Exodus 12:3 “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.”
God was getting ready to deliver the children of Israel from slavery of the Pharaoh in Egypt. They had been in bondage 400 years; bondage is all this generation had ever known. Their cries for help came to God, and he appeared to Moses with an unconventional plan to deliver them.
Relevant with the news today, we see the people of the Middle East revolting against their tyranny. Unlike that, God didn’t’ tell Israel to sharpen their swords and confiscate weapons. Instead he spoke about a meal they were to prepare. It was about a little lamb and its blood. They were to eat with their shoes on and their staff in their hand. Many of God’s plans seem unconventional to the world; sometimes they seem foolish. No matter how it seems, God’s ways work. Everyone who follows God’s instruction wins the battle.
They were to take a specific animal, a one-year old lamb without spot or blemish. They were to kill it and catch the blood. That blood was to be applied to the top of the lintel and the side posts of the door. An angel would pass through the land of Egypt that night and kill all the firstborn. This was the only way to break Pharaoh. The blood on the doorposts was the only way to stop the death angel. When the angel saw the blood, it would pass over the household without killing anyone.
The plan of salvation, put together by the Father, Son, and Spirit from the foundation of the world is seen clearly here. The blood of God’s Lamb, his only Son Jesus, is the only way that sin can be removed from a person’s heart and life. We need to grasp this first Passover. There is a lot to learn.
A first-year lamb is small. It might have seemed too small for the large families of that day. It has always been the thrust of the devil to make Jesus appear small. He wants us to see Christ as weak and crumbling. Remember though that this prince of darkness is nothing but a fallen angel who will one day confess who Jesus is. The size of the Lamb is always enough. Notice verse 4 again. “And if the household be too little for the lamb….” Moses didn’t comment about the lamb being too small, only the household.
Let’s talk about your spiritual household. What is living in it? Everyone and every part of your household need the Lamb. Sometimes coldness and indifference move in. We all fail. Sin can add to sin and pretty soon you have a household of unwanted members. Jesus is bigger than all the sins you could ever commit. You may be dealing with needs and problems you never thought you’d have to deal with. When problems move in, worry seems to follow. The Lamb is never too little. That’s not the problem. There is plenty of Jesus to go around, so much that we can get all our neighbors involved.
When compared to the Lamb, we will never be greater in our problems and trials, regardless of their size. The devil never supersedes the Lamb. We can never ask too much of the Lord. He’ll never say “I can’t. My resources are too limited.” In fact, Jesus said “all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” He said “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Jesus is not ashamed to be the Lamb of my house. He’s not ashamed to be the Lamb of your house. He is sufficient no matter what shape our house is in.
When the children of Israel prepared the Lamb, the entire animal had to be eaten. We have to take Jesus as our whole Shepherd, Guide, and Savior, in his entirety, to receive the whole blessing of his residence in the household. Jesus can take care of all the members of our house, whatever they are. The people had to eat it right then. They couldn’t wait until the next day or next week. Please don’t say that you’ll take the Lord another time or wait until a revival. There is no sense in putting off trusting the Lord. Six months from now, Jesus will still be a now Savior.
That night every man ate according to his appetite. Regardless of how hungry he was, there was enough lamb for every person to be full. Regardless of our need, regardless of how huge our hunger, there will never be a time when the Lamb will be too little. Our situations will never be too big for the Savior. The next day thousands cried in Egypt at the death of their firstborn. Israel marched out of Egypt full, alive and well.
The end of verse 4 says “every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.” I want to challenge you to make your count for the Lamb. Whatever resides in your household let it partake of the Lamb. Believe the Lord. Trust him. Take him in all the way. He always has been and always will be enough.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 