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The Painted Door

November 18, 2018 Speaker: Eric Naus Series: Slaves to Sons

Passage: Exodus 12:1–13, Genesis 12:21–28

Community Group Questions: Exodus 12:1-18, 21-28 "The Painted Door"

Printing Instructions: To print these discussion questions for use in your Community Group or other study, first highlight the text, then right click and select "print" from the dropdown menu that appears.

Read Exodus 12:1-18 and 21-28 aloud as a group, and then work through the following discussion questions:

  1. In many of the plagues to this point, God had made a clear distinction between Egypt and Israel (see for example: 8:22-23, 9:6-7, 9:26, 10:23). However, in the case of the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn, there is no distinction: only those houses with a blood stained door would be “passed over” by God.  What does this fact tell us about the nature of Israel’s greatest problem?  In other words, was Israel’s greatest problem their slavery, or Pharaoh, or the Egyptians?  Or did they have an even greater problem that must be dealt with?  What was it?
  2. In your opinion, what is the greatest threat that humanity faces in the modern world? (War?  Environmental catastrophe?  Societal ills?  Political turmoil?)  How do these threats compare to the threat of God’s righteous judgment against our sin?  How does the Passover account help us grapple with this reality?
  3. Read 12:3-6, 8-10. Each Israelite family was to select a perfect lamb, without blemish.  They were to kill it and roast it for dinner.  The lamb was to provide perfect sustenance to each family involved – there was to be no want or waste at the meal.  How do these aspects of the ceremony point us to the work of Christ, who gives his perfect righteousness to all who believe?  (see Hebrews 4:15, 1 John 3:5, 2 Cor. 5:21, Phil. 3:8-9)
  4. Read 12:7, 12-13, 21-23. God required the blood of the sacrificial lamb to be painted on the door frames of every Israelite home.  As God passed through Egypt that night, He would “pass over” and spare every home marked by the blood.  This event was, therefore, referred to as the “Passover.”  How do these aspects of the ceremony point to the work of Christ for us on the cross for the forgiveness of sins?  (see 1 Peter 1:18-19 and Revelation 5:9)  How does the requirement to paint the blood and stay inside the home relate to trusting in Jesus Christ by faith?
  5. It’s interesting to realize that the first 9 plagues failed to free Israel from Pharaoh’s clutches. Only the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn sons, finally thrust the people out to freedom.  Where does true freedom come from today?  What kinds of freedom are people seeking in our world, and how does freedom in Christ compare?

Prayer suggestion: In addition to sharing requests, spend time praising Christ for the complete redemption that He has provided through His death for us on the cross.

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