Moses Delivers God’s Instructions

Having received instructions from the Lord regarding Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex. 12:1–20), Moses conveyed these instructions to Israel, as we see in today’s passage. Much of what he says repeats Exodus 12:1–13, although a few new details are included in verses 21–28.

First, we read that the Israelites were to apply the lamb’s blood to their doors by dipping “a bunch of hyssop” in the blood and then touching the lintel and doorposts (v. 22). Hyssop played an impor­tant role in the rituals of ancient Israel (see, e.g., Lev. 14:48–53; Heb. 9:19). Most likely, this plant was a species of the herb marjoram, a plant that had hairy stems and small white flowers that grew well in the ancient Near East, especially in the promised land. It was a fitting tool for applying blood in the way that the Lord commanded.

Second, we read that when the Passover was celebrated, the children would ask about the significance of the feast and the parents would explain the events of the exodus (Ex. 12:26–27). The questions were especially important during that first Passover when the children could actually watch their parents apply the blood of the Passover lamb to the doors of their home, but it became standard in later Passover celebrations for the children to ask about the feast’s meaning. This inclusion of an opportunity for parents to instruct their children fits Scripture’s teaching on the role of mothers and fathers in providing religious instruction to their sons and daughters. Parents must take the lead in raising their children in the faith, as we see in many texts (e.g., Deut. 6:4–9; Prov. 1:8; Eph. 6:4). Of course, the visible church has a key role in this as well, but parents are not allowed to put the responsibility of rearing their children in the faith solely in the hands of the church and then sit back and do nothing. The church is to support the work of mothers and fathers in teaching their children the faith, not to replace parental instruction in the things of God. Consequently, parents must know the faith themselves so that they can teach it regularly to their kids.

All the Passover rituals had to be done in faith. To apply the blood, remain indoors, and do the other things God had commanded, the Israelites first had to believe that the Lord would send the tenth plague and would protect them from it if they obeyed His words. Moses tells us in Exodus 12:28 that the Israelites did just that on that night long ago in Egypt.