The Passover Instituted

Time and again Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh with God's message, "Let My people go!" Time and again plagues were given as a punishment for refusing to let them go. Time and again Pharaoh declared that if the plagues were stopped he would let them go, and time and again he broke his word. The Scriptures say, "And for this very purpose God raised Pharaoh up, that He might show forth His Power through him." This is interpreted to mean that God could have brought another prince to the throne of Egypt. He favored this particular Pharaoh because of his wicked self- will, obstinacy and selfishness.

The Scriptures declare that the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. The explanation is that it was the goodness of God that hardened Pharaoh's heart. Divine goodness and generosity were shown in the removal of the various plagues as soon as Pharaoh promised to do right. This, instead of inciting him to love and obedience, led him to a greater obstinacy. He determined, as he had passed through one plague after another, that others could not be much worse. He paid dearly for his defiance.-- Exodus 4:21;7:3;14:4.

The tenth plague was the crisis. All the first-borns of Egypt died, but the first-borns of Israel under the sprinkled blood were safe. Thus God pictured the "Church of the First- borns," now being "called" out from the world. After glorification by the First Resurrection they will be the "Royal Priesthood," Spiritual Levites, for the blessing of all Israel, and through Israel, all the families of the Earth.

Bible students hold the Passover night to have typified this Gospel Age of nearly nineteen centuries, during which the spirit begotten ones, the church of the First-borns, are to be passed over, or specially saved, and made partakers of the Divine nature and associates in the Messianic Kingdom for the blessing of the later born, during Messiah's Reign. The blood sprinkled on the door-posts typed faith in the blood of Christ.