Moses told the Israelites to dip the hyssop branch into the sacrificial lamb's blood which had drained into the "basin" at the foot of their doors. What was this basin? How was this a forerunner of what would happen at the cross of Christ? When the firstborn died in Egypt, was it the males only, or also the females of each household? Pharoah asks Moses the "bless me also." Why did Pharoah ask this?

We have come to Passover night in Egypt, which brings death into every household, both Egyptian and Israelite. Egyptians will suffer the death of their firstborn as God's final plague expresses His wrath for what had been done to His people. The Israelites will suffer the sacrificial death of a chosen lamb which had been in their care, inside their homes, for five days. One group is devastated, and one group is delivered. We find lessons from both groups which inform our lives as Christians in the world today.

The final plague in Egypt was so significant that Moses wrote chapter 11 of Exodus to explain what it would entail. It is the only chapter during the plague narrative in which no plague actually takes place. Moses said that the first-born of every Egyptian family would perish and when it was over, the Egyptians would give silver and gold to the Israelites. Would the Egyptians believe him? Would the Israelites? There was only one way to prove it.