Deliverance from Bondage

Exodus 12 -Atonement of Christ frees us from bondage of sin (including addiction)

It was only through the blood of the lamb and slaying of the firstborn that the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt.

For us: it is only through the atonement of Christ and our knowing how to use it in our daily lives that we are freed from the bondage of sin- especially the particularly difficult to overcome bondage of addiction. There were many preceding opportunities for the Israelites to be released from bondage, but it was only the shedding of the firstborn and the blood of the lamb that freed them.  

We may think of addiction in terms of alcohol, drugs, or pornography, but we all have behaviors that we turn to time and time again in an addictive manner that cause continued destruction in our lives and pain to those around us. Think of anger, blame, self-depreciation, unhealthy food, resentment, etc.  Many times we repeat those behaviors over and over even though we don’t like it in ourselves and we wonder why we would continue to cause ourselves and others pain. Those behaviors we use to cover or hide from our inadequacies and fill the holes in our lives need to be replaced by Christ. Knowing Him, feeling His love for us, allowing Him to teach us and change us, remembering and turning to Christ constantly is the only way to fill those holes in our hearts and overcome our weaknesses. 

This is an overview of the elements of the passover as told in Exodus 12. Symbolically we can find this same type of pattern in many scriptures as we look for it.

Elements of the Passover	How the Element Represents Jesus Christ	Personal Commentary
“Take to them . . . a lamb” (Exodus 12:3).	Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29).	For me the lamb represents the willingness of Christ to give us this gift of love.
“This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” (Exodus 12:2)	So significant was the event about to take place that the Lord commanded Israel to use this event as the beginning of their calendar. Thus the sacred calendar of Israelite feasts and festivals begins with the month of Abib (later called Nisan), which corresponds to late March and early April. (OT Commentary)	No event in the history of the world is as significant as the atonement of Jesus Christ. The Passover is full of symbolism representing why this event was so significant for each of us as individuals.
“lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year” (Exodus 12:5)	1 Peter 1:18-20 “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year,’ signifying that the Lamb of God, pure and perfect, without spot or blemish, in the prime of his life, as the Paschal Lamb, would be slain for the sins of the world.” (OT Commentary)	There is no one more perfect or more loving, yet he was taken in the prime of his life and crucified. This is a message to me to not allow the criticism of others to discourage or defeat me. All that matters is what Christ thinks of me and he has made a covenant with me that if I do my very best, He will take care of all the rest.
“Israel shall kill it in the evening and they shall take of the blood” (Exodus 12:6-7)	“They were to take of the blood of the lamb and sprinkle it upon the doorposts of their houses, having this promise as a result: ‘And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you,’ signifying that the blood of Christ, which should fall as drops in Gethsemane and flow in a stream from a pierced side as he hung on the cross, would cleanse and save the faithful; and that, as those in Israel were saved temporally because the blood of a sacrificial lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts of their houses, so the faithful of all ages would wash their garments in the blood of the Eternal Lamb and from him receive an eternal salvation.” (OT Commentary)	The whole purpose of the sacrifice he made was to fulfill the requirement of justice for all my mistakes and incapability’s. I am made perfect in Him. The blood was shed to atone for the sins of all that would accept the covenant. I enter into that covenant as I am baptized and make the promise to always remember him and willingly do all that He asks me to do, to the very best of my ability.
And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. (Exodus 12:8)		The bitter herbs represent the bitterness and pain in bondage. When we sin we feel that same pain to help remind us to return to the Lord and find peace. Other peoples sins can also cause pain for us, but as we turn to the Lord for comfort we will be healed and find that comfort.
Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. (Exodus 12:9)	The lamb was thus “‘undivided or whole, so that neither head nor thighs were cut off, and not a bone was broken. It was to be roasted, in order that it might be placed upon the table undivided and essentially unchanged. ‘Through the unity and integrity of the lamb given them to eat, the participants were to be joined into an undivided unity and fellowship with the Lord, who had provided them with the meal.’” (OT Commentary)	We can have that undivided unity and fellowship with the Lord as we continually seek to know Him and be united in purpose with Him.
Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread. (Exodus 12:19-20)	Leaven, or yeast, was seen anciently as a symbol of corruption because it so easily spoiled and turned moldy. In the law of Moses no leaven could be offered with the trespass offering (see Leviticus 6:17), suggesting that the offering must be without any corruption. For the Israelites, eating the unleavened bread symbolized that they were partaking of the bread which had no corruption or impurity, namely, the Bread of Life, who is Jesus Christ (see John 6:35). The careful purging of the household of all leaven (see Exodus 12:19) was a beautiful symbol of putting away all uncleanliness from the family. (OT Commentary)	We need to do everything in our power to remove all corruption from our lives. Christ does not leave us alone in this task. He will be there every step of the way and more noticeably when we are not trying to push Him away.
There shall no stranger eat thereof: But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. (Exodus 12:43-44) And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. (Exodus 12:48)	“As to the eating the flesh of the sacrificial lamb, the divine word was, ‘No uncircumcised person shall eat thereof,’ signifying that the blessings of the gospel are reserved for those who come into the fold of Israel, who join the Church, who carry their part of the burden in bearing off the kingdom; signifying also that those who eat his flesh and drink his blood, as he said, shall have eternal life and he will raise them up at the last day. (John 6:54.)” (OT Commentary)	Our requirement is a circumcism of the heart or in other words, we are willing to make whatever sacrifices the Lord requires of us in order to become clean in our actions, heart, and soul.
In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. (Exodus 12:46)	“As to the sacrifice of the lamb, the decree was, ‘Neither shall ye break a bone thereof,’ signifying that when the Lamb of God was sacrificed on the cross, though they broke the legs of the two thieves to induce death, yet they brake not the bones of the Crucified One ‘that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.’ (John 19:31–36.)” (OT Commentary)	The Savior never was broken. Many of us are broken emotionally. We have deep holes in our heart that we seek to fill with many addictions. Our Savior is capable of making us whole again.
Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. (Exodus 12:14-15)	“On the first and seventh days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Israelites were commanded to hold holy convocations in which no work might be done except the preparation of their food. These were occasions for preaching and explaining and exhorting and testifying. We go to sacrament meetings to be built up in faith and in testimony. Ancient Israel attended holy convocations for the same purposes. Knowing that all things operate by faith, would it be amiss to draw the conclusion that it is as easy for us to look to Christ and his spilt blood for eternal salvation as it was for them of old to look to the blood of the sacrificed lamb, sprinkled on doorposts, to give temporal salvation, when the angel of death swept through the land of Egypt?” (OT Commentary)	The number seven is symbolic of perfect. After we have accepted the original covenant through baptism, we have an opportunity to renew it once every seven days as we attend church and partake of the sacrament. The sacrament symbolically represents our Saviors sacrifice for us by giving his body and blood. His body is symbolically represented in the bread and His blood is represented in the water. By meeting with others who have taken the same commitment we can lift and strengthen and learn from each other. This once a week renewal becomes a vital part of our healing and gives us opportunities to serve.

Here is a link to a short video about  The-Passover

Exodus 12:29-32

29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

 31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.

 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also

   As the final plague in Egypt, the lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt (people and cattle)

“As ‘the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt’ because they believed not the word of the Lord delivered to them by Moses and Aaron, even so should the Firstborn of the Father, who brings life to all who believe in his holy name, destroy worldly people at the last day, destroy all those who are in the Egypt of darkness, whose hearts are hardened as were those of Pharaoh and his minions.” (OT Commentary)