第一個逾越節
出埃及記十二章1至13節
1耶和華在埃及地曉諭摩西、亞倫說:
2你們要以本月為正月,為一年之首。
3你們吩咐以色列全會眾說:本月初十日,各人要按著父家取羊羔,一家一隻。
4若是一家的人太少,吃不了一隻羊羔,本人就要和他隔壁的鄰舍共取一隻。你們預備羊羔,要按著人數和飯量計算。
5要無殘疾、一歲的公羊羔,你們或從綿羊裡取,或從山羊裡取,都可以。
6要留到本月十四日,在黃昏的時候,以色列全會眾把羊羔宰了。
7各家要取點血,塗在吃羊羔的房屋左右的門框上和門楣上。
8當夜要吃羊羔的肉;用火烤了,與無酵餅和苦菜同吃。
9不可吃生的,斷不可吃水煮的,要帶著頭、腿、五臟,用火烤了吃。
10不可剩下一點留到早晨;若留到早晨,要用火燒了。
11你們吃羊羔當腰間束帶,腳上穿鞋,手中拿杖,趕緊的吃;這是耶和華的逾越節。
12因為那夜我要巡行埃及地,把埃及地一切頭生的,無論是人是牲畜,都擊殺了,又要敗壞埃及一切的神。我是耶和華。
13這血要在你們所住的房屋上作記號;我一見這血,就越過你們去。我擊殺埃及地頭生的時候,災殃必不臨到你們身上滅你們。
信息分享
先前,當神降災的時候,都會將埃及人與以色列人分隔開,以致災害不會傷及以色列人(十23)。如今,當神要派滅命的天使巡遊埃及遍地,祂又如何保護祂的百姓免受災禍呢?
神吩咐摩西指示以色列民在羊群中選出一隻無殘疾的一歲公羊,把牠宰掉,將牠的血塗在門框和門楣上。當滅命的天使經過,看見這血的標記,便會越門而過,不傷害他們。
也許這章經文其中一幅最溫馨的圖畫,是以色列人一家圍坐著吃那隻被宰的羔羊。他們所吃的那隻羊,正是那隻保護他們得享平安的羊。試想想,他們一家人把羊血塗在門框和門楣上之後,便可以安心地回到屋內,一起分享羊肉,養足體力,為即將的行程作好預備。
這不是我們基督徒的最佳寫照嗎?基督乃是神的羔羊,祂親自用祂的寶血塗抹我們的罪,遮蔽我們免除神的審判,讓我們得享平安。同時,祂更是我們的生命之糧,我們每天都要享用這糧,才得到所需的力量。此外,我們每逢主日,與其他信徒一同奉祂的名聚會,一同聆聽神的話語,又是另一個得力的途徑。神的羔羊不但用寶血拯救我們,還成為我們每天的靈糧,賜予我們力量。願我們為到神的豐足預備,深深地向祂感恩。
反思:
我們有沒有用羔羊的寶血去塗抹我們的罪?
THE FIRST PASSOVER
Exodus 12: 1 - 13
1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.
3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.
4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.
6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.
7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.
8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails.
10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire.
11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover.
12 ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike 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 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
Message
During some of the earlier plagues God had put a barrier between the Egyptians and the Israelites, so that the plagues did not touch the people of Israel (10:23). How was God going to protect his people when the angel of death came through the land?
You know the story of how the lamb was chosen and killed and the blood put on the doorway, forming a cross of blood. When the angel of death saw the blood, he passed over that house.
One of the loveliest pictures given to us in this chapter is that of the family eating the lamb together. Which lamb were they eating? The very same lamb whose blood gave them safety. Stop and think of that. The family sheltering under the blood of the lamb on which they were feeding in fellowship, gaining strength for the long journey ahead.
Isn't that a beautiful picture of ourselves? We are covered and kept safe by the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God. Yet he is the one from whom we receive food and strength for each day. We receive strength also in fellowship with each other as we gather in the name of Christ each Sunday to listen to God's Word together. We feed on the Lamb whose blood has saved us. Could you stop and thank him again just now for his precious blood and his daily help?
A THOUGHT:
The blood of the lamb had to be applied, not just left in the basin. Has the blood of Christ been applied to your life?

