross.

The lamb or goat was killed and its blood was spread on the door frame, not the door itself.

They were to assemble in their homes and keep their doors shut tight.

They ate the Pesakh on the beginning of the 15th day, which is when it was dark. It was roasted, not boiled or eaten raw. They were to eat of it quickly. If you don’t get it all eaten, burn it before midnight.

We lived in a world of clocks, run with electricity or with gears and tension. We have computers and even photos that will tell us the time. They did not have these things.

They had to eat the Pesakh on the 15th day, but they also had to begin their flight out of Mitsraim on the 15th day. Everything of it had to be cooked, eaten and burnt before they left Mitsraim.

When God saw the blood, he will “overlook” the house and not enter that doorway. The Mitsraimi had doors, doorposts and closed doors, just like the Hebrews did. They had to cover the doorposts in blood because they believed God. They didn’t understand God very well, but they took Him at His word.

When Yeshua died on the 14th day, He was buried in haste. He took the sin, the leaven from us and we are to clear out our leaven, too. This was YHWH’s blood sacrifice. The lamb that takes away the sins of the world.

“For the LORD will pass through to smite the people of Mitsraim; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you.” (Ex. 12:23)

The destroyer in Hebrew is שָׁחַת shakhat (Strong’s lexicon No. H7843), which means simply to ruin, to corrupt or to destroy. This isn’t the Hebrew word for the Devil or an angel. God would both bring inflict destruction on Mitsraim and protect Yisra’el from it.

Reader: Jeff. Speaker: Richard. Summary: Tammy.