February 27

The Exodus from Egypt was such an important event in the life of Israel that God tells Moses that from that point forward the beginning of the Jewish year would be determined based on it. Before the tenth plague in which the firstborn of all the Egyptians were struck dead by God, He instituted the Passover. The firstborn of the Israelites were spared by an act of faith - the placing of the blood of a lamb on the doorposts and lintel of each home. That is clearly a picture of how we are spared from God's wrath - by placing our faith in Jesus alone. The Israelites were to remember how God had spared them and freed them from slavery in Egypt by observing the Passover Feast on an annual basis from that day forward.

It is interesting to note that because the people of Egypt feared the Lord after the ten plagues, the Israelites were able to plunder them and leave with huge amounts of precious metals and clothing. Later on that would provide for the needed materials for the tabernacle.